My turn, my turn! I've forgotten your original question so I'll just share my thoughts about KoAlohas. If you're used to a high gloss dead smooth all the wood pores filled thick looking finish like I have on my Pono's, Kala and Ohana you probably might not like the finish when you first see it. The gloss is not really a high-gloss, more of a semi-gloss and no wood filler is used that I can see. Just a thin coat of finish to protect the wood. When my wife first saw my first one she said "that looks like the finish you put on the harp you made me". The harp has fifteen coats of hand applied tung-oil varnish and looks quite well. I like the finish, it's just different than what I was used to seeing on a ukulele. Having said that let me say that Koalohas do not look mass produced. Each of mine looks like it was made by a little old craftsman setting at his kitchen table building ukuleles one step at a time. Kitchen table lutherie at it's finest. Of course we know they're not made like that but I like the thought. BTW, my wife's harp was made at the kitchen table on step at a time. From a kit of course.
About the strings- first off, Worth CL and the KoAloha strings that came on my ukes are one and the same. Sound great but are too thin for my liking. The don't feel right under my fingers. Right now I've got concert size Aquillas on my KoAloha standard soprano, Ko'olau Gold on my KoAloha Pineapple standard soprano, Aquillas on my KoAloha long-neck (concert scale) Pineapple, D'Addario Pro Arte on my KoAloha concert, and the original KoAloha strings are still on my KoAloha Super Concert but will be replaced with the Pro Artes when I change strings.
My oldest is an oval sound hole soprano made in August 2000 and the newest one, the Super Concert was made in December 2009. Two of them I bought new from MGM and the other three were bought used on ebay. I'm trying to win a KoAloha tenor on ebay now and when I get the tenor my KoAloha stable will be complete. I don't care for the boutique KoAlohas like the Scepture (sp) or Pineapple Sunday. Sour grapes perhaps as I did bid $1500 for a PS on ebay and lost to "she who will not be named".
Oh, I almost forgot, BUY THE CONCERT, you won't be disappointed. But, be forwarned, I only intended to buy one when I bought my long neck Pineapple on December 22, 2009. That's right, five KoAlohas in less than three months and bidding on the sixth one. The good news is I was able to claim Papa KoAloha and his family as dependents when I filed my taxes.
Take care, mahalo, namaste, and I'm outa here,
Jude