Thanks for the replies! There are some interesting comments, some I find a bit more useful than others.
I think it may be helpful to introduce myself and give some background. 10 years ago, when I first started playing, I came back from Hawaii and thought I want to learn to play the ukulele. I went to the local store and bought a Lanikai, a laminate concert model. The action was way too high (I didn't know it) and within a month, I traded it in for a Hawaiian made ukulele - a KoAloha concert. The playability was way better and the sound was great!
A year or so later, I wanted to try a tenor size, so I bought a KoAloha Tenor and that became my primary player for the next few years. A few years ago, we remodeled the house and lived through the project (ugh). The ukuleles got put into their cases and placed in the garage. After two years and a lot of remodel headaches later, I couldn't find the KoAloha tenor. It broke my heart. I preferred that size.
When I bought the tenor, I always had a bit of regret that I did not buy a Kamaka, and after two months of tearing the house apart, I gave up, and started looking for a new tenor. Well, it happened to be Kamaka's 100 year anniversary. I took that as a sign, that maybe I should just buy a Kamaka. Well, I finally pulled the trigger on a Deluxe model because the employee said it sounded a little better than the standard anniversary ones. Of course, the day it arrives, I found the KoAloha Tenor. I thought about returning it, but the Kamaka deluxe tenor has a wonderful sound - it is a bit more, for lack of a better description, complex. You can hear the bass notes, and it balances so well with the top notes. the KoAloha still sounds great and is louder, but the Kamaka is really nice!
I later bought a Pono deluxe tenor, because it had a cedar top, a radius on the fingerboard, and because everyone on these boards, seems to love Ponos. For me, the radius is nice, but not a dealbreaker. I can't say it is so much better for me now to barre chords on the Pono. it's about the same. As for the cedar top, it's a little quieter than the Koa instruments. It sounds similar, just not as "complex" as the kamaka or as loud as the KoAloha. It still sounds great - just a tad different. I think cedar paired with mahogany typically is described as "warmer".
I also bought a slightly used Otha-San Kamaka because I was intrigued by the purported "bell sound" and the fingerboard. It is a little easier to play as the frets are together and you don't have to stretch as far but when you get into the upper frets, it is a little cramped. Sound wise, it is not that different than the Kamaka tenor. I can't say I have a strong preference for either.
I love watching the ukulele site videos, but to be honest, those artists are amazing and they make any instrument and string combination sound amazing. Even with headphones, I can't really tell the differences between them. As for uke groups and festivals, as my kids are getting a little older, I find a little more time to devote to myself. I don't usually play in groups, and I am a bit introverted, so it is a chore to enter into a new group. that's not to say that the ukulele community is not wonderful or welcoming, they are.
I guess my preferences and tastes continue to evolve as I improve as a player. I started wanting to strum Hawaiian songs. Now, I mostly practice finger style and instrumental music. However, sometimes, I get frustrated and just to enjoy the instrument again, I strum out some easy chords to a pop music song.
I'm intrigued by things like side ports, Spruce tops, unusual woods (you eat first with your eyes, right?) such as myrtle, mango, cocobolo, zirocote, etc. I have no idea what sounds come out of those combinations. words like "brighter" or "warmer" don't really mean much to me. Blackbirds seem neat. Customs seems like a different world. Every now and again, a custom comes up for sale, or shows up on the Ukulele site, but I just don't know enough about custom builders to say whether that is a right fit for me or not. Hence the original post.
I provide the above detail with the hope that maybe some of you have experienced a similar journey. If so, what were your next steps? How would you describe some of those tone wood combinations? etc. I may not be an expert player, but I am squarely an enthusiast of the instrument and I enjoy not just playing it, but the journey it has put me on.
Thanks everyone!
Rich