Kyle23
Well-known member
2016 KoAloha Concert - Quick Review
I posted a lot of this in my NUD thread, but it seems that it is already in the abyss of Uke Talk so here's a little quickie review. I'm not great at reviews because my technical knowledge isn't too great.
Anyways, it is a brand new 2016 model all solid Koa with the high gloss finish (KCM-00). I'm a sucker for gloss to be honest and this gloss is very striking. It was made in February of 2016 and it comes with the new revamped KoAloha look including the abalone on the headstock and on the fret markers. I'm not sure if the fret markers being abalone is new for KoAloha, but I know the headstock was just introduced this year.
Mine's a concert size and has 13 frets to the body. The neck is relatively thin but on the other hand there is a lot of space on the fretboard. More so than the older KoAloha I tried. I owned one that was built in 2003 and the neck was both thin and the fretboard was a bit compressed. Not much room for my fingers. I found my Koa Pili Koko to be much more comfortable, but with the 2016 version I find them equally as comfortable. It also has a rosewood fretboard and bridge. I definitely prefer this look compared to the Koa fretboard they've used in the past. I however loved the crown at the end of the fretboard they used to use and wish the used it for the new models.
The sound honestly leaves nothing to be desired. I noticed with my 2003 version, it was a bit boomy and didn't have much clarity. When I would strum lets say a C chord, it was tough to tell that I was even fretting the bottom string because the other 3 strings projected so much. With this newer version, it seems more controlled. It's still loud, but the clarity is all there. Also, the sustain is a bit better than the 2003 version I played. I haven't played any KoAlohas after 2003 and before 2016, so I'm sure a lot changed in between.
The only con I have encountered thus far is the strings seem to have an issue. It's probably just my set, but I guess the only way to explain it is the strings are peeling a bit? I noticed a very thin piece of string which I thought was a thin hair, so I pulled it a bit and it peeled a good portion of the string off with it. It still sounds fine, but if this continues I'll have to get a new set asap.
I got this directly from KoAloha and the setup on it is great. I've heard that straight from the factory, KoAlohas can come with high action, but mine was nice and low. Maybe another change from them in 2016?
I think I covered everything that I know. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask and I'll answer the best I can. I know there isn't a ton of info on these yet so I'll try my best. Below I'll leave a sound sample and some pics. The sound sample isn't great as I was using an iPhone mic only.
I hope I helped and was informative. I'm not the best at reviews!
I posted a lot of this in my NUD thread, but it seems that it is already in the abyss of Uke Talk so here's a little quickie review. I'm not great at reviews because my technical knowledge isn't too great.
Anyways, it is a brand new 2016 model all solid Koa with the high gloss finish (KCM-00). I'm a sucker for gloss to be honest and this gloss is very striking. It was made in February of 2016 and it comes with the new revamped KoAloha look including the abalone on the headstock and on the fret markers. I'm not sure if the fret markers being abalone is new for KoAloha, but I know the headstock was just introduced this year.
Mine's a concert size and has 13 frets to the body. The neck is relatively thin but on the other hand there is a lot of space on the fretboard. More so than the older KoAloha I tried. I owned one that was built in 2003 and the neck was both thin and the fretboard was a bit compressed. Not much room for my fingers. I found my Koa Pili Koko to be much more comfortable, but with the 2016 version I find them equally as comfortable. It also has a rosewood fretboard and bridge. I definitely prefer this look compared to the Koa fretboard they've used in the past. I however loved the crown at the end of the fretboard they used to use and wish the used it for the new models.
The sound honestly leaves nothing to be desired. I noticed with my 2003 version, it was a bit boomy and didn't have much clarity. When I would strum lets say a C chord, it was tough to tell that I was even fretting the bottom string because the other 3 strings projected so much. With this newer version, it seems more controlled. It's still loud, but the clarity is all there. Also, the sustain is a bit better than the 2003 version I played. I haven't played any KoAlohas after 2003 and before 2016, so I'm sure a lot changed in between.
The only con I have encountered thus far is the strings seem to have an issue. It's probably just my set, but I guess the only way to explain it is the strings are peeling a bit? I noticed a very thin piece of string which I thought was a thin hair, so I pulled it a bit and it peeled a good portion of the string off with it. It still sounds fine, but if this continues I'll have to get a new set asap.
I got this directly from KoAloha and the setup on it is great. I've heard that straight from the factory, KoAlohas can come with high action, but mine was nice and low. Maybe another change from them in 2016?
I think I covered everything that I know. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask and I'll answer the best I can. I know there isn't a ton of info on these yet so I'll try my best. Below I'll leave a sound sample and some pics. The sound sample isn't great as I was using an iPhone mic only.
I hope I helped and was informative. I'm not the best at reviews!
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