A three-K question

You forgot KoAloha

BBcakes said:

You forgot KoAloha

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I concur... 4 Ks to consider

Can only speak for the Kanile'a. I just got a K2 Tenor.

Beautiful sound, with excellent sustain. I've probably only put a couple of hours of playing time in since I received it so it has not had time to open up, yet. But the immediate sound has very nice highs, with a solid bark, i.e., the bottom is not at all muddy.

I'm very impressed by the workmanship and the playability: The neck is easy to get around. I had it strung low G and I feel it is well balanced.

I've not played any of the other Ks, so I have no comparison for you, but I always advocate buying a handmade instrument as they keep their value and feel good in the hands. So my vote..is yeah, go for it.

I really don't think you can go wrong with any of the 4 K's. I absolutely love my Kamaka Tenor but I am already dreaming of a Pineapple Sundae. The tone of the Kanilea Tenor gives the Kamaka a run for the money.

I have both a Kamaka tenor and a Kanile'a tenor.

The Kanile'a is lighter, has a thinner neck (easier for me with small hands) and seems louder. I also am a big proponent of the UV finish as it hides a lot of scratches (though it is prone to showing fingerprints). I also like the fret dots on the side of the neck, and while some Kanile'as I think have too much bling, I do like the abalone fret dots. I also prefer the bridge pin style since I find it easier to change the strings (but you will find just as many, or probably more people, that prefer tie style bridges). The customer service at Kanile'a also can't be beat...Joe and Kristen respond to email, and are very kind in person as well. If you are ever in Oahu, I highly recommend that you drop by their shop in Kaneohe.

The Kamaka is sturdier and seems more solid (but that might just be because it is heavier). The neck is thicker as well. It doesn't seem to have the same loudness as the Kanile'a but it does have a beautiful tone. I had a buzzing problem with the open C and E strings but I seem to have been able to correct that after trying repeatedly re-stringing it with different brands of strings. I love the simple elegance of the headstock logo and tuners in pearl white as opposed to the flash chrome or gold of the Kanile'a. The finish shows a lot more wear and tear than the Kanile'a, but it is also more traditional looking. On that note, the biggest draw for me with Kamaka was the history and tradition -- if you want a Hawaiian koa ukulele, it is the granddaddy of them all. Their customer service for me has been hit or miss. They were great when I wanted to order a tshirt (and asked about a custom uke) but I never got a reply to my question about my uke buzzing. I don't want to speak for them, but that at least gives the impression that they are happy to deal with potential sales, but not potential problems.

I don't have a KoAloha, but I did play around with one once. It was VERY loud and had a great tone to it. But I'm not a fan of the headstock and bridge design so I never got one for myself, though I do find that Pineapple Sunday awfully cool looking. I've never played a Ko'olau.

I play my Kamaka about 80% of the time, but that could be because I have the Kanile'a strung with low g, and I seem to prefer high g tuning. Or maybe because it is the new uke in the house. Or maybe because I just like the history and tradition of the Kamaka, and while the Kanile'a sounds just as good (if not better), I'm enamored with the Kamaka right now.

Hope that helps, good luck with whatever you choose...

I tried a Kanilea tenor at Musideum in Toronto and it seemed heavy and the finish was very thick and plasticky. It played well and seemed very well made, but wasn't particularly loud. I compared it to my old cracked Kumalae soprano and the Kumalae was louder and had more of a bark. It is a soprano though, so that might account for the difference. I haven't really tried many tenors. The Kumalae has Aquilla strings. I'm not sure what strings were on the Kanilea.

In the 1K range new or slightly used.

1. Kanile'a
2. Kamaka
3. Ko'olau (C1/T1)
4. KoAloha

Price independent say in the 3K range.

1. Ko'olau
2. Kanile'a
3. Kamaka (HF-3 Custom)
4. KoAloha

Used if you can find a ko'olau. There is a 400 on the bay for ~1350-1500$ and its a 4K instrument new and a good wood choice.

Ichadwick...Of the K's company I own 2 Koaloha and frankly, they sound very good.

I do think that Koaloha have a very distinctive sound and tone and by blind test, I can always recognize a Koaloha uke.

And not only do they sound, but the finish and contruction of the uke is also very nice...very clean and qc is top notch...

So I think they pleny worth what they claim for and it's not only because of their reputation...but their instruments fills the expectation.

But I also believe that Kanilea and Kamaka are making awesome instruments.

By the way, you should also consider G-String. I did own a supersoprano from them in the past and it sounds like tons of brick!!!!

By the way, I'm from Montreal in Canada!!! If you come by Montreal PM me, I'll make you try my collection of ukes!!!!

fumanshu said:

By the way, you should also consider G-String. I did own a supersoprano from them in the past and it sounds like tons of brick!!!!

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I would be very careful buying a G-String uke without playing it in person. I have never seen a builder/company that's so inconsistent. I have seen factory seconds that are drop dead amazing tone, and straight up factory off the shelfs with the tone of a brick.

When you find a good one they are very very good, but I digress just play it first.

I've played Kamaka and KoAloha. I like the KoAloha better.

Ian:

I am a proud Kanile'a whore. I love my two Kanile'as. I can't imagine getting rid of them. One is a soprano with the tru bracing, the other a concert with the older style bracing. Their wood is gorgeous, their finish all around is perfect, and the tone of both is absolutely beautiful. I don't know about any of the others - but I am so happy with these that I don't intend to pursue the others...

That said, each brand seems to have their fans and little negative seems to be said of any of them, so I think you'll have to decide for yourself in order to really know. Whatever you decide, you will make a good decision among these brands.

I'm a Kamaka loyalist being raised in a Kamaka family. I LOVE my Kamaka pineapple but it's a soprano, and I know you're not a fan of sopranos.
Kamaka is the original (not counting my 1915 Kumalae of course). :nana:

I've played each of the 4 K's and own Kamaka, Kanile'a, and KoAloha. In my opinion each brand offers an outstanding ukulele and without the benefit of actually playing and comparing the instruments in person, I would say it comes down to visual design since I believe you'll have be pretty unlucky to end up with one that didn't sound good.

I would personally choose either Kamaka or Ko'olau. The reason might sound silly but it is because they each offer a one piece neck. To me it just looks a lot classier than necks with stacked heels and 2 piece headstocks (my biggest beef with Kanile'a is how their necks look from the back and side, looks cheap in my opinion). Between these two, if Ko'olau has at least a 1-7/16" nut width, I'd go with Ko'olau because it's almost a custom instrument (hand made by a couple of guys instead of an assembly line, I think). Otherwise I'd go Kamaka since it has a 1.5" nut. But really, unless you got unlucky and got a dud, I think these brands all offer great sounding ukes.

I own a koaloha concert and I haven't picked up any of my other ukes since I got it. While in hawaii (been home less than a week now) I got to sample many high end ukes. The koaloha sounded the best. The kamakas I tried were pretty sweet as well. I played more kanileas than anything and I didn't feel they warrented the price tag. Now the eight string kanilea was top notch. The g strings I played were beautiful to eyes bit weak in sound department. I did not get to try a koolau but I did get to hear one. It was great. I am a koaloha man now. I used to give all loyalty to mele(same league as pono and honu) but after playing the ks there really is no comparison.

I'd have to say KoAloha. The tone and volume is great, and their ukes tend to be a bit thinner and lighter. A lot of people have gripes with their screwed-on bridges and the lack of kerfing, but I think it adds to the sound of the instrument.

I've also played Kamakas, Kanile'as, and Keliis, and they just don't appeal to me the way the KoAloha does.

If your budget is $1000, you might want to look into Mike Pereira's ukulele.

BBcakes said:

You forgot KoAloha

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Yipes. You are correct. Four Ks...

Roy Jovero said:

If your budget is $1000, you might want to look into Mike Pereira's ukulele.

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I was thinking the same thing.

I have very little experince with any of the 4 K's. I have played a Kanilea and thought the playability was amazing. I thought the volume was lacking but have heard other peopl ehave the same thought but then their uke opens up.

But for the 1K range you should also look around at some custom builders. I have not played one but I hear good things about MP ukes and the prices seem pretty good. If you could swing a little more $$ I would go for a Moore Bettah 'Not So Basic' ukulele. It doesn't have the sweet inlay work but Chuck can build a uke to sing and they still look very nice.