Thinking new tenor! Kamaka/Koolau/Kanilea, or?

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scooterguitar

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Really starting to jive with my Koaloha super concert, so it might be time to begin saving and thinking about a great tenor.
Besides some of the smaller luthiers, the big 3 I'm interested in are Kamaka, Koolau, and Kanilea.
I prefer chunkier necks, deeper richer tones, and sustain.

Likley no way I'll ever play one unless I order, so I need your advice once again my partners in crime...

Good, bad, and ugly, let 'er rip:shaka:
 
Last edited:
Hey Scooter, you'll likely get tons of praise for all three Ks you mentioned. I have a Kanile'a that I'm crazy about, and I would recommend it to you, but it has a very thin neck. Almost electric guitar like (which I actually prefer and love). So if a chunkier neck is what you are after, perhaps another brand would better suit you. Good luck and be sure to post photos after you get your tenor!
 
Thanks wicked. I had thought the Kanileas were beefier?
That is what I don't like about my Koaloha, super thin neck.
 
ill take ur koaaloha if u dont want it:p:p:p
 
all i have is a cracked hilo soprano piece of crap:(:(:(
 
I have a pono tenor that I love..I think the neck is beefy compared to my koaloha tenor..maybe ko'olau is the way to go..I never played a kamaka so I couldn't give any feedback on that
 
Kamaka has a very slim neck. very comfortable. I've played a K2 Kanile'a tenor and I would say that neck size is pretty close to each other.
 
The neck thickness for each of the 3 brands seem pretty close. I believe each offer a different nut width though:

Kanile'a: 1.5"
Kamaka: 1-7/16"
Ko'olau: 1-3/8"

Depending on your preference, that might make a difference. My personal preference is for 1.5" nut width, although 1-7/16" feels about the same. I can definitely tell a different when it's 1-3/8", which is just a tad narrow for my tastes.
 
scooterguitar said:
Thanks wicked. I had thought the Kanileas were beefier?
That is what I don't like about my Koaloha, super thin neck.
Click to expand...

Wider, but not so deep...
 
I'm in the same boat as the OP, keep debating between the 4 K's for my first tenor.
 
I was strummin' a Koa tenor Pohaku today in a local music shop, beautiful ukulele, and on sale for $400.00 :eek: Very tempting. Also handled both a Fender Nohea, and Pa'ina, good bang for the buck. I was also VERY impressed with the quality and sound of the Koa tenor Honu they had on hand, very sweet sounding. Still can't get that $400 Pohaku out of my head, good thing I'm broke. :D
 
Brah, lucky ting I no stay ova dea, if i was I would OD on UAS . . .
 
If you have the money I highly recommend the Ko'olau but prepare to spend 2500$+ to get a good one in nitro or french.
 
Thanks everyone, keep it coming!
I'm in the $1k range, if I can even swing it, might be selling off some guitar gear soon.

BY beefier, I mean from top of fretboard to the back of the neck, not the nut width, but those nut widths are great to know as well.
 
scooterguitar said:
Thanks everyone, keep it coming!
I'm in the $1k range, if I can even swing it, might be selling off some guitar gear soon.

BY beefier, I mean from top of fretboard to the back of the neck, not the nut width, but those nut widths are great to know as well.
Click to expand...

In the $1k range, you could get a "not so basic" tenor from Chuck Moore. Those look like an outstanding buy at that price, although they've been going up pretty steadily.
 
I recommend you check out LoPrinzi. I did a side-by-side comparison of Ko'olau, Kamaka, and LoPrinzi when I was in the market for a tenor. The LoPrinzi had the best volume and tonal complexity. The construction quality is first-rate, too.
Mika
 
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