Kamaka vs Kanelia Concert, new?

bobmyers

bobmyers

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The two big K's are similar in many ways including price. Does anyone have experience with both and can you advise your preference?
Thanks Bob
 
Well... I already pretty much knew I was a Kamaka fangirl, but I tried both before settling on a Kamaka concert. Which I liked so much I bought two :)

Kanile'as are very nice but they have a much mellower sound than Kamakas, at least in my somewhat limited experience. I liked the sound of the Kamaka much better, it was brighter and more - for lack of a better word - plinky, and that sound is part of why I'm drawn to the ukulele in the first place. Kanile'a necks seem a bit thicker as well, some people prefer that. I also didn't really want to mess with bridge pins, which Kanile'as have but Kamakas don't.
 
i KNOW YOU AREN'T ASKING BUT IF I WAS IN THE MARKET FOR A CONCERT it would be a koaloha.
 
janeray1940 said:
Well... I already pretty much knew I was a Kamaka fangirl, but I tried both before settling on a Kamaka concert. Which I liked so much I bought two :)

Kanile'as are very nice but they have a much mellower sound than Kamakas, at least in my somewhat limited experience. I liked the sound of the Kamaka much better, it was brighter and more - for lack of a better word - plinky, and that sound is part of why I'm drawn to the ukulele in the first place. Kanile'a necks seem a bit thicker as well, some people prefer that. I also didn't really want to mess with bridge pins, which Kanile'as have but Kamakas don't.
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Oh this is too funny, I was going to say the exact opposite of what you said! I've owned both Kanile'a and Kamaka sopranos. I thought the Kanile'a had a thicker neck and was brighter in sound that the Kamaka. But the Kamaka sounds distinctly Hawaiian to me. It basically sounds like the musical version of comfort food. So the Kamaka stayed and the Kanile'a found a new home.
 
janeray1940 said:
Well... I already pretty much knew I was a Kamaka fangirl, but I tried both before settling on a Kamaka concert. Which I liked so much I bought two :)

Kanile'as are very nice but they have a much mellower sound than Kamakas, at least in my somewhat limited experience. I liked the sound of the Kamaka much better, it was brighter and more - for lack of a better word - plinky, and that sound is part of why I'm drawn to the ukulele in the first place. Kanile'a necks seem a bit thicker as well, some people prefer that. I also didn't really want to mess with bridge pins, which Kanile'as have but Kamakas don't.
Click to expand...
I don't really understand the dislike for bridge pins that I see on this site. They are super easy to use, make restringing much quicker and are very clean looking. The only thing you really have to remember for using pins is to make the knot large enough that it doesn't slip.

I can't really offer too much input in this as I have 1) never played a Kamaka 2) never played a concert sized uke. I can only speak as a Kanile'a tenor owner. The sound of my tenor is a bit dark, but also very deep and rich. It might be described as creamy.
 
NatalieS said:
Oh this is too funny, I was going to say the exact opposite of what you said! I've owned both Kanile'a and Kamaka sopranos.
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LOL! I'm wondering if there is a big difference in sound between the soprano and concert Kanile'as. I've only heard concerts and tenors, and to my ear they both have a somewhat muted sound.

But yes - I agree that the Kamakas sound distinctly Hawaiian, even the tenors do.
 
I can't speak to concerts but I own tenors from both Kamaka and Kanilea...and for me, I prefer the Kamaka by a mile. It has a much brighter sound and sometimes the Kanilea can sound dead or muted to me - I have to be very particular which strings I use on it. I do think Kanileas are prettier with a nicer finish, but I would choose the Kamaka for it's sound and historical importance when choosing between the two.
 
I've got concert ukes in variety of flavors, and love 'em all. I tend to favor the Kanilea. It has a smoother more harmonic sound IMHO.The finish is nicer on the Kanilea too. It took me a while to find the right strings (worth CD low-G). Both ukes are great.

Here is a low G sound comparison of the two
Kanilea Concert lowG Worth CD http://chirb.it/GL7cK8
Kamaka Concert lowG Worth Brown Med http://chirb.it/EeJJqn

I now keep the Kamaka as high G.
 
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From my experience with both, I have found that Kamakas have a bigger bolder and what I think of as a more traditional sound while Kanile'as have a softer and mellower feel. Also I find that Kamakas are generally louder. If sound is your main concern I would suggest going on youtube and searching for some comparisons. There are a bunch out there.

For playability, I started off on a Kamaka and transitioned over to a Kanile'a. The neck thickness definitely makes a difference in how they felt to play and is one of the major differences as janeray pointed out. Your best bet is to try them out yourself, but if you cant, I would say the Kamaka necks are more similar to the majority of uke necks out there while the Kanile'a neck is something different. You will feel the difference as soon as you pick one up. Neither is worse than the other, I love them both.

Another big difference is the bridge pins implemented by Kanile'a. This is one feature that I really like. It makes string changing so much easier and I think they look really nice.

In general you cant go wrong with either.
 
souljam said:
Another big difference is the bridge pins implemented by Kanile'a. This is one feature that I really like. It makes string changing so much easier and I think they look really nice.

In general you cant go wrong with either.
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Glad I'm not the only one who see's them as a plus.
 
Aloha Bob,
I have played both and owned the Kamaka tenor and My friend lent Me his Kanilea K5...but in my case it was an unfair comparison..because the Kanilea K5 was their top of the line model and it sounded devine..
Nice and and rich with long substain..one of the best sounding ukes Ive Played(I played hundreds of ukes) but if you compare the Kamaka and the Kanilea K1 their entry level, the Kamaka would win...as the
Kanilea would be brighter... As you well know by now, love the deep rich sounds...but love the crisp clear clean indivdual notes too...by the K5 is way over twice the price of the kamaka...Hope it helps..
 
Nothing like piling on, right? I have a tenor Kanilea that is divine. A beautiful, mellow sound that really lends itself to picking and is a total joy to play. I recently picked up a Kamaka concert to have the Hawaiian sound. And it totally delivers! It has punch and sustain that's amazing for the size. So I play both of them, for different things. When I'm feeling like I need a pick-me-up, the Kamaka is the go-to uke. It really depends on what you're looking for in terms of sound. My Kanilea tenor is one of the most beautiful finishes I've seen (I have the Islands version) so it's total eye candy. The Kamaka is like old-school cool - not a ton of flash but a TON of sound. So it's really about what you're looking for: a BMW or an El Camino. Both classic, both fun, both worth the drive!
 
I have a Kanilea concert. It is a beautiful thing, and I'm very happy with it.

I would thoroughly recommend them.
 
Just back from a month in Hawaii, played them both many , many times on diff islands. I play concerts most & have several. Came home with Kanile'a with pickup from factory. They both are nice but mine is great. Also a BEAUTIFUL uke for me helps in my playing . Whichever-enjoy.
 
I am sure you would be happy with either one. I have a Kamaka tenor and I have played a couple Kanilea tenors. A point of clarification on necks....a Kamaka neck is thicker - front to back, a Kanilea neck is wider - top to bottom (string spacing).
 
Thanks All,
What you did is increase my confusion, but I am definitely more knowledgeable. What is most disconcerting is that low G is very popular in Concert. I wasn't even looking at that. So my search goes on. Tomorrow I visit the Loprinzi Co. in Clearwater , Fl., Founder or Augustino Guitars. I live nearby and I have been hearing great things about this American made , solid Koa, ukulele.
I will report back.
Bob
 
haolejohn said:
i KNOW YOU AREN'T ASKING BUT IF I WAS IN THE MARKET FOR A CONCERT it would be a koaloha.
Click to expand...

Second that. A tenor, that's another story. Concert definitely Koaloha.. AND RE_ENTRANT!! :)
 
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I just recently upgraded to a Kanile'a KT-1 from my Pono mango concert, at the insistence and financial support from one of my students! She has a Kamaka concert that I have to admit sounds like a dream, it's a joy to play. I went with the Kanile'a because I wanted a versatile sound that would work for everything, since it's my new "main" uke. I wouldn't rate one brand over the other, in the end if you get to feel both in your hands, it's the one that chooses you.

One more thing - as far as low-g or high-g, if it's your main uke, you want it in high-g. Keep a low-g on the uke you use less often, so you can get that special sound when you need it but not be held back by it on your flagship ax.
 
IF I went Koaloha would I be best off with the standard concert , high gloss or Pikake in semi gloss, as far as sound preference?
Thanks for your comments all.
Bob
 
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