California Coast Ukuleles | Fender Ukes

For decades, Fender has been synonymous with the beautiful coast of Southern California, with roots dating back to the birth of the company in Fullerton in 1946.

In the spirit of those roots, the California Coast Series of ukuleles was born. With five models to choose from, these ukuleles cater to musicians of all ages and skill levels, providing the perfect transitional stepping stone for aspiring guitar players to reach the next level.

Artists all around the world have been using ukuleles at a more regular rate, as well. Not only are they adding ukes to grow their collections and palette of sounds, the likes of the Magnetic Fields’ Stephen Merritt, She & Him’s Zooey Deschanel and tUnE-yArDs’ Merrill Garbus use them as one of their primary instruments.

“It was one of my first thoughts when I joined Fender two years ago,” said Fender Vice President of Acoustic and Squier Divisions Billy Martinez, who has 10 years of ukulele experience under his belt. “We have seen artists across many genres adding ukuleles to their arsenal.

“When you think of a ukulele, you think of the beach. It doesn’t have to be Hawaii. You think surfing. We wanted to take the iconic brand of Fender guitars, basses and amps tie in Fender’s tradition in California.”

All five, diverse soprano, concert and tenor models are named after beaches along the coast of California–from Los Angeles to picturesque Santa Barbara, capturing the spirit of California beach culture and the lifestyle it has to offer year-round.

The California Coast Series Ukuleles present a fresh take on the classic ukulele with five new accessibly-priced soprano, tenor and concert models. The Seaside and Rincon models sport traditional 2x2 headstocks for aficionados, while the Venice, Zuma, and Montecito models boast the instantly identifiable Fender Telecaster headstock.

Compact and comfortable, each ukulele was designed with ease of playability in mind–incorporating a slim "C"-shaped neck and no-tie bridge that makes changing strings a breeze.

Diving in further, the Venice model–offered in in Natural, Black and Cherry finishes–travels well from the beach to the studio, while maintaining that classic, quality sound. For players who want to plug in, the Rincon features an onboard Fishman Kula preamp. Packed with value and luxurious look, the all-koa Montecito model sits at the high end of the line. With abalone binding and rosette, this uke has screen-ready looks, similar to the celebrities inhabiting the beach for which it is named.

No matter your level of playing, these ukuleles are fun to strum in any location, any time the creative spark finds you. Playing them brings to mind the crashing waves and time spent with friends around a beach bonfire.