Which uke to electrify?

Markr1 · Apr 28, 2012

I need some advice on which uke between two of them to put my LR Baggs 5.0 in. I'm trying to decide between my new with warranty Kamaka HF-3 and my Kanilea K-1 SC DLX I got from DK. Do I put it in the Kamaka and void the warranty or do I put it in the Kanilea which has no warranty? I enjoy playing the Kanilea as much as the Kamaka and actually play it more then the Kamaka. I'm thinking the smart move would be to put it in the one without the warranty.

Have any of you put a pickup in a uke with a warranty and regretted later due to it voiding the warranty and the uke having problems that were no longer covered?

Thanks for any good advice on this.

wickedwahine11 · Apr 28, 2012

I would recommend putting it in the Kanilea. If you already have no warranty, you have nothing to lose, particularly if as you say you play it more than the Kamaka. I wouldn't risk the void of the Kamaka warranty. I had a MiSi put into my Kamaka HF3 and then later had seam separation issues on that uke. They did make me pay for the repairs (may have not covered the repairs comp or not whether I had the pickup put in or not -- I'm not sure) but Chris Kamaka did tell me, "Who put in your pickup?" So they definitely knew the uke was no longer under warranty as a result of that.

I'd vote for the Kanilea just to be on the safe side.

Markr1 · Apr 28, 2012

Thanks Wickedwahine. That's exactly what I thought too just wanted to hear it from others.

dkcrown · Apr 28, 2012

Hey Mark,

Personally, I wouldn't worry about the warranty. If you want a pickup in a uke, put it in. Have someone quallified do it and it shouldn't be a problem. I have put pickups in ukes myself, including my Kamaka Liliu, and one of my MB's. And most of my ukes have them. Why not put them in both? It will increase the value if you should choose to sell them, and also make them more versatile to play at open mics or other venues. Or even if you just feel like playing plugged in.

BTW, I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying the superconcert.

Tigeralum2001 · Apr 28, 2012

I say put it in your best sounding uke. You want to perform with your best instrument.

Plainsong · Apr 28, 2012

Let's say you're playing the stadium concert of your dreams. Thousands of fans are screaming your name. The uke you're plugged in with is the.... ______

There's your answer. Mine was the Kanile'a.

Markr1 · Apr 28, 2012

I was thinking it would devalue it but I'm thinking from a guitar past where they want no changes in them and yes DK I'm loving the Kanilea it's my favorite uke right now. It has an unbelievable sound and plays effortlessly. I couldn't be happier that I bought it.

dkcrown said:
Hey Mark,

Personally, I wouldn't worry about the warranty. If you want a pickup in a uke, put it in. Have someone quallified do it and it shouldn't be a problem. I have put pickups in ukes myself, including my Kamaka Liliu, and one of my MB's. And most of my ukes have them. Why not put them in both? It will increase the value if you should choose to sell them, and also make them more versatile to play at open mics or other venues. Or even if you just feel like playing plugged in.

BTW, I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying the superconcert.

jinsk90 · Apr 28, 2012

Does the acoustic sound of ukulele really matter when it comes to sound you get when your plugged in? Or is it more about the electronics when it comes to plugged in sound?

lancemanion · Apr 28, 2012

Have you considered having the pickup installed at the factory? When I bought my Kanile'a from Hawaii Music Supply they sent it over to the factory to have the pickup installed (even though I wanted a MiSi which is not the type they normally install at the factory).

Markr1 · Apr 28, 2012

I don't want to ship the Kamaka for a pickup so I'm just going to put it in the Kanilea.

lancemanion said:
Have you considered having the pickup installed at the factory? When I bought my Kanile'a from Hawaii Music Supply they sent it over to the factory to have the pickup installed (even though I wanted a MiSi which is not the type they normally install at the factory).

Which uke to electrify?

Markr1

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Markr1

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