[Sound Samples for Ohana, Kamoa] + Advice needed for a 3rd Ukulele

khnvet

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Aloha! I am new to the forum.

I am looking for buying advice for my first serious uke (for recording) but I also have a sound clip (and a brief review) here for those interested in Ohana and Kamoa and how their sounds compare.

Kamoa and Ohana

I currently have an Ohana TK20CE (Tenor - solid mahogany top, laminated mahogany back and sides ~USD150-240 depending on pickup option) and a Kamoa E3C (Concert - solid spruce top, solid maple back and sides ~USD250). All with aquila strings (low G).

I really enjoy the beautiful resonance of the Ohana and the sweet, deep sound of the Kamoa. But I would like a ukulele with both the harp-like sweet, deep sound and the resonance and was wondering if anyone has any suggestion.

To illustrate what I mean by the sounds I have recorded sound samples of the two:

http://vocaroo.com/i/s1Krq7BbQBJ3

Sorry about some rustiness, I'm not very good at switching uke size. Also apologies for the sound quality, it's recorded on a cheap phone but it's done in a quiet room and you should be able to hear the differences between the ukes.

4 short excerpts, Kamoa followed by the Ohana every time. I plucked the first song harder just to show you the resonance of the Ohana. The other two songs are more balanced and you can hear that the Ohana has a more (electric) guitar-like sound. I included the last excerpt just to illustrate that.

Another observation is that despite the Kamoa being a concert it is louded than the Ohana tenor when fingerpicking, the sides of Kamoa's soundbox is actually a little bit higher. This is not to say that the Ohana doesn't have volume, it is quite a bit louder than equivalent or higher priced models by Kala and Cordoba. Both the Kamoa and the Ohana are extremely easy and comfortable to play compared to most (I have tried many ukes in shops).

Intonations on both ukes are also great for higher frets. Kamoa (16 frets) sounds good up til the 10th fret, decent till 12th and is playable till the 15th fret while the Ohana (19 frets) is great till 12th fret, decent till 15th and playable till 18th.


Buying advice needed

I am currently arranging music for beginner-to-intermediate ukulele and wish to record the arrangements. The style of the music I am arranging is same/similar to those in the recording. And so I would very much prefer the sound of the Kamoa (something with more depth and musicality).

Also, for recording, I was wondering if I should use a mic (for acoustics), or get a passive or active pickup installed for the kind of music I am recording.

My budget is anywhere from 300USD to 1100USD (plus pickup) depending on the quality I am getting. I don't know if I will go with concert or tenor yet, I am fairly indifferent for as long as it supports a low G well.

I've been looking at Kamoa 500 C or T (maple b/s, spruce top), Kanile'a K1 (koa), KoAloha KTM/KCM (koa), various Ponos (cedar top + acacia/mahogany or all mahogany) and Martin T1K/C1K (koa). Unfortunately, I cannot try any of them where I live. The other wood I would consider is Mango combined with another wood with more projection.

Please let me know if anyone has any experience with the above or other suggestion.

What I am looking for is sound, ease of playing (action, etc) and potential pickup option, I don't really care much about looks.
Once again, I am looking for a harp-like, rich, sweet and deep sound with nice resonance and also volume. If you think there is another sound that suits the music I play I am open to suggestion too.


Summary

Looking for: Tenor or Concert
Budget: USD300-1200 (plus pick up)
Pickup option: need advice (passive, active or just mic)
Sound: rich deep, mellow, sweet, harp-like with plenty of resonance and volume
Music to be played: Solo, sentimental, instrumental, classical, traditional
Intended usage: Recording, everyday, jamming, gigs
Important: Sound, Playability
Not Important: Looks/aesthetic


Many thanks in advance.
 
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Thanks. My Ohana is actually brand new, pretty much straight out of the box from a couple of days ago, the strings are still settling in, which is why I am surprised by the beautiful resonance it has, it's likely down to craftmanship. The sound is not very mellow but that probably won't change as it's laminated. I got it as my travel around low maintanence uke. I have had the Kamoa for roughly 3 months. Like I said, I love my Kamoa, it's got such beautiful and warm sound but I thought if I am to buy a new ukulele might as well try something new with either a different sound or similar sound but better quailty. But you are right, the higher-tier Kamoa might not be worth the extra money and there are other options out there.

Thanks for the string suggestion, I will look into it.
 
Just about your sound requirements. To me rich and mellow are the opposite of sweet and harplike. So you may have to sacrifice a bit of one for the other. koaloha will give you more of the latter and all the volume you can handle. Kanilea should give you a bit more of the former but is generally the quieter of the two.

Also imho if you are willing to spend a grand, there is no reason to buy another one at 300. I think you will appreciate the difference a nice instrument gives you.

For pickups, some people prefer passive with a preamp, an additional expense. Others prefer active. It is kind of up to you.

Do you know of the hms vimeo channel? Google it and start watching. You will hear tons of ukes in good sound quality. They even did a pickup comparison in one video. Hope this helps.
 
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