(Book). There are few musical instruments that have given the world more joy than the ukulele. Ever since it evolved from a pair of small Portuguese instruments introduced to Hawaii in the late 1800s, this little guitar-liked four-string has significantly impacted American musical tastes and culture. Almost from its inception, the ukulele has been the object of innovation, with droves of luthiers experimenting with all manner of non-traditional body shapes, building materials, decorative details and colorful finishes. For the first time in print, this book presents an extensive overview of vintage ukuleles, from the earliest Hawaiian sopranos to the plastic ukes made in the 1950s and 60s. The book's extensively researched text is filled with fun facts and colorful stories about the individuals and companies that manufactured ukuleles, the performers who played them, and, of course, the instruments themselves. 540 full-color photos reveal the beauty and detail in every one of the hundreds of vintage ukuleles featured in the this book, most from the author's own collection.