My New Kanile'a is Here!!!

Immelman

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I received my Kanile'a K-1 Concert from MGM Friday afternoon. I wondered how hard it might be to learn uke chords after playing guitar all my life, but no problem. It's a gorgeous instrument--sounds good too. Just one little problem. Is it typical of Kanile'a frets to be a bit rough? All of mine have sharp edges. They seem to be correct length; they don't extend past the fret board. It just feels like they are sharp where the angle is cut. I'm not sure if I'll try to correct it myself or not take chances and take it to a luthier and have him knock off those edges. Oh, one other thing that seemed a bit strange--the neck smells fairly strongly of polyurethane (or whatever they finish it with). Hopefully that will fade after a little while. Overall though, I'm having fun with the new baby. Nice case too.
 
Never noticed that on the Kanile'a's I've played. You may wanna address your concerns with Mike. As far as the finish goes, Kanile'a uses two, Satin finish and a UV finish.
 
Congrats! Looove my Kanile'a!!!! My edges are a little sharper than normal too. It doesn't bother me enough to mess with it though.
 
Congrats!!!!

Good information to know as I am a lifelong guitarist myself.

My Poe should be here tomorrow.

Do the fret ends display the symptoms we guitarists refer to as "fret sprout" due to a dry instrument?

In my experience with finish odors (even nitro) on new instruments is that they will fade. As a matter of fact I've even been told by Morris Mandolins to hang my instruments (after I received them from him) for up to two weeks......and not to put them in the case to help the finish cure and let the odor fade.

Good luck either way.....and enjoy!!!
 
No--it's not fret sprout. They seem to fit just right. As I run my finger along the side of the fretboard I can tell the frets are nice and flush. It's the top corner of the frets where they are cut. Every one is the same all the way up the neck. It's like they skipped a step in their process. It's not worth asking the company to do anything about it. I'd be better off asking my luthier to correct it than going through the trouble of sending it back to Hawaii.

Mine has the high-gloss UV finish. It's only the neck that smells though. I wonder if they use a different finish on it. I'll try to keep it out of the case as much as I dare. The air has been quite dry lately.
 
No--it's not fret sprout. They seem to fit just right. As I run my finger along the side of the fretboard I can tell the frets are nice and flush. It's the top corner of the frets where they are cut. Every one is the same all the way up the neck. It's like they skipped a step in their process. It's not worth asking the company to do anything about it. I'd be better off asking my luthier to correct it than going through the trouble of sending it back to Hawaii.

Mine has the high-gloss UV finish. It's only the neck that smells though. I wonder if they use a different finish on it. I'll try to keep it out of the case as much as I dare. The air has been quite dry lately.

A few of mine have that, specifically the older ones but I digress. Its more then likely just a change in you hands from using guitar frets to ukulele width frets. I not that as well when I go back and forth from electric guitar to ukuele.
 
Hmm, I own one with the UV finish, but it had been airing out in the store for a while before I got it, so it didn't smell. Can't say the same for the case for my Kanilea...that thing was funky smelling. I just threw a box of bounce fabric softener in there, in place of the uke, and in a few days it smelled fine again. I guess your uke will air out with time too.

As for the frets, I've played several kanileas and have never run into that problem. I did have a problem with sharp frets on one of my cheaper Leolani ukes, just sanded that one down myself. But I hope you fix that, since Aquilas don't like sharp edges...and aquilas are expensive.
 
Kanile'a K-1 tenor is my first foray into the high end of ukulele's. I know nothing about guitars except that every time I tried to learn to play one, I gave up in frustration in under a month. For whatever reason, I connect with uke. I seem to end up playing my uke for a minimum of an hour a day. That time seems to be extending since the K-1 arived, it just sounds so pretty.

I love my Kanile'a and am having a hard time understanding the fact that someone could find fault in this intrument, but I also understand that you are not playing the same instrument that I am. What I can tell you is that MGM's customer sevice is kind of legendary around here so if you have any issues with any instrument you purchased from him you should let him know. He will do whatever he can to make it right.
 
Congratulations on the new Kanile'a! I received my K-2 Tenor from MGM last week. We were probably eyeballing the same ukuleles on his website.
I didn't have the fret-end problem with the Kanile'a but I did have one with the Ohana I got. Initially it was fine but as someone mentioned the fret board dried out and the fret-edges became more noticeable. It doesn't bother me enough to pay to have it fixed and I'd probably wouldn't take a file to it myself. Kanile'as are beautiful sounding/looking instruments and MGM is an ace.:cool:
 
Congrats on the new K1. I've had mine for about 3 months now and it still brings a smile when I lift her out of the case. The fret ends on mine are finished quite nicely - no rough or sharp edges. This is a high end instrument - I'd discuss with MGM.
 
Congrats on a great uke! I'm sure you're waiting for your cashback like me. I would clean up the frets so you don't run into string wear like others mentioned, plus, it really should feel good in your hands.

Post some pics when you got the time!
 
congrats!!

i want a new uke :(
 
This is a high end instrument - I'd discuss with MGM.

This is about $1500 shy of a being a high end instrument. The frets are done as most manufacturers do on their rack instruments, they're beveled evenly.

I've yet to see an `ukulele off the rack with dressed frets.

Dressed frets should be expected on high end instruments, but not something off the rack. Of course, I would still expect them to be clean, and not extending past the edge.

I'm sure if you order a custom from Joe (through MGM), you'll see better dressed frets. If you don't, then you'll have something to discuss with MGM.

-Aaron
 
This is about $1500 shy of a being a high end instrument. The frets are done as most manufacturers do on their rack instruments, they're beveled evenly....

Jeesh. Well, I'm with OrangUke and Waterguy on this one, and I still consider my off-the-rack Kanilea, Kamaka, and KoAloha to be high end ukes. I mean, maybe my ukes aren't the Bentleys, Maseratis, or Rolls Royces of ukes, but I don't think you can discredit the equivalent of a Benz, Lexus, or Audi uke.

Basically, even if cars from those makers aren't the far upper echelons of expensive cars, I think most would still consider them to be high-end cars. So even though these ukes may not be at the level of customs (at which point, you're paying mainly for look,) they're still rather expensive for most people, myself included.
 
I don't mean to hijak this thread but I believe the term "high end" is used by some to reference ukes that are custom, usually costing $1500+. Others may call "high end" ukes those that cost more than a Kala or Lanikai, say an off-the-rack Kamaka, Kanilea, or Koaloha. Perhaps it's a matter of semantics.

I do agree with Aaron that most off-the-rack ukes don't have frets that are dressed. When you pay for a custom uke, especially one that is $1500+, it's expected that the frets would be dressed. Usually, more time is put into a custom uke, which may mean a finish that has taken more time such as multiple coats of nitrocellulose or french polishing. Sure you pay for figured koa and inlays for looks, but along with that you also pay for a quality build that may include a finely shaped nut and saddle, upgraded fretboard material, polished and dressed frets, bracing unique to each uke, tuning of the soundboard,, higher end tuners, action that is adjusted for playablility and intonation, tight fit joints, and an uke that perhaps is tailored to your request.

The off-the-rack Kanilea are great ukes but there is an obvious difference between it and custom, higher priced ukes both in looks, playability, and even sound.
 
Well with all the conjecture going on i can asssure you that every Kanilea I have seen has individully hand dressed frets. Every Single Kanilea made is dressed leveled and polished by one person BIll Griffin head luthier at Kanilea who has been doing it for over 30 years. .....That does not negate that this persons uke may be sharp or pokey somewhere but stop all the guesssing...They are dressed i see them do it every ukulele when i am at their factory...Some may or may not feel the same as others and again what is pokey to soom may not be pokey to others. many other factors occur that can cause a fret end to fell pokey to one ...from wood shrinkage or expansion to playing style....one is just your hands....I have very tough hands and skin that came with years of constrruction work and woodwooking and I tend to have leathery skin. Another may be a office worker or professional whose hands are baby soft and much more sensitive than mine. Also due to climate/ temperature humidity/pressure changes as when being shipped wheather severe or slight ....the condition of how a uke felt when it left the factory may not be the same as when one receives it.
 
You know, I had this whole response that I just deleted, which is great because uluapoundr responded best.

If you want well dressed frets, have them done. Nate Ching (Guitarsmith) does legendary "geometrically shaped" fretwork. There are others that will have you sporting semi-hemispherical frets, which is the new rage in custom guitars. Personally, I like a 4 angle job sanded and polished into a wider F/B with a beveled edge running into the binding. Depending on the level of detail, you can probably get this done for $25 - $75.
 
I don't mean to hijak this thread but I believe the term "high end" is used by some to reference ukes that are custom, usually costing $1500+. Others may call "high end" ukes those that cost more than a Kala or Lanikai, say an off-the-rack Kamaka, Kanilea, or Koaloha. Perhaps it's a matter of semantics.

You're right. I was just put off by the way that the conversation went...it seemed to go something like:
A: This is a high end uke, you should be able to get that problem fixed.
B: Actually no, you haven't spent nearly enough on it; don't expect perfection.

Probably just magnified by this awful pitchbook and analyst report I'm working on now. Uggh. My brain.

Carry on merrily. :)
 
These frets were not dressed as described. They are sharp at the top corners where they are cut. I've played guitar for a long time and none of my guitars have ever been like this. It's not terrible, but an obvious oversight by someone. I'll knock off the sharp edges myself, or bring it to a luthier. It's really only noticeable when sliding a finger up or down the neck at the first and fourth strings. The frets are otherwise fine. I think they are probably just burrs that weren't knocked off after cutting. It's on every fret.
 
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