The Samantha Muir Performance Tenor

Dr. Samantha Muir is an Associate of the Royal College of Music, London and a recipient of the Madeline Walton Guitar Prize. In 2023 she was the first person in the world to be awarded  a PhD on the ukulele (University of Surrey, Guildford, UK), the title of which is New Works for Classical Ukulele. A leading exponent of the classical ukulele style Sam has performed and presented workshops at ukulele festivals including the Ukulele Festival of Great Britain (Cheltenham), the Highland Ukulele Gathering (Scotland), the Grand Northern Ukulele Festival (Huddersfield), the Yeovil Ukulele Festival (Yeovil), the Aluha Ukulele Festival (Germany), and the Valla Beach Ukulele Camp (Australia). Her classical ukulele workshops have been attended by literally hundreds of ukulele enthusiasts across the world both online and in person. She is tutor in residence for the Forest Ukulele Retreat (Forest of Dean) and the Halsway Manor Ukulele Weekend (Taunton). Her arrangements and tutorials have been featured in UKE Magazine and Ukulele magazine.

Sam has given lectures and presentations on the classical ukulele style for the International Guitar Research Centre at the University of Surrey, the Guitar Foundation of America, the 21st Century Guitar Conference, the Dublin Guitar Symposium and the European Guitar Teachers Association. Her compositions and arrangements are published by Schott and Les Productions d’Oz. She has acted as a consultant for RockSchool Ukulele Exams and contributed to the University of West London ukulele exam syllabus.

As well as playing the guitar and the ukulele Sam also plays the machete de Braga and the rajão - the forerunners of the ukulele from the Portuguese island of Madeira. In 2021 she participated in Ukulele - a history of Hawaii’ national instrument hosted by BBC programme The Forum. Her ground breaking research into the machete was published by RevistaPortuguesa de Educação Artística, Volume 11, No.2.2021, (pub. Dec. 2022). Sam is a member of the Cambridge Consortium for Guitar Research at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. 

In mid-February 2026 Paul Mansell was gracious enough to introduce me to Sam and it was with an immense feeling of trepidation that I drove the 200 miles from my home in rural Shropshire to show her 3 of my instruments: a California style tenor in Redwood and Walnut, an all-Koa Hawaiian style tenor and a baritone in Redwood and Walnut. What followed can only be described as one of the most nerve-racking experiences of my life. Sam put the instruments through 4 hours of the most intensive testing I’ve ever been subjected to! She played a repertoire of pieces on each instrument designed to each test a specific characteristic of what she looks for in a high-end ‘performance’ instrument: tone, sustain, volume, projection, resonance, playability and dynamic range.

Sam’s favourite seemed to be the Redwood & Walnut tenor upon which, after each test, there was a little smile, a little nod and a quiet “yes, it passed that one”.

The following day I received the following message from Sam “I’ve spent the night dreaming of that Redwood tenor! Never have I played a ukulele with such an outstanding dynamic range. Thank you for helping to make the ukulele a ‘serious’ concert instrument. I want one!“

Together we defined the specification for the ‘Samantha Muir Performance Tenor’: an instrument for players who want an extraordinarily responsive playing experience, one designed to respond to the lightest touch but with the ability to be driven hard whilst delivering crystal clear expression. The specification is:

• Wellingtonia (UK grown Giant Redwood) soundboard

• English Walnut back & sides

• Alder neck

• English burr Elm ‘heart rosette’

• Crowsfoot decorative purfling and Ebano binding

• Ebony head veneer, bridge and fretboard with custom ‘Sam Muir’ signet ring inlay

• Gotoh UK700 1:15 ratio gold & ivoroid tuners

“A ukulele with extraordinary sustain and resonance, outstanding dynamic range and perfect intonation. Characteristics which make it the ideal ukulele for both classical and contemporary fingerstyle playing” - Samantha Muir 16/03/26

These instruments are built to order and are available at £2,500