Koa Pili Koko Or Mainland?

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kathmustdie

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Hi there , i am going to be buying my first ukulele. So far i narrowed my search into 2 choices.

1. Koa Pili Koko Concert

2. Mainland Mahogany Concert

I really like the sound of the KPK , but i heard there are some issues regarding cracking? I even contacted the seller and he mentioned its not too much to worry about. The mainlands look exceptionally well made however i live in a country where the shipping would be a bomb to pay. The KPK is easier for me to get , however i am on two minds right now. Both sound really good

Long story short : Koa Pili koko or Mainland Mahogany!
 
Never played a Mainland but have not heard a negative thing about them, everyone who has one always speaks positivly about them. I have a older KPK soprano and have not had any issues with cracking. My KPK is from when Kelii was in charge of the brand. Kelii dropped the brand due to Quality issues (cracking). Now i think the factory is making better (quality) ukes and cracking is not as big of a worry. (so I have heard)

I am sure there is someone here that has played both and can advise better.
 
That is a hard one. I chose the KPK for the sound and decided to risk the quality issues. The guy that sells them seems to give good customer service. He was most helpful with me and very responsive. I am also familiar with and love the Mainland. I would say 6 of one/ half a dozen of the other. Or get both!
Roxhum
 
I looked at the KPK originally 2 years ago and bought a used Pono instead. I would check around your area and see what you might be able to find used just for fun. I do think even if I had to pay more for shipping, for myself I would get the Mainland. I would ask the seller to check over the one being shipped very carefully to make sure there are no issues before shipping. I would guess that once you had it in hand you would be very happy with it. There are a lot of enthusiastic Mainland owners here on UU. I hope to have one in my future.

Good luck!
 
I have a koa pili koko and some highend ukes and I do not like playing the high end ukes the pili koko is awesome for me I cant put it down
 
Aloha Kathmustdie,
I have had two KPK and I was amazed how good they sound and I enjoy playing them..They have a nice deep rich sound of the premimum ukes and both of them had spot on intonation up and down the neck..
As for the cracking issues mentioned, I believe that was when they were first made, and they resolved the problems....I think they are the biggest secret for your bang for the buck....I have the deluxe and it
has the deep rich tone of a premimum ukulele and the other one I have is a standard which has a nice clean bright tone balanced tone with a hint of richness....the seller who is on ebay is so accomadating..
the new ones, you can choose between worth and aquila strings and a upgraded saddle for free....and let me say it's a solid body acarcia...which looks very nice..
 
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Yes, I have heard that the quality issues with KPK have been resolved, but I don't think you can go wrong with either brand. Personally, I like the looks of the KPK much better. I am not a fan of the rope bindings, but that is just me.
 
kathmustdie said:
Hi there , i am going to be buying my first ukulele. So far i narrowed my search into 2 choices.

1. Koa Pili Koko Concert

2. Mainland Mahogany Concert

I really like the sound of the KPK , but i heard there are some issues regarding cracking? I even contacted the seller and he mentioned its not too much to worry about. The mainlands look exceptionally well made however i live in a country where the shipping would be a bomb to pay. The KPK is easier for me to get , however i am on two minds right now. Both sound really good

Long story short : Koa Pili koko or Mainland Mahogany!
Click to expand...

I have never had a cracking issue with Mainlands ukuleles. I would use caution with KPK. When Kelii(KC Moore) had the brand he told me the factory wouldn't properly regulate the humidity therefore when they went to owners in other parts of the world they would often develop cracks. Unless this factory has changed their production you may have problems.
People who have owned them without issue have said they have a great sound and they do look like a good value.
Mainland expects to have mahogany back in late January. We are also out of the mahogany Mainlands.
 
I've got a KPK for 3 years now, live in a horribly dry climate in winter and humid in summer, humidify my ukes as suggested and keep going back to my KPK regularly, despite having other great ukes (Kamaka pineapple gold label, Koaloha Concert, vintage Kumalae). It's my KPK that I carry to my sailboat and basically, everywhere I go in the spring, summer and fall. So although I've never tried or owned a Mainland, I'm very satisfied with my KPK. No cracking issues. It's currently strung with d'Addario J-92s.
 
UkéDan said:
I've got a KPK for 3 years now, live in a horribly dry climate in winter and humid in summer, humidify my ukes as suggested and keep going back to my KPK regularly, despite having other great ukes (Kamaka pineapple gold label, Koaloha Concert, vintage Kumalae). It's my KPK that I carry to my sailboat and basically, everywhere I go in the spring, summer and fall. So although I've never tried or owned a Mainland, I'm very satisfied with my KPK. No cracking issues. It's currently strung with d'Addario J-92s.
Click to expand...

This is good to know. I have one the way and I hope to be as satisfied as you.
 
Aloha Kathmustdie,
I just wanted to mention, that other may say the KPK has a thicker neck....maybe a little, but the Ko aloha neck is just as thick and nobody say nothing about them...KoAloha neck is rounded and my KpK is
rather C shaped....Other may say it is a little heavier, and it slightly is....but it add to the richness of it tone and is well built and I gotta say it looks really nice to me and many have said the same to me...
beautiful grain and the finish is nice and durable...I like the thin body for comfort, which may take just a little volume, but it certainly is loud enough for me and doesn't over power my voice... I like the nice
tone of it and play it all the time and once I pick it up it is hard to put down.....it is a bargin if you ask me...and I love mine...Happy Strummings....
 
Hello There! You all been very helpful , i am going for the Koa Pili Koko. Seems there are many happy people here who play them. The KPK finish looks really nice and the sound is rich and beefy. I contacted the seller and he sent me a detailed e-mail regarding the cracking issue , apparently the cracking was reported in 2008 and never after that. He also said cracking is something which all solid body ukes go through , so i am taking his recommendation as well as your input.

Mahalo and happy strumming~
 
Congratulations!

My only suggestion is to look for a semi-hard case so that you can humidify the uke if the air dries out. Cold winters are the worst as the humidity is low and heaters only make it worse. If you live in a humid climate, you probably will be fine.

There are a number of threads on how to make a cheap humidifier. Although some are better than others, especially if you use crystals, you can get away with just using a sponge in a plastic bottle with holes in it, add water, and set it in the case.

Have fun.

John
 
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