Kamaka or Kanilea tenor

So i'm going to oahu for a little trip soon and i was wondering what brand of ukulele would be better to own and why. And what strings as well

right now i have a kala acacia wood tenor ukulele with daddario strings

Well here is my 2 cents worth.As a tourist you will find that in Waikiki most of the ukulele shops are over priced.I have been there 4 times and was there last Feb.My first ukelele was a Lanikai curly Koa concert.The second time I got a Kanilea tenor at the ward center music store I think it was called Hawaiian guitars.Then I got a kanilea soprano long neck directly from the factory in Kaneohe.About the best place in Waikiki to go is at ukulele PUA PUA at the Pacific beach hotel 2490 Kalakaua Ave.I found that they are the friendliest people to talk to in Waikiki.Also you have to go see the 3 K brands factories.You will see how they are made and will be able to try them out.We took the bus to Kaneohe and went to Kanilea and had a tour of the factory with Joe Souza as our guide.You will never regret going there.Good luck

You will be where they are made - drop by the big three - Kamaka, Kanile'a, and KoAloha - and listen for yourself. Our opinions mean far less than your own touch and ear - you will be in the best place in the world to compare these side by side and decide for yourself which one speaks to your heart...

You can't go wrong with either one. Play a few and see/hear what you like best. Good luck and enjoy.

Find a few music shops where the locals buy instruments (i.e. non-Waikiki shops) such as Hawaii Music Supply and Good Guys. Try them out and buy the best sounding one. That beats any recommendation anyone can give here.

bbycrts said:

You will be where they are made - drop by the big three - Kamaka, Kanile'a, and KoAloha - and listen for yourself. Our opinions mean far less than your own touch and ear - you will be in the best place in the world to compare these side by side and decide for yourself which one speaks to your heart...

Click to expand...

Oh how I would LOVE to be in this position!!! By all means, go visit each factory, play some and then decide, this is the best way!!!

Aloha and have fun in paradise!!!

GX9901 said:

Find a few music shops where the locals buy instruments (i.e. non-Waikiki shops) such as Hawaii Music Supply and Good Guys. Try them out and buy the best sounding one. That beats any recommendation anyone can give here.

Click to expand...

I agree. Easy Music Center also tends to have a pretty decent selection depending on when they got their last shipment. I'm not sure if Dan's Guitars carries Kanileas, but they'd be a good place to check too. The advantage of going to a music store rather than the factory is that you can compare the two ukes back to back. Have fun choosing!