Red Label Koalohas

Stevelele · Jan 18, 2013

A couple months ago, the Red Label Koalohas popped up and then they were gone, just like that.

I am curious if anyone here managed to snag one. Maybe they all went to Asia or something like that, but I would love to hear your impressions and how they compare against the regular Koalohas. I still listen to the HMS clip of the taro patch one and dream of those mellow dulcet tones

soupking · Jan 18, 2013

I hear you on that sweet taro one, syfc. I actually passed on that one like a dope because it was before I saw the sound sample on HMS that you mentioned. I ended up getting the Alan Okami-built mango Red Label, which is really nice, however it's nowhere near as ornate as those inlaid ones. It's a curly mango body with ebony fingerboard and bridge. As far as sound, I'd say it less boomy than their koa standards but more articulate. Also, the neck is A LOT thinner than their production models, although the other two KoAloha tenors I have are older ones so I'm not sure if they've thinned them all down across the board or not. The difference in neck feel between the 2010 production tenor I have and the mango is like night and day; I don't really prefer one over the other, though, they're just different. The Red Label overall is much sleeker and refined, too, I think, construction-wise. I'll be looking forward to hearing how they are, too, if anyone chimes in who snagged one.

PedalFreak · Jan 18, 2013

I was bugging Alan about customs for a little while and he sent me an email about a month before those Red Labels were available asking if I wanted one. I really wanted to get that Honu model, but just couldn't swing it. They were great ukes, wish I could say that I've got one of them.

Didn't HMS get the majority of them? Or at least some of them? Thought I saw the Sea Horse on their site.

Stevelele · Jan 18, 2013

Cool thanks for your input. I didn't have $3000 sitting around and also figured for that price, you might as well get a serious custom. But after hearing that clip, man.... Or maybe it's just Corey's playing. I'm sure he could make anything sound great.

Steve

soupking said:
I hear you on that sweet taro one, syfc. I actually passed on that one like a dope because it was before I saw the sound sample on HMS that you mentioned. I ended up getting the Alan Okami-built mango Red Label, which is really nice, however it's nowhere near as ornate as those inlaid ones. It's a curly mango body with ebony fingerboard and bridge. As far as sound, I'd say it less boomy than their koa standards but more articulate. Also, the neck is A LOT thinner than their production models, although the other two KoAloha tenors I have are older ones so I'm not sure if they've thinned them all down across the board or not. The difference in neck feel between the 2010 production tenor I have and the mango is like night and day; I don't really prefer one over the other, though, they're just different. The Red Label overall is much sleeker and refined, too, I think, construction-wise. I'll be looking forward to hearing how they are, too, if anyone chimes in who snagged one.

Red Label Koalohas

Stevelele

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soupking

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PedalFreak

Well-known member

Stevelele

Well-known member

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