bynapkinart
Well-known member
So I want a soprano. I owned a KoAloha for a few months before I realized that I tied up a lot of money in an instrument that was less versatile than I'd like, so I traded that up for a tenor w/ a pickup (which is much more versatile for me and is kind of my first choice uke).
However, now I'm left without a nicer soprano, and I really really want one.
I don't want to buy a K standard -- not yet. My plan is to probably buy either a Kanilea Concert (I've heard wonderful things), a KoAloha concert, or a Kanilea tenor when I buy my next K uke.
I'm very, very interested in 2 ukes: the Ohana SK-38 and the Koa Pili Koko Soprano. There's pros and cons for both. I've never played either brand, I've actually not played a Chinese uke yet save for my Makala.
Ohana seems to have a stellar reputation and this particular model has a lot going for it: it's a good homage to a vintage Martin, has much the same sound and features, is elegantly simple and is priced right.
The Koa Pili Koko is beautiful. They seem to use great wood and the uke just screams Hawaii. I've also read many reviews that say that the sound of the soprano and the concert models sound very similar to those of KoAloha...my personal favorite K uke, and my favorite sound out of Hawaii these days.
On the other hand, the Ohana sounds really warm and mellow and vintage, which would be perfect for me if I didn't already own my Johnny Marvin. I'm not really needing another vintage tone in my arsenal, and even though I love the sound of old Martins I just don't think its as versatile a tone in today's music. I get a ton of vintage vibe out of my Marvin. Also (and this is purely vanity) I don't like the Ohana logo on the front of the headstock. It seems really stupid of me to be concerned about that, I know, but if I want an homage I want to be as close to the original as possible.
The KPK has all the tone and looks I want (even the bling on the Deluxe seems well done, it was overwhelming at first but I saw better pictures online that show it as much more understated and elegant along the lines of a 5k). The sound is even spot on, if the reviews and the sound samples are correct - I love the KoAloha tone and I'd love to get my hands on that again. The way I look at it, I'd be getting something close to what I had in the KoAloha with a little more bling and a lot less worry on my part. The only thing is, Koa Pili Koko seems to have had trouble with cracking bodies. There was a lot of talk about it on this forum a couple of years ago, but it seems to have quieted down since Keli'i sold it off to Jason. Are they still cracking all the time or have they figured out the wood?
Both companies are young and although Ohana has the better track record in terms of durability, both seem to be known for making very nice instruments for the price and the KPK in particular seems to have a very Hawaiian vibe to it. Any owners of both care to chime in? What should I do?
However, now I'm left without a nicer soprano, and I really really want one.
I don't want to buy a K standard -- not yet. My plan is to probably buy either a Kanilea Concert (I've heard wonderful things), a KoAloha concert, or a Kanilea tenor when I buy my next K uke.
I'm very, very interested in 2 ukes: the Ohana SK-38 and the Koa Pili Koko Soprano. There's pros and cons for both. I've never played either brand, I've actually not played a Chinese uke yet save for my Makala.
Ohana seems to have a stellar reputation and this particular model has a lot going for it: it's a good homage to a vintage Martin, has much the same sound and features, is elegantly simple and is priced right.
The Koa Pili Koko is beautiful. They seem to use great wood and the uke just screams Hawaii. I've also read many reviews that say that the sound of the soprano and the concert models sound very similar to those of KoAloha...my personal favorite K uke, and my favorite sound out of Hawaii these days.
On the other hand, the Ohana sounds really warm and mellow and vintage, which would be perfect for me if I didn't already own my Johnny Marvin. I'm not really needing another vintage tone in my arsenal, and even though I love the sound of old Martins I just don't think its as versatile a tone in today's music. I get a ton of vintage vibe out of my Marvin. Also (and this is purely vanity) I don't like the Ohana logo on the front of the headstock. It seems really stupid of me to be concerned about that, I know, but if I want an homage I want to be as close to the original as possible.
The KPK has all the tone and looks I want (even the bling on the Deluxe seems well done, it was overwhelming at first but I saw better pictures online that show it as much more understated and elegant along the lines of a 5k). The sound is even spot on, if the reviews and the sound samples are correct - I love the KoAloha tone and I'd love to get my hands on that again. The way I look at it, I'd be getting something close to what I had in the KoAloha with a little more bling and a lot less worry on my part. The only thing is, Koa Pili Koko seems to have had trouble with cracking bodies. There was a lot of talk about it on this forum a couple of years ago, but it seems to have quieted down since Keli'i sold it off to Jason. Are they still cracking all the time or have they figured out the wood?
Both companies are young and although Ohana has the better track record in terms of durability, both seem to be known for making very nice instruments for the price and the KPK in particular seems to have a very Hawaiian vibe to it. Any owners of both care to chime in? What should I do?
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