NUD - yet another another Kiwaya

I meant well this past Saturday - taking my 2017 Waterloo (by Collings) WL-S parlor guitar back to the store where I purchased it. My intention was to consign it with them to help pay for the ukuleles I've purchased this past year.

I'd had it listed locally for a few months, and figured I'd sell it as low as $1,300 on my own in a face to face transaction. But I got only one phone call on it in 2 months so... I hoped to get as much as $1200 from consignment. And that sounded good to the guy behind the counter at the store. BUT....

They had a Kiwaya KTT-22K - an Artist series tenor in koa. :drool:

I was doomed.

I ended up trading my guitar outright for the Kiwaya, a "Steady" padded case, a copy of Jim Beloff's book "Daily Ukulele to go", a pack of Martin M620 strings, and $60 cash

Holy mackerel - this tenor is sweeeet! It has a beautiful finish, a wonderful neck and a voice like a chorus of angels.

36mm nut - the back is arched very much like my vintage Martin C1, rosewood fretboard. It was a little dusty from being on display so I cleaned it well, oiled the fretboard, and gave it the Martin fluorocarbons.

So - now I've got four Artist series Kiwaya ukes - two sops, (one in koa) a concert, and now, the tenor as well.

I didn't get any new funds - but I swapped out a guitar that hasn't gotten more than an hour's play time in the past 9 months or so since I got bit by the uke bug.

I think maybe I can stop buying ukes now ... this one ticks all the boxes so nicely I'll probably be offering up two solid mahogany tenors in the near future.

https://i.imgur.com/umJyVXJ.jpg

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Congrats! Looks amazing.

Great catch! It's a beauty!

Wow! You don't see many Kiwaya tenors around! Would love to hear a clip, if you can ever put it down!

Thanks all! Ain't she sweet?
I have to figure out a way to record. We have no smartphones, no mics for the computers, Amazon Fire tablets..

Swamp Yankee said:

Thanks all! Ain't she sweet? .....

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Sounds like a good song title!

Great story! Congratulations on being in the right place at the right time.

Seems to be a beautiful understated (in a great way) gem. Congrats!

Great looking koa tenor. Timing is everything.

I'd wondered about this. I had seen listings for Kiwaya tenors on Reverb by some Japanese dealers. But I've never seen anything listed by US dealers. Glad to know that they are moving into the US albeit slowly.

Did they finally select a US distributor?

Wow you traded your Collings Waterloo WL-S parlor guitar for a ukulele........yea you got UAS bad. Congratulations that is a lovely looking Kiwaya, enjoy it.

Thanks folks! Yeah, I got it bad... the Waterloo was a fine guitar but it deserved to be played and with me it only came out of its case once or twice a week as I added water to the humidifier.

I also brought my Taylor 562CE 12 string, 12 fret back for consignment in the shop where I bought it on my 60th birthday. They had a Kamaka Concert.... luckily for me, that little beauty didn't get my UAS urges going enough to work out a similar arrangement.

But- I will still have my Martin 000-17SM guitar, as well as my Taylor GS-Mini and my Wechter T0-8418 for campfire jams.

I really do love these Kiwaya Artist series ukes. Raffrox hit it right: understated. IMO understated elegance is what they're all about.