Koa vs Maple/spruce

BIGDB

BIGDB

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I put a deposit on a Willie Wixom and my first though was to get koa but as i was thinking more and more my favorite player is james hill and i love the sound of his maple Gstring. Is koa a better wood for me to get as my daily player or what should i do?
 
depends what kind of sound you're after mate. personally, and I know I'm in the huge minority, I don't like koa at all. I owned a few and the sound never did it for me, sounded a bit muddy and dead...(with 2 exceptions...a kamaka pineapple and a mya moe soprano) maybe they were just dodgy ukes, but give me the clean punchiness of a spruce/maple uke anyday. plus i think they're better looking.

of course the other answer is: get BOTH!!!!!!

Kamoa has a pretty decent range of spruce/maple ukes at under 200 bucks which sound really nice once you get rid of the aquilas.
 
I'm a fan of koa but I'm also a fan of the spruce/maple combination. I think it really depends on what sound you're going for. Koa will have a balanced sound...not too bright, but not too mellow. The spruce/maple combo will be much brighter in comparison.
 
Two very different sounding ukes. You should play some of those wood combos. Or like Jon said buy an inexpensive one to play while you wait. You can sell it later and it will help you know what types of woods work best for you.
 
Nuprin said:
I'm a fan of koa but I'm also a fan of the spruce/maple combination. I think it really depends on what sound you're going for. Koa will have a balanced sound...not too bright, but not too mellow. The spruce/maple combo will be much brighter in comparison.
Click to expand...

I have both, agree with what Nuprin and everyone is saying, and I like both the all koas and the spruce topped maples.

Best sounding uke I own, though: cedar top, rosewood sides/body. To my ear.

Which is better for the your Willi Wix -- not a clue. lol
 
coolkayaker1 said:
I have both, agree with what Nuprin and everyone is saying, and I like both the all koas and the spruce topped maples.

Best sounding uke I own, though: cedar top, rosewood sides/body. To my ear.

Which is better for the your Willi Wix -- not a clue. lol
Click to expand...

Maple will definitely be brighter.
James is now playing a spruce top on a koa body. I also really like this combo.
The cedar topped rosewood body is like a classical guitar, mine really rings.
Look at the Mya-Moe site, they have some great comparisons of the different wood combinations.
 
eugene ukulele said:
depends what kind of sound you're after mate. personally, and I know I'm in the huge minority, I don't like koa at all. I owned a few and the sound never did it for me, sounded a bit muddy and dead...(with 2 exceptions...a kamaka pineapple and a mya moe soprano) maybe they were just dodgy ukes, but give me the clean punchiness of a spruce/maple uke anyday. plus i think they're better looking.

of course the other answer is: get BOTH!!!!!!
Click to expand...

As a ukulele builder this is probably heresy.....but I don't like Koa.
I have to agree with eugene on this. I will choose a nice spruce top over a Koa hardwood top any day.
 
What no Koa Eugene and Jake...arg arg "Ten Steps off the Plank mates" :eek::p ha ha Only kidding... ha ha LOL
Yes certain ones can sound dull and muddy, but then again...There are the great sounding ones too...which is outstanding..
Guess you may have had some bad ones or should I say many bad ones...it's like any other woods and ukes...you get the
bad and good ones ratio.... and who made them and if all the elements came together for a great uke...
I guess it's your playing style too, and what sounds appeals to you....personal perference.. happy strummings:):)
 
A luthier I know says koa doesn't have the overtones that spruce has. However, koa pays the bills for many makers as people think that Hawaiians invented the uke :p
 
mm stan said:
What no Koa Eugene and Jake...arg arg "Ten Steps off the Plank mates" :eek::p ha ha Only kidding... ha ha LOL
Yes certain ones can sound dull and muddy, but then again...There are the great sounding ones too...which is outstanding..
Guess you may have had some bad ones or should I say many bad ones...it's like any other woods and ukes...you get the
bad and good ones ratio.... and who made them and if all the elements came together for a great uke...
I guess it's your playing style too, and what sounds appeals to you....personal perference.. happy strummings
Click to expand...

I think its important to note that koa was originally used because it was local, available, and looked nice. It wasn't chosen because it was the best tone wood.
Now its traditional, and traditions die hard. I'm glad to see that people are starting to consider other options. Im going to shut my mouth now before I get banished from UU...lol.

But you're right mm stan, it is a matter of personal preference. Play what you like.
I am a rosewood/spruce kind of guy :)
 
Aloha BIGDB,
I have 2 Spruce tops, 1 Maple back and sides, the other Mahogany. To me, they're are both bright and punchy, good for certain songs especially Hawaiian chang-a-lang music.
On the other hand, my Maui Music solid Koa is well rounded and sweet. All these are concert models.
So depending on what kind of sound you're looking for, you can tailor the wood combo as needed. Ask Willie for his input on what woods would fit your needs.
Before you spec out your uke, do your homework and surf the internet for info on tone woods. I found a wealth of info before I spec'ed mine but unfortunately the sites are stored in my old laptop that crashed.
Good luck..............................BO..........................
 
eugene ukulele said:
depends what kind of sound you're after mate. personally, and I know I'm in the huge minority, I don't like koa at all. I owned a few and the sound never did it for me, sounded a bit muddy and dead...(with 2 exceptions...a kamaka pineapple and a mya moe soprano) maybe they were just dodgy ukes, but give me the clean punchiness of a spruce/maple uke anyday. plus i think they're better looking.

of course the other answer is: get BOTH!!!!!!

Kamoa has a pretty decent range of spruce/maple ukes at under 200 bucks which sound really nice once you get rid of the aquilas.
Click to expand...

the thing is i dont want to spend any money... want to put all my money into you really nice one
 
BIGDB said:
the thing is i dont want to spend any money... want to put all my money into you really nice one
Click to expand...

not sure I understand what this post means BIGDB. If I have it right you've put a deposit down on a Wixom custom and are trying to choose between an all koa uke or a spruce topped maple uke...yeah? We can't really advise you on what are your own personal preferences in tone; all our ears and sound tastes are different. The wood combo is going to be up to you. Talk with Willie and explain to him the kind of sound you want, and also like Bo said, do some on-line research about tonewoods and you should have no worries choosing a configuration that suits your needs. All the best with it mate. FWIW my fave uke woods are mango and mahogany. Followed closely by walnut. Koa would be near or at the bottom for me.
 
You know a good uke to me is one that sparks me to pick up and jam and just automaticlly and try new stuff and enjoy....you have to try alot of ukes to find the right one for you....
it's not only the materials, but the builder too and there is this thing called luck .....there is so much in the variations in the building process that makes a good instrument...
you can have a pair made side by side and both cam sound completely different....it's the luck of the draw when you go into customs...good luck and happy strummings..
 
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I don't know if my koa bodied Wixom tenor could get much brighter =) How about a spruce top with koa back and sides? I considered this when thinking about what to do for my Wixom build.
 
A good player can make the cheapest instrument sound good, regardless of tonewood used. Of course, that is no excuse to make bad instruments, just that putting koa vs spruce is like asking what looks nicer, a midnight blue Harley Davidson or a red and chrome Indian: Both are very fine motorcycles perfect for different or the same people.
 
How about a yellow indian with a sidecar =) We recently got rid of ours. It was awesome. Only a black Harley Davidson Road King now.
 
I've heard more than one luthier say that wood is the least important aspect of any ukuleles sound ultimately. More important are the design of the instrument and the builder who is constructing it. Like Justin said, you can have a bright koa instrument or a warm and sweet spruce/maple....the wood really isn't as important as we sometimes think. Duane Heilman could make a spruce topped maple uke sound as warm as any uke on the planet. I also agree with Chuck in that you need a builder who is experienced in getting the best sound out of the wood at his disposal. This is why I implicitly trust someone like Duane who has years and years of doing this stuff and knowing what will and won't work.
 
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