Oceana Ukuleles is owned and operated by Zacchaeus Steimle. In 1995, Zac traveled from his home in the Pacific North West to Ecuador to study Spanish and check out some South American waves (he learned to surf before learning to ride a bike!) While there he worked part time with a luthier in Quito, thus beginning his fantastical journey into musical instrument building.

In 2002 he returned to Ecuador with his wife Melody and their infant daughter to work with a community health project. They volunteered almost 8 years there helping under served people get medical attention as well as access to social support services. Their second daughter was born in the Amazon jungle region in 2005.

That same year, Zac met a master luthier that specialized in small stringed instruments.  Zac continued his luthier training with a 2-year apprenticeship specializing in ukuleles, learning the tradition and art that had been passed down from generation to generation.   With this experience, Zac created a ukulele design based on rich musical tradition.  A tradition that involved meticulously crafting instruments from start to finish with hand tools. This art takes both the skill and the well-trained ear of the luthier, a quality that cannot be extracted from the Internet or reproduced on a production line.

Excited by this passion for crafting instruments, Zac started Oceana Ukuleles in 2008, believing that he had something special to offer musicians and music lovers everywhere.

Currently Zac lives in Port Orchard, WA with his wife Melody and their two girls, Sequoia and Brisa. They are frequently on the road at festivals… hope to meet you there!

Click here for more about Zac and Melody's story and to see some amazing photos of their journey!