Sales Of Ukuleles Double In 2 Years
By Mike DeNardo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A little instrument is seeing a big surge in popularity.
At Vintage Instruments at Broad and Lombard, assistant manager Sarah Larsen strums away on a ukulele.
She says there's been a sales crescendo lately, "I think a lot of people are getting kind of tired of overly autotuned and overproduced music. And they really like the organic sound of the ukulele."
She says you can get a ukulele for as little as $75, and musically they do most things a guitar can do with a lot more portability.
"A lot of people around town are starting to take it on as a second instrument, which is great, because it means the music scene here is becoming more diverse."
And, she says, they have a unique sound because unlike guitars, the strings are positioned high to low.
"They're tuned with a high string here, so you've got a G on top. And the C, E, and then an A on the very very top here. So, it's an interesting style."
Larsen says there's a Ukulele group at Penn, and even a Philadelphia Ukulele Orchestra.
Whatever the reason, the National Association of Music Merchants says ukulele sales have nearly doubled over the last two years.
