Is Koa worth the extra money?

lizzy30

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I'm trying to decide between a Cordoba 20TMCE and a 25TKCE and I'm trying to decide if the extra money for the 25 would be worth it. I currently have a Oscar Schmidt OU2 that I bought just to try out the ukulele. It's developed a buzz and I've worn through the finish on the fret board. I played the 20 in the store before and loved it although they don't currently have either in-stock. I want an instrument that I can grow into and will be happy with for a long time.

Thanks for your insight everyone.
 
I'm trying to decide between a Cordoba 20TMCE and a 25TKCE and I'm trying to decide if the extra money for the 25 would be worth it. I currently have a Oscar Schmidt OU2 that I bought just to try out the ukulele. It's developed a buzz and I've worn through the finish on the fret board. I played the 20 in the store before and loved it although they don't currently have either in-stock. I want an instrument that I can grow into and will be happy with for a long time.

Thanks for your insight everyone.

I don't really own a koa uke (excepting an old kamaka)which should give away how i feel about this question. I think it goes without saying that koa is one of, if not the best tone wood for a ukulele, BUT that being said, i don't know that its WORTH the extra money. Often koa ukes start around $600. For nearly half the price i think you can find a cedar or mahogany uke with the same build quality. I think it all comes down to what sound you are looking for. Mahogany is very warm sounding and one of my favorites, and spruce and cedar quite bright sounding. Koa falls someplace in the middle, leaning towards warm, but having a very good balance of warm and bright. So many other things come into play, however. Whatever uke you pick it should be an ALL solid instrument, or at least have a solid top. Often the big companies like lanikai will sell koa ukes for 300ish with laminate koa, which really defeats the point i think. Solid mahogany will sound WAY better than laminate koa regardless of the its reputation. I also don't like the aesthetic of koa much either, so many of those less common woods like lacewood, mango, sycamore, mrytle, maple, walnut, cherry and ovangkol are all so much prettier (which i really think matters some, you are so proud of you isntrument, and likely to love it if its purdy!) I guess in summary, if you are planning on spending $700 or less, i would not pick koa. If i were getting a reallly special uke for say $1200 or so, i would definitely pick koa. Either way enjoy your new uke!

Alex

PS this subject made me laugh, my dogs name is Koa, and he is certainly not worth any extra money...little spaz
 
In choosing to have a custom built I opted for local woods...and sold a koa uke to fund the project.

Koa is beautiful, but it alone won't create the sound.

It is only worth more if the appearance is that much better to you.

(and...that Cordoba won't be built out of koa - acacia, yes. Similar in appearance and sound... but NOT koa.)
 
it's only worth the extra $$$ if you like the way it sounds. i own a solid koa uke and a solid mahogany uke and even though the koa uke is from one of the 'K' brans and cost over 3 times what my solid mahogany uke cost, as time goes by i seem to be favoring the sound more of the mahogany. dont get me wrong, the koa sounds amazing, but for the type of songs i am playing and into it just seems like mahogany is more pleasing to my ears. what i am trying to say is, it's all personal preference!
 
Just peeked at the prices of those ukes. The koa uke costs nearly twice as much. It's worth it if you get to play both ukuleles and the koa uke sounds almost twice as good.
 
All depends who's building it. I've got two koa ukes and they sound completely different.
 
Gotta say some of my best sounding ukes have sitka spruce tops. Back and side woods don't seem to matter too much to me.
My best sounding uke is make of all cherry. I think sound is mostly determined by the skill of the luthier building it.
 
I think Koa is popular also because of how the highly figured ukes look...like Jake's. Sound wise, I like the louder sound of cedar, but it doesn't look as pretty as a highly figured Koa. Sound versus looks?
Alan
 
True Koa wood grows only in Hawaii, so I only want a koa ukulele if it is from a Hawaiian ukulele maker and is solid wood, otherwise, I don't think it is worth the extra expense. Now if YOU think it's prettier or sounds better or you just like it more, then buy it! Instruments are very subjective and if you want it, and can afford it, then go ahead and buy it.

Many non-Hawaiian manufacturers want to have a Koa ukulele in their lineup just for the added cachet of using Hawaiian wood in a Hawaiian instrument, but I feel that if it is not a truly Hawaiian-made instrument, then there really is no point in having koa (or koa laminate) other than aesthetics.

I will have you know that I own a Pono solid koa tenor, not made in Hawaii, but made in Java using Hawaiian koa, and it is one of my favorite ukuleles to play and very beautiful, with a beautiful sound. Again, emotion (and budget!) plays a big part in what you ultimately end up buying in spite of your opinions!
 
Does Cordoba even use real koa, or are they still using acacia and calling it "Portuguese koa"? Because I would avoid buying a deceptively-advertised ukulele out of principle even if it did sound good. :( I'm with Pueo on this; koa is totally worth it if you're going for a real Hawaiian-made uke (but it will cost $500+). The basic K-brand models all come standard in koa anyway. But if you're looking at other manufacturers like Cordoba and Kala and Ohana that offer a lot of wood choices, keep in mind that the koa ones will be the most expensive but might not be the best-sounding ones in the lineup.
 
Reading all these post it almost seems the question should be $300 uke versus $600 uke versus $1200. And so much is subjective. I also think Hawaiian Koa is supposed to be warmer than Mahogany as a rule.
Regarding the first question is it worth an extra $25 to purchase a Cordoba Koa versus Mahogany. I think the only way you can answer that question is to play both. I guess you have to buy both and play them for awhile and sell the one you like least on the marketplace, eh?
You know I have played and owned a few instruments now and there is so much more that plays into it then just the wood. We have better grades of wood, and luthier and personal preference.... the list goes on.
 
I have a Cordoba 20TM-CE with a solid mahogany top and it sounds great plugged in or unplugged. Recently a fellow UU'er discovered that their "koa", which is actually acacia, is not solid. Folks seem to get really good Cordobas or bad ones. Mine is great, but then I got mine with case for $125. If you can see them, play them, check nut, frets, intonation, etc. etc. then go for the one you like best, but sound wise, I doubt that laminate "koa" will sound better than the mahogany one.

http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/f...ying-quot-Eyes!-Geeze......&highlight=cordoba
 
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I found videos of someone from a music shop in Hawaii playing both ukuleles. I did like the sound of the cheaper one better anyway. I read the thread and I'm not sure what to take from it. I played the 20TM-CE in my music store before and really liked it. Now that I'm in the market again they don't have them in stock and the want a commitment of some kind to order them in. I'm nervous about ordering an instrument and not loving the way it plays and sounds or plays and not really having anything to compare. They have a very narrow selection of ukes as it's mainly a guitar shop. About the Koa vs not, all the website says is "Koa" but it also says solid top and back but not sides.
 
There's so many variables besides the wood type (individual preference being the most notable) that it's almost an impossible question. It's but one out of many components that make up an instrument's tone.
 
If it says just says Koa, without saying "solid top" its almost certianly not solid. Most manufactures will brag about the fact that it is solid, rather than laminate. So just as a "steak taco" from taco bell is barely meat, let alone steak, a "koa" uke is often just barely that. Solid Koa will say solid. Also keep in mind, when trying to work on a budget, the back and sides being laminate is not the end of the world, they do FAR less vibrating than the top does (which is why it is called the soundboard). One of my favorite ukes, but not nearly my "best" is a lanikai 8 string with a solid spruce top, and pretty laminate ovangkol (cheaper rosewood) back and sides.I think what you can take away from all these opinion and the one thing that is pretty universal in all of them is, play what you like! I think it boils down to, if you find pleasure in telling people you own a koa uke (or a BMW) for that matter, go with that. But you might find another wood has everything you really wanted, and maybe for much less money (say a lovely honda civic) And to respond to people loving the looks, while figured koa is pretty, it hasn't got anything on the quilted and flamed maples in my opinion, which is all it is, and opinion, from sound to looks its all about what you want in the end. You may wish to pick a uke out you are very interested in, and ask for others opinions here on UU to make sure its a reputable instrument. Best of luck
Alex
 
I bought a 20TM once and returned it. I found that it sounded sort of dead and didn't have anywhere near the warmth or volume that my solid cedar top does. Also take into consideration the a laminate Koa top will not always sound as good as a solid Mahogany top even though it may cost more. I'd also recommend trying out a few other woods such as Cedar and Spruce. They will sound the most different from a hardwood top uke and you may prefer that sound as well as get more bang for your buck since solid cedar is cheaper than solid Koa and often even solid Acacia varieties.
 
I have had several koa wood ukuleles in the past - Koaloha, Kamaka, Kanile'a, National - and none of them sound nearly as good as my recently acquired all mahogany Martin T2 tenor ukulele. It is sharper, crisper, just all around a much better sounding and playing ukulele than the others.
 
Spending the extra on the koa is really a personal taste issue. All wood sounds different and all pieces of wood sound different. I have heard lots of koa wood ukes and they all have their own individual sound.
The best advice is go to a store and play ukes and buy the one that has the sound you like. It really does not matter what wood it is, if you like it, buy it.

I own a Kamaka soprano koa H1, Kanilea premium curly koa concert, Anuenue Lani 11 concert laminate, Martin SO mahogany soprano (one that actually sounds great), Kala acacia solid tenor
 
I look at it like this:

Koa, the real stuff, grows on one island in all the world at a very specific altitude. These trees are precious and sacred to the people who grew up around that island... so precious and sacred that I vowed to never buy a piece of it, whether its in the form of a coffee table, surf board, or ukulele. Reason being, I have no attatchment to that island or those trees. For me, spruce or fir works just fine. So is it worth it? Yes, but not for me.
 
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I look at it like this:

Koa, the real stuff, grows on one island in all the world at a very specific altitude. These trees are precious and sacred to the people who grew up around that island... so precious and sacred that I vowed to never buy a piece of it, whether its in the form of a coffee table, surf board, or ukulele. Reason being, I have no attatchment to that island or those trees. For me, spruce or fir works just fine. So is it worth it? Yes, but not for me.

Koa trees on the Big island grow at an elevation of between 1000 and 8000 feet so I'm not sure what you mean be specific altitude. Furthermore, virtually all of the koa that I am using is excavated rather that felled. These are trees and stumps that are laying in the bogs, covered with vines and brush, slowly rotting away. We are rescuing this koa from the clutches of Mother Nature.
For me the ukulele is more than a musical instrument, it's a cultural artifact. I do have an attachment to those trees. Koa has always been valuable but never considered "sacred". For me, if it's not made of koa it's probably not an ukulele anyway.
 
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