I'm pretty sure Terrell had a KA-KTE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nAe6ONx3HA
Dude. Where is Terrell?? Haven't seen him on in a while.
i dont think thats a KTE. i think its one of the mahogany series (TE).
i dont think thats a KTE. i think its one of the mahogany series (TE). the bright white bindings and the thickness of the body give it away.
boo!! haha yea i got busy with sum college stuff n holidays and whatnot^_^ don't worry hehe i'm not dead
lanikai is made by the hohner company. the guy that started kala used to work with hohner, and ended up leaving because of some issues. i dont know exactly to what extent those issues were, or what his position there was. but the similarities between some of the kalas and lanikais are almost uncanny... which led me to do some research. basically came down to this...
both are mass produced.
kala is a smaller company, concentrating on decent quality affordable ukes, while lanikai is a bigger company that can afford to sell mass produced ukes at lower prices.
personally, i prefer kala. because they are a smaller company, i felt that they would put a little more thought and expertise into the manufacture of their ukes. but of course this is all through speculation, since i dont have a super extensive background in field testing either. but i can say that all the kalas i have ever heard in person sound a little better than all the comparable lanikais i have heard in person.
i own a kala k6e, which is basically the same as the kte but six string format with a classical style headstock. i can tell you with conviction that the described koa ukulele is NOT solid koa, but rather a koa laminate. so if you are into the koa look but not necessarily the sound or performance, then theres nothing wrong with it. but dont get me wrong. for the money, its a great uke. its actually louder, when strummed similarly, than my classical guitar. but its tone is not that of a solid koa instrument. its still nice. but you get what you pay for.
the lanikai, in its sense of being koa, is the same deal. just a laminate over what i believe to be mahogany. i havent played the lanikai, but im sure it sounds just as good as the kala. but if solid wood is what you are looking for, then this might not be for you.
i own a leolani as well, but its made from solid zebrawood, which gives it a nice warm sound with a little punch. my experience with spruce, however is a much brighter delivery. spruce (like on my lanikai) seems to be popular for use on guitars because of its sound transfer characteristics, but on these smaller instruments, i think its a little bright for my personal taste. but for what its worth, it does sound nice. just not what im looking for from a uke, so im staying away from spruce tops from now on.
all that being said, if i were only to choose from the three, it would be the kala. the extra few bucks is nothing for the peace of mind that i got a uke from the company that i prefer (between kala and lanikai). plus, a cutaway is a HUGE plus with me hehehe.
do you have a certain budget? or are you just trying to get the best bang for your buck? reason im asking is because for $100-150 more, you could get an ukulele of really decent quality with solid wood construction. it might not have all the coolness factor of a cutaway and electronics, but a cutaway is not absolutely necessary, and a pickup can be added later on. and even some strap buttons.
and for about $350 you can get the applause tenor like aldrine's.
sorry if im just confusing your decision more. i just wanna make sure you know there are other good ukes out there. and to not base your decision solely on my opinion. and then end up regretting your purchase because my tastes dont necessarily match yours. hehehe. i couldnt live with that on my conscience.
Well, I did want to get something that was about $300.
I'm not big on those Applauses. Mainly because I don't like Ovation guitars with those rounded backs. Do the Applause ukuleles have rounded backs too?