Just got a brand new KoAloha concert from a Hawaiian dealer. The uke sounds great. However, there are some minor issues. First of all, my uke does not have a KoAloha label in the soundhole. I don't know why. It is stamped December 2009 on the inside near the neck. Second, I can see visible glue inside the ukulele by the main bracing right under where the soundhole label should be. I would think for a high quality instrument, there would not be visible glue on the inside. And lastly, the E string initially would come out of tune quickly, and now the G string is acting similarly. I tried tightening the tuning peg on the E string, which worked to some degree, but is this normal with friction tuning pegs?
Defects on my brand new KoAloha?
- Thread starter litestart
- Start date
I don't know about the lack of label (that's very odd!) or the glue, but new uke strings do go out of tune very quickly when new - it's probably the strings and not the tuners. Give them at least a week of tuning and playing and see if the problem fades away. I would call KoAloha about the lack of label and the glue - I almost wonder if someone bought a second at the factory and is trying to pass it off...I think they mark the labels on the seconds, so maybe the seller removed it so you wouldn't see the mark!
The glue is probably when the label was attached. Most builders attach their labels with some sort of glue and its not out of the question that for some reason yours fell off if it wasn't pressed down long enough or something. The slipping strings may be because they still need to be broken in and stretched if the are brand new. I think Koaloha uses geared friction pegs which should behave a little better than standard friction pegs. We have a few people here that work for Koaloha, they can probably get you better answers.
haolejohn
Well-known member
My concert never goes out of tune and it has friction tuners. The strings might be new. As far as the label, I would be concerned about that. That is strange but maybe they aren't using it anymore. Makes me wonder if it might be a factory second and someone ripped the label out to cover that fact. As far as glue being visible inside the sound hole, that is minor. I can understand your disappointment with that but it is a handmade instrument and does it affect the sound? Contact the seller. Ok I reread your post and I think the glue is from the label maybe.
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Lanark
Well-known member
Repeated for added emphasis.
Pictures?
Have you contacted the dealer you purchased from about your issues?
I mean, if it's new and you purchased it from a reputable dealer your usual first course of action would be to contact them about any problems you are having before starting to post on a message board about it. They are the ones who sold it and should have some kind of policy in place concerning customer dissatisfaction. While your issues seem mostly aesthetic from the description, you really ought to bring it up with the dealer first since they are responsible for selling this instrument to you without full disclosure of the irregularities.
Just saying.
I agree with Lanark. Contact the Deal ASAP. Also Contact KoAloha directly. I'm sure they take great pride in their instruments and don't want a bad one out their.
Like everyone said regarding the Strings, you have to give them time to strecth. I bought my uku with Aquilla strings and I was tuning my uku all the time for the first week. Now it stays in tune for a days unles my 6 yo and 2 yo daughters happen to get their hands on it.
molokinirum
Well-known member
Ryan is correct, there are some KoAloha people here at UU. I would contact the dealer who sold it to you and if you gety nowhere then call KoAloha and see if they can help you out. From what I have read on the forums, KoAloha has GREAT customer service and hopefully the matter will eventually get resolved.
Good Luck!!!!
Good Luck!!!!
my koaloha stays in tune for weeks at a time. However there was some slipping at first. The strings stretch and also the pegs are not lubricated. I have some trombone slide cream I used and the tuners are easy to adjust and don't slip. Also there is some stuff you can buy specifically for friction pegs.
Geared friction pegs? I never heard of them!
Geared friction pegs? I never heard of them!
jimmybookout
Well-known member
Geared friction pegs...here you go:
http://www.pegheds.com/
Collings uses them on their ukuleles.
Jimmy
PS. Sorry for the highjack
Gotta go with pthaya9 here. If the label is missing I would think the dealer would have told you about it. Was it sold as a new uke? It may have been removed to hide the 2nd mark. Alternatively, it may have fallen off but, again, the dealer should have disclosed this if it was sold as new.
Kanaka916
Well-known member
^^ Was the dealer you purchased from an authorized KoAloha dealer?
pithaya9
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Excellent point Kanaka.
countrybumpkin
Well-known member
Sounds like the new Koaloha might be a second with the label removed.
koalohapaul
Well-known member
Hi litestart,
Sorry for the delayed reply. The missing label is odd, but sometimes an ukulele leaves the shop without one. Simply because someone forgot to put them in.
If the tuning pegs are slipping, you can tighten the screw in the back to make them tighter. New strings will need about a week of stretching and playing to stay in relatively good tune.
As for the excess glue, there's usually a small amount of squeeze out. We've been doing shop rotations and getting just the right amount of glue on the seams takes a little practice. Judging by the date, our current bodies guy was still new in December. Although getting the right amount is important, I tell my crew to glue more, until they can control the blue bottle well.
Mahalo,
Paul
Sorry for the delayed reply. The missing label is odd, but sometimes an ukulele leaves the shop without one. Simply because someone forgot to put them in.
If the tuning pegs are slipping, you can tighten the screw in the back to make them tighter. New strings will need about a week of stretching and playing to stay in relatively good tune.
As for the excess glue, there's usually a small amount of squeeze out. We've been doing shop rotations and getting just the right amount of glue on the seams takes a little practice. Judging by the date, our current bodies guy was still new in December. Although getting the right amount is important, I tell my crew to glue more, until they can control the blue bottle well.
Mahalo,
Paul
I bought it off a well respected ebay seller, mentioned in these forums.
Here are some images, mostly of the main bracing right below where the label is suppose to be. Also there is a picture of glue around the neck and date stamping. Also I have a picture of the extra slack around the E peg which may be causing the string to come out of tune easily. I tried tightening the screw one quarter turn, twice, but it still cannot keep tune.
Here are some images, mostly of the main bracing right below where the label is suppose to be. Also there is a picture of glue around the neck and date stamping. Also I have a picture of the extra slack around the E peg which may be causing the string to come out of tune easily. I tried tightening the screw one quarter turn, twice, but it still cannot keep tune.
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buddhuu
Super Moderator (Retired)
I absolutely agree. With respect, IMHO your first port of call should have been the dealer before posting here.
As for the issues, (and again, just my opinion), I never understood the problem some people have with glue squeeze-out. All it shows is that someone didn't take 2 minutes with a cloth. I've seen some builders on guitar boards scaremongering that glue squeeze-out shows that too much glue was used and that the joints will be unreliable. That is utter nonsense. A builder could use half a bottle of Titebond, or half a pot of hide to glue a brace, and so long as he cleaned off the excess, no one would be any the wiser. A good fitting joint, clamped well, will squeeze out excess leaving just the right amount of glue for a good joint. As long as you don't spend all your time gazing at the inside of your uke, it is a trivial issue.
The slippage thing may yet be down to stretching and settling of strings.
The only question that would really have me scratching my head is the label thing, and if the instrument is fine, and if you can get Koaloha to confirm provenance as a genuine article (and maybe send you a label?) then that's that.
You say the uke sounds good. Well there you go. That is the important issue.
On the other hand, if you don't want the uke just send it to me...
Seriously, speak to the dealer. They can put your mind at rest better than we can.
3-4 wraps on tuning pegs are sufficient (better) vs. how many with one overwrapped? I'd appreciate any correction on this, but it's my understanding that too many wraps (from photo) do not help with tuning but the opposite?
More Glue+ New Guy+ 2 minutes. It takes less than 2 minutes for a payment to go through when finally processed. In the end, it costs less to make a quality product. And KoAloha, from everything I've listened to, seen and read is definitely about quality.
Paul is quite honest...including the sometimes forget to put in the label part. However, I do think the label issue can raise reasonable doubts. It's not a non-issue or no big deal, especially since the company sells seconds.
I do agree that the OP's best first response is with the dealer, but I'm not going to advise him how he should feel about a $200 instrument? They go for more. I do agree it's possible to destroy the joy of an instrument by overfocusing. But if it's issues you can't get beyond...and I do agree, the glue stuff can get overplayed. In general, I would be more concerned about a blob of glue vs what appears to be fairly evenly spread stuff.
I actually did find the OP's posting useful from another perspective, but not with respect to resolving his own concerns. I'll be researching until my budget allows for next year, with a probable stop in Hawaii en route to the Northern Phillipines, next February. And KoAloha will defintely be on my list.
I hope things work out for you litestart...I do think KoAloha, Paul and the dealer will be of great help.
More Glue+ New Guy+ 2 minutes. It takes less than 2 minutes for a payment to go through when finally processed. In the end, it costs less to make a quality product. And KoAloha, from everything I've listened to, seen and read is definitely about quality.
Paul is quite honest...including the sometimes forget to put in the label part. However, I do think the label issue can raise reasonable doubts. It's not a non-issue or no big deal, especially since the company sells seconds.
I do agree that the OP's best first response is with the dealer, but I'm not going to advise him how he should feel about a $200 instrument? They go for more. I do agree it's possible to destroy the joy of an instrument by overfocusing. But if it's issues you can't get beyond...and I do agree, the glue stuff can get overplayed. In general, I would be more concerned about a blob of glue vs what appears to be fairly evenly spread stuff.
I actually did find the OP's posting useful from another perspective, but not with respect to resolving his own concerns. I'll be researching until my budget allows for next year, with a probable stop in Hawaii en route to the Northern Phillipines, next February. And KoAloha will defintely be on my list.
I hope things work out for you litestart...I do think KoAloha, Paul and the dealer will be of great help.
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Lanark
Well-known member
Really? A little extra glue visible on the inside? That really doesn't seem like a very big deal to me personally. As it is, I think I seldom spend much time looking at the outside of my instruments. If they're out, I'm playing them. Minor aesthetics take a big backseat to a sweet sound as far as I'm personally concerned.
I also may be speaking out of turn here, but I find it a bit hard to completely sympathize with the OP given that they've got a grand total of 3 posts so far only dealing with this complaint. The follow up doesn't mention bringing their concerns up with the dealer and it being several weeks down the road I'm starting to think that train may have left the station. I'm not even sure what the OP really expected out their post. (Sympathy? replacement for a bit of extra glue?) The consensus is pretty clear about the proper channels, Paul's chimed in. And the reply is some pics of the "issues" without much else. I'm not trying to be a dink, but it's not much to go on.
What are you looking for from us, Litestart? I'm not trying to rain on your already soggy parade here, I'd really like to know what you were expecting? This is a generally very cool and open community, but you kind of got to meet us halfway. If we don't know you and how familiar you are to things ukulele related we can't really help you work this stuff out and all we've got here is a complaint and some pictures.
And yes as previously noted, there does seem to be some overwrapping on the E string. You also might want to try tightening that screw more than "a quarter turn". I might be inclined to keep turning it until it held fully speaking for myself. But I'm a crazy that way.
I also may be speaking out of turn here, but I find it a bit hard to completely sympathize with the OP given that they've got a grand total of 3 posts so far only dealing with this complaint. The follow up doesn't mention bringing their concerns up with the dealer and it being several weeks down the road I'm starting to think that train may have left the station. I'm not even sure what the OP really expected out their post. (Sympathy? replacement for a bit of extra glue?) The consensus is pretty clear about the proper channels, Paul's chimed in. And the reply is some pics of the "issues" without much else. I'm not trying to be a dink, but it's not much to go on.
What are you looking for from us, Litestart? I'm not trying to rain on your already soggy parade here, I'd really like to know what you were expecting? This is a generally very cool and open community, but you kind of got to meet us halfway. If we don't know you and how familiar you are to things ukulele related we can't really help you work this stuff out and all we've got here is a complaint and some pictures.
And yes as previously noted, there does seem to be some overwrapping on the E string. You also might want to try tightening that screw more than "a quarter turn". I might be inclined to keep turning it until it held fully speaking for myself. But I'm a crazy that way.
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