Owning more than one K-brand uke - Did you choose a different brand for your 2nd buy?

-Emma-

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If you own more than one K-brand uke, when you bought your second K-brand, did you buy the same brand as your first? Or did you choose a different K-brand?

I have been dreaming about my next purchase and if I decide to buy another K-brand, I'm not sure whether to stick with Kamaka or mix it up and buy a different brand.
 
Started with a KoAloha Pikake Concert and loved it. (still do) I heard great things about the Kanile'a Tenors with statin finish so I got one of the those straight from the factory. I really like the Kanile'a and it is one of the best tenors I have heard, but it doesn't have the sparkle of the KoAloha. I got a KoAloha tenor last summer and it has all the sparkle, but I am not trilled with the heavy tuners. It isn't bad, but the Kanile'a is much more balanced.

All in all, they are all great ukes.
 
Didn't buy any if them (the magic of trades!), but I have both a Kamaka and a Kanile'a. If I had to sell one I'd probably sell the Kanile'a just because I love the history if Kamaka—but I hope I never gave to sell either! With my luck so far, maybe I can trade them for a Chuck Moore. :)
 
I don't own a K brand (except for a Kala) but I'd say mix it up and go for something different. There's nothing like a fanboy who professes eternal loyalty to one brand when they've never tried another.

I don't own more than one of any brand (other than having a soprano Flea and a concert Fluke) and it's been nice to try different ones.

Live a little and stretch your boundaries. You might love it more than what you have. With a K brand, if it turns out it's not the one for you, it shouldn't be any problem unloading it. :)
 
I'm a Kamaka monogamist :) My first K brand was a Koaloha, but I jumped ship pretty quickly to Kamaka once I had one in my little hands... and never looked back. I've also test-driven a couple of Kanile'as, and while they are nice ukes, like Koaloha, they just aren't for me. Originally I had thought it would be nice to have a soprano of each K-brand, but I found myself only playing the Kamaka.

If I were looking to buy another uke, I'd actually consider a mahogany Kiwaya - hey, starts with K, right? - because every single one I've picked up has played really nicely and sounded great. And the sound is very, very different from a Kamaka - which to me is a good reason to get another uke!
 
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My first K brand was a Kanile'a, so my second was a Kamaka. Not because I did not like the Kanilea but because I wanted to add a different brand to my collection. That is also why I got a KoAloha next.
 
My first K brand was a Kanile'a soprano. Beautiful sweet tone and great playability. However, that was sold to help fund a spruce topped Ko'olau tenor that I found on craigslist in Boston. To this day, that Ko'olau tenor is one of my favorites I've ever owned. However, UAS forced the sale of the Ko'olau, but I've missed it ever since. I briefly owned a Kamaka long neck soprano, which was a beautiful sounding uke, but for some reason I just never took to it. If it had the new Gotoh UPT's on it, things might have been different. Anyway, a few months back, I was missing the Ko'olau so much that I went searching for something nice and ended up finding my Ko'olau redwood/koa concert. That is the only K brand I currently own, and it is fantastic!

So, I've never owned more than one K brand at a single point in time, and I've never owned a KoAloha. However, I did try three of the four, and only came back to Ko'olau. I'm currently trying to scrape up the resources to buy a Ko'olau tenor. I've been so impressed with everything I've seen come out of that shop. It seems they've shifted their 'production model' focus to Pono now, but if you can get your hands on a Ko'olau custom, you won't be disappointed. They're outstanding instruments.

-Steve
 
My first K brand was a Kanile'a, so my second was a Kamaka. Not because I did not like the Kanilea but because I wanted to add a different brand to my collection. That is also why I got a KoAloha next.

That. Except I went in the order of Kanile'a, KoAloha, Kamaka.

Getting different brands allows you to figure out which builds and tones you like best because each company definitely has a different sound.
 
I tried Koaloha, Kanilea, and then Ko'olau, and then purchased additional Ko'olau and nothing else.
 
Kanile'a, then KoAloha, then Kamaka.

My Kanile'a concert is smooth and rich, especially with a low-G. My KoAloha long neck soprano is what I reach for when I play old timey tunes---classic ukulele sound. My Kamaka longneck concert is bright and crisp and the one I play most often.

I'm glad I own all three.
 
If you own more than one K-brand uke, when you bought your second K-brand, did you buy the same brand as your first? Or did you choose a different K-brand?

I have been dreaming about my next purchase and if I decide to buy another K-brand, I'm not sure whether to stick with Kamaka or mix it up and buy a different brand.

you will eventually own all three because all three makes different sound. its good to have the option to play the bright chime of the koaloha, and somedays the warm deep sound of the kanilea. the Kamaka is right in the middle cant go wrong with a kamaka.

i went in this order kanilea , then koaloha, then Kamaka. Koaloha is my favortie in sound. kanilea favorite in eye candy and the kamaka nothing special just being a kamaka is.

but just sell all three and get a chuck moore :)
 
Kamaka then kanilea then KoAloha then kamaka again...next another kamaka or a koolau
 
you will eventually own all three because all three makes different sound. its good to have the option to play the bright chime of the koaloha, and somedays the warm deep sound of the kanilea. the Kamaka is right in the middle cant go wrong with a kamaka.

i went in this order kanilea , then koaloha, then Kamaka. Koaloha is my favortie in sound. kanilea favorite in eye candy and the kamaka nothing special just being a kamaka is.

but just sell all three and get a chuck moore :)

Easier said than done! I've noticed that getting a Chuck Moore is not a mere dollars and cents issue--but an access issue. Those instruments are like court-side NBA tickets--even if you can afford them, you will probably still have a hard time getting your hands on them. We need to clone Chuck Moore so he can build more ukes!
 
Aloha Emma,
Depends how much you love the sound of your kamaka, and want to stick with it....or try kanilea or Koaloha....
I find it hard to buy by names to be honest...every uke has its own voice...kamaka is generally known for their warmness...but I in about 15 koaloha tenors I played, I cam across one
super sounding one with was even richer sounding than the kamaka... try before you buy, if you cannot, let them play it on the phone for you and listen to the side by side difference and then
choose...Good luck hope it helps....
 
If you own more than one K-brand uke, when you bought your second K-brand, did you buy the same brand as your first? Or did you choose a different K-brand?

I have been dreaming about my next purchase and if I decide to buy another K-brand, I'm not sure whether to stick with Kamaka or mix it up and buy a different brand.

Love the Kamaka sound but also like the variety that the others offer.
 
My first K brand was a Kanile'a, then a Ko'olau, then a KoAloha. Of them, the KoAloha is the only one I still own. As good as the K brands are, there are an awful lot of good uke makers out there, so no need to limit yourself to a small sub-section of producers.
 
Customer service is important to me, and Kamaka is one of the best.
 

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