Koa or Mahogany?

which wood do you prefer?

  • Koa Wood

    Votes: 27 73.0%
  • Mahogany

    Votes: 10 27.0%

  • Total voters
    37

Sic_Rob

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I want to do the inevitable upgrade to a real ukulele from my $75 beginner Uku, but I have a question. Which wood do you like? I know Koa and Mahogany are the most popular. Do you recomend a different type of wood? Is there a sound difference between curly or flaming woods then plain jane variety wood?

Thanks.
 
Don't let us decide for you, make the choice based on what kind of sound you want. A mahogany uke will be more mellow, while a koa uke will be brighter, with a fuller mid range. As far as curly and flaming woods, that's just aesthetics, its all for style and shouldn't really change the sound of the wood. hope this helps
 
Don't let us decide for you, make the choice based on what kind of sound you want. A mahogany uke will be more mellow, while a koa uke will be brighter, with a fuller mid range. As far as curly and flaming woods, that's just aesthetics, its all for style and shouldn't really change the sound of the wood. hope this helps

Yes :agree: You have to play them and listen to how they sound! What a drag that will be, spending an afternoon playing some incredible ukes!! :) My preference is Koa due to it being the only native Hawaiian wood. But....Mahogany is very nice as well.
 
Having been through many ukes now, I have found I like Koa the best for sound and definitely for looks. But whether the sound differences I've found have been because of the wood itself I can't say, as I haven't compared ukes of the same maker side by side in different woods. My koa ukes have been a significant step above the mahogany ones I've owned in terms of workmanship and expense...
 
:agree:
As important as the wood is, I think the maker is more important, although the wood does make a difference. The choice between new and used or antique is also significant.

If you are new to uke, your best bet is to find someplace where you can listen to several and compare the sound. The difference can be dramatic.

Koa does have a brighter sound than mahogany. It is a harder and more brittle wood. I love koa ukes, but my preference is mahogany because I like the warmer more mellow sound. Part of it is what kind of music you like to play. Different woods are better for different sounds.

I really liked the Mainland cedar ukes also. I am a committed player of old instruments (Favilla and Aloha), but the Mainland ukes seriously tempted me to buy a new instrument.
 
As far as curly and flaming woods, that's just aesthetics, its all for style and shouldn't really change the sound of the wood. QUOTE]

In my experience with koa, the tamer, less dramatic grain usually has a tendency to resonate better. Nevertheless, people prefer the curly stuff.
 
I prefer Koa to Mahogany. It just has this sexy glow that you can't get with mahogany. Soundwise, both are good, but Koa is just teh hotness.
 
Pineapple in Koa, can't get more Hawaiian than that in a 'ukulele. ;)
 
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