Koaloha Opio Soprano and Concert uke owners - please help

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tinaj

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Hi, I'm looking for a lightweight, solid wood, soprano or concert ukulele that I can hold comfortably without a strap while standing. I have some issue in the left arm so lightweight is important to me. I really like how the Koaloha Opio ukes (sapele version) sound from watching video clips, and I've read in the forums and reviews that they are lightweight, but I haven't been able to find any specifics. Can Opio soprano and concert owners please help me out and let me know how much the smaller ones weigh? Thanks so much!

One more question - has anyone tried putting a low G string on the Opio concert and if so do you like it? Thanks!
 
I contacted some sellers that have the KoAloha Opio Soprano and Concert ukes and here's what they told me:
Soprano Opio - 13 oz
Concert Opio - 16 oz

Hope this information may be useful for others.
 
My sistet has a KCM -00 that is strung low G and it sounds really nice. Although this is the koa model I find the acacia Opio sounds very similar. I have the older Opio concert made from sapelle and it is a great instrument, strung reentrant though.
 
DownUpDave said:
My sistet has a KCM -00 that is strung low G and it sounds really nice. Although this is the koa model I find the acacia Opio sounds very similar. I have the older Opio concert made from sapelle and it is a great instrument, strung reentrant though.
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Thanks for the reply, DownUpDave. I'm trying to decide between the Sapele and the Acacia Concerts. Which one sounds better from your personal experience? It's hard to deciding from watching video clips online. Thanks!
 
tinaj said:
Thanks for the reply, DownUpDave. I'm trying to decide between the Sapele and the Acacia Concerts. Which one sounds better from your personal experience? It's hard to deciding from watching video clips online. Thanks!
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I'd be very interested also! Looking for a replacement for my foolishly sold Koaloha. I tend to prefer mahogany ukes for the warmth and low end. Would love to hear real worl opinions between the two.
 
I've always loved acacia, but I thought KoAloha took a step back when they switched from the sapele. I loved the sound of those much more than the acacia.
 
I was unsure too between Acacia and Sapele so I talked to a couple of "trusted dealers".
I'll tell you what they told me :
Acacia sounds good and look great (I find it prettier than the simple Sapele), but Sapele has a LOT more sustain and round and bassy sound. So I've chosen Sapele and I really love it.
No regret at all.
Note aside, Sapele version is less expensive than Acacia one (at least here in Europe) that could be important, but even if I had 100 bucks more to spend, I'd choose Sapele again.

I own the tenor version (that is Low-G by design), so I really can't say for sure how a concert low-g sounds, but I think it should sounds great like the tenor version do !
 
Thanks for the thread and info, y'all because I am looking at replacing my loud spruce top uke with a Sapele Koaloha Opio.
 
I owned a KCM-00 and the Opio Sapelle concert at the same time. I sold the KCM-00 to a good friend who absolutely loved and had to have it, the wood on that one is spectacular. So I can give you a direct comparison between the two in reentrant.

As Mr. Stones above said the sapelle has that typical mahogany type sound, warm mellow and sweet when strummed but still clear and articulate when finger picked. The KCM-00 is koa and not acacia so take this for what it is worth. The koa is brighter with a more complex sound that has more overtones. Both are equally as loud and have that full resonant sound that Koaloha is famous for. They sounded very similar and either one fits the bill as a world class instrument. Again I have no experience with the acacia model Opio but the sappelle sounds great to me.
 
Chopped Liver said:
Thanks for the thread and info, y'all because I am looking at replacing my loud spruce top uke with a Sapele Koaloha Opio.
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Are the Opios as loud as KoAloha koa ukuleles?
 
Thanks, everyone for your feedback! I just pulled the trigger this morning and bought a Opio sapele concert from Mim's uke store on ebay. Estimated delivery time is next Saturday 10/8. So excited - now I just need to make it through the next seven days :)!
 
tinaj said:
Thanks, everyone for your feedback! I just pulled the trigger this morning and bought a Opio sapele concert from Mim's uke store on ebay. Estimated delivery time is next Saturday 10/8. So excited - now I just need to make it through the next seven days :)!
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CONGRATULATIONS Tinaj,
I bet you won't regret it.
 
Enjoy! I love my Opio sapele soprano.
 
You made the right choice! I have the concert sapele and recently acquired the concert acacia which was a gift. The Acacia is stunning. The tone is fantastic. But I love love love my sapele. The warmth of mahogany always pleases my ear. And if you've done this much research then I'm confident you will not regret it. I ordered mine from Hawaii Music Supply and when it came in the mail I thought the box was empty it's so feather-light. I think of my KoAloha sapele as my "best friend" Uke. When I was deciding between the KoAloha and the pono Andrew from Hawaii Music Supply said get the one that's in your heart. He was right. Congratulation!
 
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