Kherome
Well-known member
I don't really see anyone offering Ko'olau ukes for sale? There are many places that offer Pono, but not actual Ko'olau. Am I missing something?
Where can you buy Ko'olau?
- Thread starter Kherome
- Start date
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Kherome
Well-known member
1 uke is all that is out there? Is that typical of Ko'olau?
They are custom builders not a mass manufactured brand. Pono is their mass market brand.
Canuckulele
Well-known member
I’ve seen them appear and sell in minutes. I think there is one at HMS right now.
Noa at Ko'olau is not taking custom orders now..he building what he wants to..maybe contact him directly or Andrew at HMS for more info..if you are on Oahu and interested go to his shop and see what is there...Noa building as usual so ukes will come through every few months...
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Kherome
Well-known member
Thanks for the info!
There are a couple of used custom Ko'olau tenors available on the ukulelefriend.com website. Shawn is a good guy to buy from. He's happy to answer your questions and make sure that you are getting what you expect from his company. Some really nice high end ukuleles on offer there.
Correction: There are 4 Ko'olau tenors at UkuleleFriend.
Correction: There are 4 Ko'olau tenors at UkuleleFriend.
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As others mentioned, Ko'olau ukes are now only custom made and must be ordered either directly from Noa Bonk or through HMS (The Ukulele Site). They have one in stock right now:
https://www.theukulelesite.com/shop-by/brand/koolau/ko-olau-koa-tenor-t100-210418.html
Every now and then, a used one comes up for sale either here, on Fleamarket Marketplace, or at Ukulelelfriend.com. Just like myself, people seem to like theirs so much that they hardly ever want to sell them. Mine is one of my greatest treasures, very different from any other of the Hawaiian K brands.
https://www.theukulelesite.com/shop-by/brand/koolau/ko-olau-koa-tenor-t100-210418.html
Every now and then, a used one comes up for sale either here, on Fleamarket Marketplace, or at Ukulelelfriend.com. Just like myself, people seem to like theirs so much that they hardly ever want to sell them. Mine is one of my greatest treasures, very different from any other of the Hawaiian K brands.
Jerryc41
Well-known member
You "design" the uke you want them to build, give them a healthy deposit, and then wait maybe a year. I started pricing a soprano, and when it got to over $3,500, I changed my mind. I have seen them for sale in several places, but lower production of a custom uke means that fewer exist, and the owners had them made to their specs, so selling isn't common.
EDIT: They offer a production line uke at a lower price - Pono. I often see them advertised as "Ko'olau Pono."
EDIT: They offer a production line uke at a lower price - Pono. I often see them advertised as "Ko'olau Pono."
Noa not taking custom orders right now..he is building to his own specs like Chuck..
so you have to contact him or Andrew to see what is available and how to purchase themthis post was edited see post # 12....
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Jerryc41
Well-known member
Noa not taking custom orders right now..he is building to his own specs like Chuck..
I bet that's a good way to get more ukes to more people at a lower price.
just stopped by Ko'olau today and spoke with Noa...he still building as usual there were some nice ukes there in different stages of building...
Noa is taking Custom orders for individual customers call him and he can take your order....
he is not building custom ukes for stores..he builds what he wants and sends to them..
his shop just as busy as usual...he has some great wood combos there...
Noa is taking Custom orders for individual customers call him and he can take your order....
he is not building custom ukes for stores..he builds what he wants and sends to them..
his shop just as busy as usual...he has some great wood combos there...
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Jerryc41
Well-known member
When I'm looking for a uke, I enter something like Ko'olau for sale, and I get something like below. Many of the listings will be old and no longer available, but you get an idea what people are selling and for what price.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Ko'.....69i57j0l2.3959j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
https://www.google.com/search?q=Ko'.....69i57j0l2.3959j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Ukecaster
Well-known member
Yeah, this looks sweet, at $1795.00
Jerryc41
Well-known member
Very good price.
I've seen the model 100s offered new on Reverb and other places. I get the feeling that Ko'olau makes them in limited numbers as a sort of base level model for sale in select stores. But I could be wrong about that. There is one listed on Reverb now. (April 25, 2019)
Note that the one shown in the above Ukulele Site ad states: Starting @ $1795. I'm pretty sure the one for that price doesn't have the beautiful, highly-flamed koa wood shown in the advert.
Jerryc41
Well-known member
Remember when the base price of a car didn't include a heater, side view mirrors, radio, etc.?
My father didn't buy a car with a radio for decades. And A/C? Forget about it. The family trips out west to Arizona, New Mexico, Utah were brutal with five of us in a non-air conditioned station wagon.
My mother put her foot down and they bought a station wagon with both a radio and a/c in the mid 60s.
My grandfather had an aftermarket a/c unit installed in his '65 Plymouth Valiant. At my grandmother's insistence. The 126 slant six engine was a little anemic to run it at times, but it worked!
I was advised by Mim that the base-level Pono Mango MGT sounded as nice or better than the deluxe version or the Pro-Classic. I have since been able to compare it to the other mango models made in 2017 and I agree. The satin finish seems to be a little more open than the high gloss. Of course it didn't come with a slotted-headstock, purfling or binding, inlays, gold tuners, hard case, pickup, etc.
No ups, no extras.
My mother put her foot down and they bought a station wagon with both a radio and a/c in the mid 60s.
My grandfather had an aftermarket a/c unit installed in his '65 Plymouth Valiant. At my grandmother's insistence. The 126 slant six engine was a little anemic to run it at times, but it worked!
I was advised by Mim that the base-level Pono Mango MGT sounded as nice or better than the deluxe version or the Pro-Classic. I have since been able to compare it to the other mango models made in 2017 and I agree. The satin finish seems to be a little more open than the high gloss. Of course it didn't come with a slotted-headstock, purfling or binding, inlays, gold tuners, hard case, pickup, etc.
No ups, no extras.
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Jerryc41
Well-known member
When I was a kid, I bought a '57 Olds that came from FL, and it had no heater. It was rough driving that car in the winter.
Joyful Uke
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Still there. Sounds lovely for those of you who play tenor.
