i have a Kamaka 8 sting since 1979 and I love it. so well built. the sound is excellent. it is a quality musical instrument. Because of this, I got all caught up in the "having to have a vintage uke" syndrome and kept going after an older Kamaka. I finally purchased a beautifully preserved Kamaka soprano from the early 1950's. I got it online. when I unpacked it and played it, I was sooooooo disappointed. It truly was more like a toy (to me). Campared to today's Kamaka's there was no comparison. I sold it immediately. I believe that the instruments made today are hands down better, musically, than the early 1950's (but not my 1979).My experience is pretty limited but it seems what I have read most people will agree that the new Kamaka hands down sounds better than the older Kamaka's. I had one vintage Kamaka and two new Kamaka's and I was very disappointed in the sound of the older Kamaka and blown away by the sound of the two newer one's that I had.
My experience is pretty limited but it seems what I have read most people will agree that the new Kamaka hands down sounds better than the older Kamaka's. I had one vintage Kamaka and two new Kamaka's and I was very disappointed in the sound of the older Kamaka and blown away by the sound of the two newer one's that I had.
My experience is pretty limited but it seems what I have read most people will agree that the new Kamaka hands down sounds better than the older Kamaka's.
I've played a bunch, both old and new. They sound different (as can be expected), but I wouldn't go so far as to say that the newer ones are "hands down" better than the old ones.
I own two Kamaka pineapples myself- one just a few years old, and one from the 60's/70's (white label, slanted fretboard where it meets the body, double kk sticker on headstock, etc.). Maybe I should do an A/B recording and post the sound clips here as a sort of a blind "taste test." Would people be interested in that?
Maybe I should do an A/B recording and post the sound clips here as a sort of a blind "taste test." Would people be interested in that?
:agree: This is an excellent post --- thanksStuff coming off a production line follows a mathematical thing called a Probability Distribution or similar. Basically this means that for any test, 50% will be above the average and 50% will be below the average. 1% will be really bad and 1% will be really good, etc. I think Kamaka have been in business since around 1916, almost 100 years and have made a lot of ukes, so a small % is likely to be a larger physical number. Here we have posts reviewing a few old Kamaka ukes, that may not be a useful statistical sample. Also if you read the history of the 100 years it has not all been beer and skittles and there have been some hard times where compromise was the only way ahead.
I suspect there are some really great vintage Kamakas around, and some lemons, whether they are for sale or you can afford them is another question. Perhaps, a good thing is to make sure you listen before you buy particular models with this particular brand? Maybe even have some fun making sure you know how to pick the age and models?
A second thing to consider is that the primary market for Kamakas has been the people of Hawaii, who enjoyed a particular sound, perhaps a sound that is no longer popular?
Then there is getting the right strings etc.
My Kamaka was made in 2000, does that make it vintage? It sounds great still.
I would be!