Are Koaloha Friction Tuners Kaka?

Paul December

Paul December

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:confused: Are Koaloha Friction Tuners Kaka?
...or is it just mine? :eek:

The friction tuners on my Koaloha concert were never great, but as months progress they just get worse. Very spongy, inaccurate and uneven. I've adjusted the tension screw with no success. Honestly they are much worse than any uke, regardless of price, I've ever had.

Figured 3 possible solutions:
1 - Send it back in for warranty service, because they are way beyond being within-normal-limits for tuners, and so bad they really are unusable. I wish I could just send the turners in and get replacements to avoid the hassle of sending the entire uke. (uke is just over a year old)
2 - The tuners were assembled wrong, with a piece flipped or out of sequence. Possibly I could post a disassembled picture and someone here would know. I think it is odd that all 4 are bad.
3 - There is a Lithuanian saying, "If you jump over the dog, you jump over its tail also". So possibly I should just ditch these tuners and upgrade to planetary turners. The big down side is cost.
Of course if multiple people respond that their tuners are crap also, this 3rd option really becomes the only option.

:confused: What do you guys think?
 
In my experience KoAloha friction tuners are always great. I am very surprised to hear of your experience. Maybe just a bad batch? Or maybe they were trying a new supplier at the time? I would contact them and just ask. Because normally they are perfect friction tuners.
 
Bill1 said:
Friction tuners have a 1:1 ratio. They just move as much as you twiddle them. If they are spongy tighten the screw. A problem with all 4 seems rare. The Koaloha warranty and after sales service is legendary, why would you post this question on a public bulletin board before you have contacted Koaloha?
Click to expand...

:confused: Did you read my post?
- I know what friction tuners are.
- Of course I adjusted the screw, and said so.
- I explained why I posted before contacting Koaloha about it.
 
I have not seen complaints about KoAloha's tuners, only ones on vintage ukes and the Schallers on Kamakas. I would probably contact KoAloha about it and see what they say. Maybe they can send you a new set?
 
I have never heard of any problems with them. I own two Koaloha concerts with friction tuners and they are great, better than the ones on my Loprinzi.
 
I don't think Koaloha tuners are kaka, but they suffer from issues common with other friction tuners. I am starting to gradually replace friction tuners with Gotoh tuners. On some ukes the friction tuners are just fine but over time they tend to get problematical. For a long time I worried about keeping my tuners original. I've come to the conclusion that I want my tuners to work without frustration. If the friction tuners on a uke are working fine, then I leave them. If they become difficult to adjust I switch them out for Gotoh tuners.
 
katysax said:
I don't think Koaloha tuners are kaka, but they suffer from issues common with other friction tuners. I am starting to gradually replace friction tuners with Gotoh tuners. On some ukes the friction tuners are just fine but over time they tend to get problematical. For a long time I worried about keeping my tuners original. I've come to the conclusion that I want my tuners to work without frustration. If the friction tuners on a uke are working fine, then I leave them. If they become difficult to adjust I switch them out for Gotoh tuners.
Click to expand...

Which Gotoh tuners do you switch to?
 
Paul December said:
:confused: Did you read my post?
- I know what friction tuners are.
- Of course I adjusted the screw, and said so.
- I explained why I posted before contacting Koaloha about it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting the question Paul. I often get the feeling here it would be difficult to question a K brand ukulele when they have so many outspoken supporters. I was just in another thread that linked to a K brand being sold in a store that I thought had serious issues with the quality of finish on the body of K brand ukulele I thought about asking about it but thought it could stir up emotions from owners of that brand.

I hope the issue is only with your ukulele but if it is widespread people should know.
 
Last edited:
Brian1 said:
Thanks for posting the question Paul. I often get the feeling here it would be difficult to question a K brand ukulele when they have so many outspoken supporters. I was just in another thread that linked to a K brand being sold in a store that I thought had serious issues with the quality of finish on the body of K brand ukulele I thought about asking about it but thought it could stir up emotions from owners of that brand.

I hope the issue is only with your ukulele but if it is widespread people should know.
Click to expand...

Mine is a fantastic uke, except for the tuners.
In the great scheme of things a bum set of tuners aren't that big of deals...
...just wanted other's expetiences before deciding the direction I take to remedy it.
 
Aloha Paul,
Can you be more specific on your description on the tuners being
Spongy, in accurate and uneven.
I have never had issues with koaloha tuners and I played
At least over a hundred of them, my friend is a dealer and used to
Store them at my place. I'm not saying their tuners or any tuners
Cannot go bad, but to use the word kaka associated with them before
Contacting them public ally is like Charles Bronson fighting with no
Weapon. Death Wish... :)
 
Last edited:
How old is the uke? I am sure Koaloha has made changes to their instruments over the years including tuners, or maybe just the buttons. Maybe there is a tuner that they used for a while that has turned up to have an issue over years. Probably best to contact Koaloha directly.

I have a Koaloha concert and have not had any issues with the tuners. Think mine about 4 years old.
 
Paul December said:
:confused: Are Koaloha Friction Tuners Kaka?
...or is it just mine? :eek:

The friction tuners on my Koaloha concert were never great, but as months progress they just get worse. Very spongy, inaccurate and uneven. I've adjusted the tension screw with no success. Honestly they are much worse than any uke, regardless of price, I've ever had.

Figured 3 possible solutions:
1 - Send it back in for warranty service, because they are way beyond being within-normal-limits for tuners, and so bad they really are unusable. I wish I could just send the turners in and get replacements to avoid the hassle of sending the entire uke. (uke is just over a year old)
2 - The tuners were assembled wrong, with a piece flipped or out of sequence. Possibly I could post a disassembled picture and someone here would know. I think it is odd that all 4 are bad.
3 - There is a Lithuanian saying, "If you jump over the dog, you jump over its tail also". So possibly I should just ditch these tuners and upgrade to planetary turners. The big down side is cost.
Of course if multiple people respond that their tuners are crap also, this 3rd option really becomes the only option.

:confused: What do you guys think?
Click to expand...
I kind of agree with Bill1, option 4, call up Koaloha and ask them what would be the best solution. I mean, wouldn't it be better discussing this with them? They probably know more about it than any of us do.
 
Do you have the new style (Gotohs with tortoiseshell buttons) or the older type (Schallers with white buttons and big thumbscrews)? The newer ones are usually some of the best friction tuners so you might have just gotten a dud set. Give them a call and Brian will definitely hook you up. I'm not even the original owner of my KoAloha and Brian has been super helpful and responsive by phone.
 
Paul December said:
:confused: Did you read my post?
- I know what friction tuners are.
- Of course I adjusted the screw, and said so.
- I explained why I posted before contacting Koaloha about it.
Click to expand...

Just a thought. Sorry for beating a dead horse, but when you tightened the tuners did you hold the peg while turning the screw. Another thought, I noticed your up north. I live in PA and come to FL for the winter. I bought a uke with friction tuners in FL in November and took it back to PA over Christmas. Within a week the tuners would not stay in tune. Then it hit me, the lack of humidity dried the wood and everything went down hill. I immediately checked my humidifier and made some adjustments, but for me being new to friction tuners, I was turning the screw and not holding the peg? Oh well ,old age.lol Anyway, since you only had it for a year I thought maybe the humidity change may have caused them to loosen. Good luck.
 
mm stan said:
Aloha Paul,
Can you be more specific on your description on the tuners being
Spongy, in accurate and uneven.
Click to expand...

If I tighten the screw enough that they don't slip, they become almost too tight to move...
...except a couple of degrees in either direction of where I need them to be. In that range they bounce (spongy) so much I have to go around 20% sharp and hope they spring-back to the correct pitch.
 
jjdejd said:
Just a thought. Sorry for beating a dead horse, but when you tightened the tuners did you hold the peg while turning the screw. Another thought, I noticed your up north. I live in PA and come to FL for the winter. I bought a uke with friction tuners in FL in November and took it back to PA over Christmas. Within a week the tuners would not stay in tune. Then it hit me, the lack of humidity dried the wood and everything went down hill. I immediately checked my humidifier and made some adjustments, but for me being new to friction tuners, I was turning the screw and not holding the peg? Oh well ,old age.lol Anyway, since you only had it for a year I thought maybe the humidity change may have caused them to loosen. Good luck.
Click to expand...

I wish it were that, but...
...the ukes are stored and played in a humidity controlled music studio in our home.
 
dnewton2 said:
How old is the uke? I am sure Koaloha has made changes to their instruments over the years including tuners, or maybe just the buttons. Maybe there is a tuner that they used for a while that has turned up to have an issue over years. Probably best to contact Koaloha directly.

I have a Koaloha concert and have not had any issues with the tuners. Think mine about 4 years old.
Click to expand...

I agree--they might know it's from a bad batch or something. Especially considering all four are wonky, not just one. I would be hesitant to send a uke all the way to Hawaii to fix tuners, I would rather ask KoAloha about it.
 
Hey Paul. I gave a set of Koaloha friction tuners to coolkayaker a couple of years ago.They were in perfectly new condition and worked great (as well as any friction tuners). Contact him to see if he's still got them Would be a perfect first step.
 
Last edited:
Paul December said:
If I tighten the screw enough that they don't slip, they become almost too tight to move...
...except a couple of degrees in either direction of where I need them to be. In that range they bounce (spongy) so much I have to go around 20% sharp and hope they spring-back to the correct pitch.
Click to expand...

That's what I do. I tighten the crap out of all my friction tuners. I don't get the "bounce" that you speak of, Paul. Twist them a few times to get rid of any bounce, and it loosens them just enough to be ideal (I think). I can dial them in, sure with a little up-and-down playing, in a matter of 15-seconds or so after that. Then they stay in tune for weeks and weeks (I think this is one oft-neglected benefit to frictions over geared, in my experience; geared tuners require more frequent tunings). The only time I unscrew the friction tuners a bit is if I am changing strings.

The KoAloha tuners gifted from SPG are not easily located by me at the moment, and I would wish to save them for a future uke because KoAloha friction tuners are amazingly good (but Gotoh Deluxe friction tuners, as seen on Kiwayas, are better).

Tighten them and enjoy, Paul. :)

Oh, and when you have a long weekend in the springtime, when the weather warms up, some school holiday weekend perhaps, we need to meet brother Petergal at the Roundhouse and drink and eat and strum again. Okay?
 
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