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.
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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