experimentjon
Well-known member
I paid a visit to the KoAloha ukulele factory the other day to visit our forums’ Kaneohe til the End…and walked out with another KoAloha tenor. This one—as much as I would love to keep it—is going to one of my best friends, who I know had been looking for one of these with the crown bridge. This post is the story of what I did while at the factory yesterday, followed by a comparison review of the two KoAloha tenors that I now have in my possession. Keep in mind that this is just one data point, and hopefully, it helps some of you in your purchasing decisions.
Factory Visit
Strangely, I have yet to do a proper guided tour of the KoAloha factory. And yesterday, I did not visit for a full-length tour. But maybe I should visit someday and tack on to a visiting tour group to learn more about their building process. Nevertheless, I got to see some cool stuff there.
First, I got to touch Brittni Paiva’s custom tenor that was in the shop for some work before the Na Hoku Hanohano awards show this weekend. It felt very solidly built, but not too flashy. The color of the koa was beautiful, and had nice grain—but it was not particularly flamed. Only real accents were her name inlaid on the fret board and the classy ebony top and back bindings. The integration of the Fishman Prefix pickup with a nice palette of onboard controls was well done and looked very high tech. Sound-wise, I would say that it felt very precise. It had lots of control at all dynamics levels, and a warm, round, mellow tone. The quality of the construction was definitely the most outstanding factor. As a custom, it felt sturdier than any of my off-the shelf instruments; it just had perfect fit and finish.
I also got a hard copy of Victoria Vox’s newest CD: “Exact Change.” The CD has the coolest packaging of any CD that I have ever seen. It has a washing machine theme, and on the cover, features water that moves, and a small fish inside! The disk runtime is a bit on the shorter side, but features nice tracks that are typical Vox—fanciful vocals with a colorful splash of ukulele backing. Definitely buy the physical copy if you enjoy her music. It adds collectabililty value over the digital download copies.
Another extremely unique piece that I saw was hidden in Alan’s office. He was doing a bit of work on it: a KoAloha soprano with a laser etched hibiscus-pattern rosette around the soundhole (they were still using a circular soundhole back then.) Alan said that there were only about a dozen or so in existence. Sadly, I neglected to snap a picture of it. Anyhow, it was the first time I had ever seen one, but I’m sure if you wanted something similar, KoAloha can do it for you as a semi-custom in their laser engraving machine.
Then I talked about ukulele current events with Alan. (Follow him on Twitter at @KoAlohaUke.) I found out that G-String ukulele closed a few months ago. I had no idea! But it would appear that they are now out of production. That’s unfortunate, since I still wanted one of the University of Hawaii G-String tenors…wonder if KoAloha would be willing to fire up that laser machine and let me order one when I graduate…. I also learned how The Ukulele House, a retailer with locations in Ala Moana and the Waikiki Shopping Plaza, came to fail. It was a real-world example of growing too fast and having cash flow problems. Selling more ukes does not necessarily mean fixing your cash problems…it may even exacerbate the problem. Ooh, I also discovered that Gordon Mark is my neighbor! I wonder if he gives ukulele lessons.
Naturally, since I had the chance, I played most of the ukes they had on the wall. The two that really stood out to me were the 6 String Tenor and the Soprano Pineapple. That 6 String Tenor was amazing. I’ve played some other companies’ 6-string tenors, but this one just blew them all away. The instrument had an overflowing rich tone, and was extremely responsive. I felt like it could do anything I wanted it to do—only constrained by my own lack of skill. I also got to try the tenor-neck soprano. It actually felt pretty good in the hand, and sounded very nice, and did not have the giraffe-look at all. I’d highly recommend it for anyone who likes soprano tone, but wants more fretboard space.
Then Alan offered to sell me a tenor that he had been working on. It was a 2005 tenor with a crown bridge. Long story, short, I raced to the bank, and a little while later, walked out with it.
But before, I get to the review, I must mention that Brian has found a miracle finish restorer. I saw the tenor I purchased undergo the treatment and transform from a dusty antique to looking better-than-new. What is the miracle juice? Fender/Meguiars 3-step instrument care kit. I purchased a set for myself yesterday off Amazon, it shipped today; so I will eventually be testing it on various brands of ukes to see how effective it is on other models. But I can tell you right now, that it works wonders on KoAloha’s finish. If you have a KoAloha, buy a kit. It’s fairly priced at about $25, which is about what it would cost you to buy 3 bottles of car-cleaning supplies. It wouldn’t really be a stretch for KoAloha to sell the kit at their shop to new buyers either, b/c there is a lot of synergy there.
KoAloha Tenor Comparison
KoAloha Tenors are awesome. The KoAloha tenor that I own is currently my most played of the Big 3’s tenors (Kamaka, Kanilea, KoAloha). I will turn to the KoAloha about 50% of the time when I want to play a tenor, which is a testament to how great the instrument is. But I will say that the tenor I just picked up is just as impressive—just in different ways.
The KoAloha tenor that I own is a 2003 model and a harder-to-find build. Features include: a one piece top, one piece back, one piece sides, plastic fretboard binding, asymmetrical neck profile (think the newest Gibson Les Pauls), and a string-through one-piece bridge. This ukulele embodies what I believe is the trademark KoAloha tone. I would describe it as boomy and deep, with lots of treble and bright pop in the sound. And of course, like all KoAlohas, it has tons of volume ready to be unleashed. The best part of this instrument is how easily I can get it to play loudly. It is definitely the loudest ukulele I own, and is extremely responsive all the way up to fortissimo. However, I will admit that it lacks control and finesse in the lower dynamic range.
The KoAloha tenor that I just picked up is a 2005 model. This one felt and played differently from the 2003 model. First of all, it was heavier, and felt more solidly built. The bridge was also the typical crown bridge that you associate with KoAloha—two piece ebony construction with a zebrawood accent. They also use ebony for the fretboard on this model, which is what we are more familiar with—I’m not sure what wood was used on the 2003 model…maybe rosewood…Brazilian Rosewood. In all seriousness, it still had a one piece top and one piece back, which I thought was cool, although the sides were bookmatched. An gold end-piece was also installed for use with a strap (extra feature.)
Sound-wise, the 2005 tenor has a more complex tone than the 2003 model. Whereas the 2003 plays mostly plucky bright tones, the 2005 has a more lush sound, accented by dark undertones. In my opinion, the 2005 model can play more musically. Also, it offers more control, and can play in the softer dynamics range with more precision. But while it is capable of playing relatively loudly, it cannot play as loudly as the older model. I’m not sure what factors are responsible for the difference in tone. It may be the different koa boards combined with different bridge styles. Regardless, there is definitely a very notable difference in sound.
Both sound excellent, and if you are familiar with KoAlohas, you would be able to tell that both of them are KoAlohas in a blind-listening-test of tenors from the Big Three—they both have that distinct KoAloha tone. Which one do I prefer? I lean slightly towards the 2003 model. I have yet to find another off-the-shelf instrument that is as responsive and easy to play as that 2003 KoAloha Tenor. The 2005 model is excellent, and I know my friend will love it, especially since he wanted a crown bridge, and I wouldn’t be able to keep it from him anyway.
In other news, as promised on another thread, I will try to write up a more definitive review of the KoAloha v Kanilea v Kamaka tenors, since I know that’s one of the major purchasing decision that we have to go through. That writeup will either go up on the forums or on my secret blog. (Probably forums first until I get a chance to proofread it…haven’t proofread this post yet.) Now that I’ve got 2 Kanilea tenors, 2 KoAloha tenors (for now), and 1 Kamaka tenor in my possession, I think I can do a pretty decent review.
Also, for other reading: How I became a KoAloha Fanboy (and bought my Pineapple Sunday and Sceptre.)
The 2005 Tenor. For my friend. Really nice-looking ukulele. And crown bridge FTW.
The 2003 Tenor. Mine. What a special instrument.
Cameraphone pic of Brittni Paiva's Tenor. Hawt
Cameraphone pic of Victoria Vox's new CD.
Factory Visit
Strangely, I have yet to do a proper guided tour of the KoAloha factory. And yesterday, I did not visit for a full-length tour. But maybe I should visit someday and tack on to a visiting tour group to learn more about their building process. Nevertheless, I got to see some cool stuff there.
First, I got to touch Brittni Paiva’s custom tenor that was in the shop for some work before the Na Hoku Hanohano awards show this weekend. It felt very solidly built, but not too flashy. The color of the koa was beautiful, and had nice grain—but it was not particularly flamed. Only real accents were her name inlaid on the fret board and the classy ebony top and back bindings. The integration of the Fishman Prefix pickup with a nice palette of onboard controls was well done and looked very high tech. Sound-wise, I would say that it felt very precise. It had lots of control at all dynamics levels, and a warm, round, mellow tone. The quality of the construction was definitely the most outstanding factor. As a custom, it felt sturdier than any of my off-the shelf instruments; it just had perfect fit and finish.
I also got a hard copy of Victoria Vox’s newest CD: “Exact Change.” The CD has the coolest packaging of any CD that I have ever seen. It has a washing machine theme, and on the cover, features water that moves, and a small fish inside! The disk runtime is a bit on the shorter side, but features nice tracks that are typical Vox—fanciful vocals with a colorful splash of ukulele backing. Definitely buy the physical copy if you enjoy her music. It adds collectabililty value over the digital download copies.
Another extremely unique piece that I saw was hidden in Alan’s office. He was doing a bit of work on it: a KoAloha soprano with a laser etched hibiscus-pattern rosette around the soundhole (they were still using a circular soundhole back then.) Alan said that there were only about a dozen or so in existence. Sadly, I neglected to snap a picture of it. Anyhow, it was the first time I had ever seen one, but I’m sure if you wanted something similar, KoAloha can do it for you as a semi-custom in their laser engraving machine.
Then I talked about ukulele current events with Alan. (Follow him on Twitter at @KoAlohaUke.) I found out that G-String ukulele closed a few months ago. I had no idea! But it would appear that they are now out of production. That’s unfortunate, since I still wanted one of the University of Hawaii G-String tenors…wonder if KoAloha would be willing to fire up that laser machine and let me order one when I graduate…. I also learned how The Ukulele House, a retailer with locations in Ala Moana and the Waikiki Shopping Plaza, came to fail. It was a real-world example of growing too fast and having cash flow problems. Selling more ukes does not necessarily mean fixing your cash problems…it may even exacerbate the problem. Ooh, I also discovered that Gordon Mark is my neighbor! I wonder if he gives ukulele lessons.
Naturally, since I had the chance, I played most of the ukes they had on the wall. The two that really stood out to me were the 6 String Tenor and the Soprano Pineapple. That 6 String Tenor was amazing. I’ve played some other companies’ 6-string tenors, but this one just blew them all away. The instrument had an overflowing rich tone, and was extremely responsive. I felt like it could do anything I wanted it to do—only constrained by my own lack of skill. I also got to try the tenor-neck soprano. It actually felt pretty good in the hand, and sounded very nice, and did not have the giraffe-look at all. I’d highly recommend it for anyone who likes soprano tone, but wants more fretboard space.
Then Alan offered to sell me a tenor that he had been working on. It was a 2005 tenor with a crown bridge. Long story, short, I raced to the bank, and a little while later, walked out with it.
But before, I get to the review, I must mention that Brian has found a miracle finish restorer. I saw the tenor I purchased undergo the treatment and transform from a dusty antique to looking better-than-new. What is the miracle juice? Fender/Meguiars 3-step instrument care kit. I purchased a set for myself yesterday off Amazon, it shipped today; so I will eventually be testing it on various brands of ukes to see how effective it is on other models. But I can tell you right now, that it works wonders on KoAloha’s finish. If you have a KoAloha, buy a kit. It’s fairly priced at about $25, which is about what it would cost you to buy 3 bottles of car-cleaning supplies. It wouldn’t really be a stretch for KoAloha to sell the kit at their shop to new buyers either, b/c there is a lot of synergy there.
KoAloha Tenor Comparison
KoAloha Tenors are awesome. The KoAloha tenor that I own is currently my most played of the Big 3’s tenors (Kamaka, Kanilea, KoAloha). I will turn to the KoAloha about 50% of the time when I want to play a tenor, which is a testament to how great the instrument is. But I will say that the tenor I just picked up is just as impressive—just in different ways.
The KoAloha tenor that I own is a 2003 model and a harder-to-find build. Features include: a one piece top, one piece back, one piece sides, plastic fretboard binding, asymmetrical neck profile (think the newest Gibson Les Pauls), and a string-through one-piece bridge. This ukulele embodies what I believe is the trademark KoAloha tone. I would describe it as boomy and deep, with lots of treble and bright pop in the sound. And of course, like all KoAlohas, it has tons of volume ready to be unleashed. The best part of this instrument is how easily I can get it to play loudly. It is definitely the loudest ukulele I own, and is extremely responsive all the way up to fortissimo. However, I will admit that it lacks control and finesse in the lower dynamic range.
The KoAloha tenor that I just picked up is a 2005 model. This one felt and played differently from the 2003 model. First of all, it was heavier, and felt more solidly built. The bridge was also the typical crown bridge that you associate with KoAloha—two piece ebony construction with a zebrawood accent. They also use ebony for the fretboard on this model, which is what we are more familiar with—I’m not sure what wood was used on the 2003 model…maybe rosewood…Brazilian Rosewood. In all seriousness, it still had a one piece top and one piece back, which I thought was cool, although the sides were bookmatched. An gold end-piece was also installed for use with a strap (extra feature.)
Sound-wise, the 2005 tenor has a more complex tone than the 2003 model. Whereas the 2003 plays mostly plucky bright tones, the 2005 has a more lush sound, accented by dark undertones. In my opinion, the 2005 model can play more musically. Also, it offers more control, and can play in the softer dynamics range with more precision. But while it is capable of playing relatively loudly, it cannot play as loudly as the older model. I’m not sure what factors are responsible for the difference in tone. It may be the different koa boards combined with different bridge styles. Regardless, there is definitely a very notable difference in sound.
Both sound excellent, and if you are familiar with KoAlohas, you would be able to tell that both of them are KoAlohas in a blind-listening-test of tenors from the Big Three—they both have that distinct KoAloha tone. Which one do I prefer? I lean slightly towards the 2003 model. I have yet to find another off-the-shelf instrument that is as responsive and easy to play as that 2003 KoAloha Tenor. The 2005 model is excellent, and I know my friend will love it, especially since he wanted a crown bridge, and I wouldn’t be able to keep it from him anyway.
In other news, as promised on another thread, I will try to write up a more definitive review of the KoAloha v Kanilea v Kamaka tenors, since I know that’s one of the major purchasing decision that we have to go through. That writeup will either go up on the forums or on my secret blog. (Probably forums first until I get a chance to proofread it…haven’t proofread this post yet.) Now that I’ve got 2 Kanilea tenors, 2 KoAloha tenors (for now), and 1 Kamaka tenor in my possession, I think I can do a pretty decent review.
Also, for other reading: How I became a KoAloha Fanboy (and bought my Pineapple Sunday and Sceptre.)
The 2005 Tenor. For my friend. Really nice-looking ukulele. And crown bridge FTW.
The 2003 Tenor. Mine. What a special instrument.
Cameraphone pic of Brittni Paiva's Tenor. Hawt
Cameraphone pic of Victoria Vox's new CD.
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