Thanks everyone for the warm welcome to the new Kamaka! Sorry the pics are a bit fuzzy...Iphone camera. High G, Doc J. The Dolphins are a lot of fun, too...I got my daughter, age 9, a redburst one last year, and decided I needed a couple of those myself. Attached a couple of extra Kamaka photos and one of the "family"...including my wife's Kala and my Pono soprano.
I have kept the Kamaka strings on for the time being and am certainly considering the wisdom of many here who post about improvements with other brands. I'm going to Gryphon in Palo Alto today and will probably pick up some Worths to try at some point. In my hunt for the "right" uke, I played quite a few tenors...(didn't get to try a KoAloha, unfortunately), but it ended up being between the HF-3 and a Kanile'a. Picked the Kamaka after trying one at Gryphon and just falling in love with the sound...and it had the standard Kamaka strings on it, so I'm a bit partial to that for some reason. The Dolphins are definitely getting Aquilas!
I plan to keep my UAS in check, but do have a concert in mind...will likely do the Kanile'a next time or possibly a KoAloha, once I play one.
Also wanted to say that I had a really nice experience ordering direct from Kamaka. Tekla was great. When I ordered it, she asked me if I had a preference for darker or lighter color. I just suggested that they use their judgement on whatever looks the best at the time. And, they exceeded my expectations in that department! When it was ready, they called to ensure someone would be home on the expected delivery date. Very nice and personal touches...lots of Aloha!
As far as hearing the Kamaka, well here is a recording I made this week.
http://toddparkerandthewitches.bandcamp.com/track/nazareth-instrumental