Kamaka HF-4 Baritone

saltytri

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As I said about other recent sales, I'm thinning the herd now that I'm making my own. When I set out to build ukuleles, I acquired several excellent instruments to become better acquainted with good sound and building techniques. These have served their purpose and should move on to new homes.

This gorgeous baritone was purchased from Hawaii Music Supply. It is in nearly perfect condition. The only flaw is a small dent on the edge of the fret board at the fifth fret. I tried to show this in a photo but it is hard to see. This instrument has had only slight use, as I never used it as a regular player, only to occasionally compare its sound to other instruments.

The koa is remarkably nice. There is a fine curl that gives it a nice shimmer but the real plus is the great coloring that ranges from light to dark brown with reddish highlights.

The date stamp on the heel block is April 2, 2011.

The strings are Southcoast linear (low G) tuned GCEA. It has every bit of the sound that Kamaka baritones are known for..

The Ko'olau case is included, of course.

$1000 including shipping and insurance in the lower 48. I'll ship to other destinations if agreeable arrangements can be made.

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Wonderful instrument. Wish I would have known about this last weekend. Just ordered one from HMS that should arrive tomorrow. Someone is going to end up with a nice piece at an excellent price.
 
Cigar:

Congrats! You won't be disappointed. Playing one of these is a great way to bask in relaxing mellowness.
 
What happened to the Kamaka case? Why tune it to Soprano-tenor tuning? How did it sound in Baritone tuning?
 
This case came with it from HMS.

I changed the strings right away but don't recall any particular negative about the G tuning. I just prefer C on my baritones. The low G 4th gives it plenty of rumble and it's convenient to play in the same tuning as the folks I strum with.
 
What happened to the Kamaka case? Why tune it to Soprano-tenor tuning? How did it sound in Baritone tuning?

I just got a Martin bari that came with Aquila reentrant C tuning. I was going to chaNGE TO regular baRI TUNIing BUT it sounds great with this set up; It may leave it like this. I sounds nothing like a smaller bodied uke in C.
good luck with your sale, it's a beauty.
 
May I jump into say that of all my three premium Baritones--Martin, Favilla, Kamaka-- the Kamaka is my current favorite. I also purchased mine used.
 
Hi,
What is the scale length, nut to bridge. What is the strw like marks on the right side of the lower bout?
Thanks
 
Bob:

The scale length is 20.25" and the marks that you see are just reflections.
 
Bump to the top, with the price lowered to $1100.
 
Amazing that this is still here. I'm guessing that after seeing your bari build thread nobody wants this Kamaka junk anymore - they're holding out for The Real Deal - an Ono bari! :cool:
 
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