There actually is a school of thought that the standard grained koa sounds better than the premium curly.
From my experience what has been said above seems correct. It seems the standard koa is lighter and really resonates well. The premium seems heavier and denser. Now after they both open up I don't know but the standard seems to generally play better. That said its hard to beat the look of curly koa!!
If they were the same price you would be exactly right. The problem is premium wood carries a premium price. I have 2 koas for sale and minus the pickup from the premium(making them the same) the premium is $400 more. It takes someone that is very excited about great ukuleles to pay that extra amount just for the looks.If you read many of the comments on this BB you could form an opinion that pretty wood helps improve the resale price of a uke that sounds good (it does have to sound good first). So if you are a person who keeps buying and selling ukes, maybe there is some value in getting the prettier woods.
no difference in tone at all that you could easily quantify between premium and standard wood. I sure appreciate the aesthetic appeal of highly figured wood grain but the prices have really gone wild with this over the past few years. No probs for those who can afford it I guess. But sonically, tonally, it's a moot point. You could take either Susan Boyle or Norah Jones out for dinner or to a jam...they both sing like angels! Just comes down to which one you want on the end of your arm...
no difference in tone at all that you could easily quantify between premium and standard wood. I sure appreciate the aesthetic appeal of highly figured wood grain but the prices have really gone wild with this over the past few years. No probs for those who can afford it I guess. But sonically, tonally, it's a moot point. You could take either Susan Boyle or Norah Jones out for dinner or to a jam...they both sing like angels! Just comes down to which one you want on the end of your arm...