Kamaka Gold Label made in Japan

Sairil

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Dear UUers,

I tried to search information of the japanese Kamaka production, and how to differentiate these from Hawaiian made ones.
Most sources cite Kamaka Keiki ukes made in Japan in the 60's, clearly identified by their distinctive headstock inscription "k keiki" instead of "k k".

However, one recent ebay sale confused me, a uke with a hawaiian looking headstock but with a "japan" sticker at the back of the headstock, and a gold label inside the body. The wood and binding don't look like hawaiian made Kamaka, but still make me wondering...
If it was a fake Kamaka, the label "japan" would certainly not be.
Do you know other examples of japanese Kamaka with this kk headstock and potentially looking like their hawaiian siblings?

I will upload the pics later today.

Thanks,
Sairil
 
To my knowledge only Kamaka keikis were fabicated in Japan.....they were made there because kamakas were being copied so much...
 
Thanks Stan,

Yes that is what is said on the Kamaka website:
"From 1963 to 1970, to compete against unscrupulous ukulele manufacturers who tried to sell fake "Kamaka" ukuleles in Japan, Kamaka & Sons Enterprises collaborated with Tokyo Stringed Manufacturing Co., Ltd. to produce ukuleles for sale in Japan. Called "Keiki Kamaka," the ukuleles were made of mahogany, and were only available in the standard (soprano) size. "Keiki" means "child" in Hawaiian, a fitting name for the lowest-priced, beginner's model."

I've just find out there http://database.ukulelecorner.org.uk/i-j-k/kamaka that "Some had a Keiki added to the lower K of the logo and some had the ordinary double K logo" !!

Here are the pics from the ebay sale
$(KGrHqFHJE4FJC0l!E,ZBSSjRBur!Q~~60_57.jpg$(KGrHqJHJFMFJIP9ZH2WBSSjU0T0PQ~~60_57.jpg$T2eC16ZHJGsFFMn)lzGrBSSjyvzyvQ~~60_57.jpg$(KGrHqZHJC!FI71lIQB)BSSjUHnS(w~~60_57.jpg
 
Sorry for the pics files I have not renamed from ebay !

What is still strange is that it looks more like koa to me, when Kamaka say that the japanese Kamaka ukes were made of mahogany...

Whatcha think ?!
 
That peghead looks awful fat to me. Here's a 1961 gold label soprano.
 

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No more thougts?!

The wood on the pics looks more like Koa, right?

That would mean that some Kamaka made in Koa with kk decal and gold label were made in Japan.
 
I've just purchased a Kamaka Gold Label on Ebay with the Japan sticker on the back the the Kk logo on the front. I'm guessing it's mahogany. Paid maybe too much for it $299. I haven't received it yet, but good to know that some have just the Kk on the front without the Keiki.
 
No more thougts?!

The wood on the pics looks more like Koa, right?

That would mean that some Kamaka made in Koa with kk decal and gold label were made in Japan.

It does look like koa to me as well. I seem to recall past threads here that have addressed made-in-Japan Kamakas, and while the vast majority were mahogany, did not have binding, and had the K + Keiki on the headstock, I'm almost certain that there were exceptions. I'm pretty sure someone here has a koa one, with binding, and with just the KK and no Keiki, but can't recall who it was.

That said - based on the photos, something about the proportions - the headstock, the body shape - doesn't seem very Kamaka-esque to me. It looks more in keeping with the 1960s Japanese manufacturers that I've seen. Also, I don't think I've ever seen a vintage Kamaka with a rosette of any kind.

Full disclaimer: I'm not claiming to be an expert at all; I've just seen a lot of Kamakas over the years and am going with that :)
 
For the price I think it would be cool to have a knock-off from that era. I agree it doesn't look like a gold label... I'm holding mine in my hand and looking at the pics. The headstock, body, and heel look different. Pretty cool instrument though. Here's my gold label for comparison. It looks like the fretboard is pretty close, but that is about it.
image.jpg
 
This is the Kamaka for sale on Phoenix Craigslist, made in Japan, finished in Hawaii? Anyone know the story behind this? Are the values equivalent to all Hawaiian?
IMG_20150910_174731758.jpg IMG_20150910_174718027.jpg IMG_20150910_174700085.jpg IMG_20150910_174707601.jpg
 
I guess no one cares much for Japanese made Kamakas, anyway, here's what kamaka had to say:

"The Kamaka ukuleles with the “Fabricated by Kamaka, Japan Ltd.” label
were manufactured in Japan between the mid-1960s to 1971. During that time, the
demand for affordable ukuleles for beginners in Hawaii and overseas, especially
in Japan, was impossible for Sam Kamaka, Jr. to meet. With the help of the
Hiroshi Endo family, he was able to meet the demand.

Most of the ukuleles made in Japan were made of Philippine mahagony wood, but a few were made with
koa. Yours is koa. The ukuleles that have the label “Hand Finished by Kamaka
Hawaii,” were finished (sprayed and polished) here at the factory in
Hawaii."
 
As UkerDanno knows, I was quite interested in the particular ukulele however was disappointed to learn that it was actually built in Japan, contracted out by Kamaka, not Hawaiian made. :-(
 
One of these has surfaced in Ontario. The seller is looking for $650 CDA for it which I think is kind of high for it.

Interesting back story on it. Gotta love this forum.
 
It would seem to me based on some of the info linked in the above posts that getting a Koa MIJ Kamaka would be more appealing in the collecting realm for the MIJ produced Ukes. So that under $300 price for a decent condition and playable Uke may become a bargain years down the road???
 
Just so everyone knows Kamaka did have a factory in Japan from 1965-1971. There were regular Koa Kamaka Soprano Ukuleles made there as well as mahogany ones with the Keiki Kamaka label. .. Here is maybe the third or fourth one I have seen over the years with the regular Kamaka KK decal. (note it is Koa and not mahogany) This also has the KK decal. It is currently for auction on ShopGoodwill 6/7/2022 this week! There is some discrepancy as to what happened so I am going to try and clear this up once and for all. I used to set up my friend’s booth at the guitar show in Valley Forge PA many years ago. The Japanese dealers combed the show for Ukuleles. One of the longtime Japanese dealers explained that the Keiki Kamaka factory sent Ukuleles back to Hawaii to be finished (labels were placed on the back of the headstock Most likely once they reached Hawaii) Some ukuleles were marked the same way as the regular Kamaka Ukuleles with the KK decal as seen here. There were also Keiki Kamaka Ukuleles that were lower priced. These KK decaled ukuleles were not fakes but came from the factory in Japan. Some were shipped back to Hawaii and finished in HI.
He was familiar with these Japanese builds and would pass on them as they were plentiful in Japan.
I like Kamaka Ukuleles and would never say anything negative about them, Kamaka has a History of their instruments being constructed in Hawaii with the exception of the instruments that were in fact made in Japan. There was a factory in Japan that made Kamaka Ukuleles. The Japanese dealer, and I wish I could think of his name but this was 25 years ago, was a Kamaka dealer in Japan. It always made me wonder about how many of these were made and shipped to Hawaii and how many had the stickers pulled off so that those who own them now have no idea that they were made in Japan and then finished in Hawaii, I always suspected that one reason the gold labeled Sopranos from this period never caught on in terms of value was because several were made in Japan and finished in Hawaii and some collectors especially the Japanese collectors, avoided the Sopranos from this period. I don’t want to start a riot in terms of what is authentic all the Kamaka instruments are authentic but several from 1965-1971 were at least built in Japan then sent to HI to be finished. I own one of these myself and it is a fine ukulele.
As this has become a sore thumb for some of the other current factories in Hawaii making instruments overseas then finishing them in Hawaii. Everyone needs to try and have an understanding that the largest market for Ukuleles in this period was in fact in Japan.
My guess is that batches were made and completed in Japan and others were sent back to Hawaii unfinished for the shop in Hawaii to finish. If these traveled by boat the Humidity might effect the finish so best left unfinished for travel. . This makes more sense than the theory that the Japanese were making copies. Anyone else having information that would change this please contribute as history is important and getting things and facts correct is important. Those that were in Japan and familiar with the Keiki ukulekes might also shed some light on this.
 

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Jan-Stang,
Have you ever compared the labels of the ones made in Hawaii with the ones made in Japan? What little I've seen of the Keiki labels is that they tend to be a very shiny, metallic gold, whereas the Hawaiian Kamaka labels are a duller gold. In the Japanese-made, Hawaii-finished example you posted, I can't tell if the label is shiny or dull. Given that the label was likely sourced locally (rather than Kamaka shipping labels to Japan), a difference in paper makes sense to me.
Mike
 
Jan-Stang,
Have you ever compared the labels of the ones made in Hawaii with the ones made in Japan? What little I've seen of the Keiki labels is that they tend to be a very shiny, metallic gold, whereas the Hawaiian Kamaka labels are a duller gold. In the Japanese-made, Hawaii-finished example you posted, I can't tell if the label is shiny or dull. Given that the label was likely sourced locally (rather than Kamaka shipping labels to Japan), a difference in paper makes sense to me.
Mike
Yes the KK labels are identical to the Hawaiian ones so likely these were placed in the ukuleles once they were in Hawaii
my take is just the Ukuleles we’re sent all labels and decals and tuners were likely done in Hawaii
 
I have raised this question in the other thread on this topic. Are you sure that the Japanese made Kamakas (the ones that were not mahogany) were constructed from genuine, Hawaiian grown Koa and not from the so-called "Pacific Koa"?
 
To my knowledge only Kamaka keikis were fabicated in Japan.....they were made there because kamakas were being copied so much...
I own one which looks like Hawaiian koa I have compared it to other koa instruments I am no expert on where the koa came from but it seems correct. it does however have a Matt finish something uncommon to the 60’s Kamaka Sopranos made in HI which are I believe shellac and French polish finished. Or at least some mixture of varnish and shellac then French polished. The Japanese ones seem to have an unpolished finish. i originally shelled out $300 for the one I have and I have decided to sell it. and I hope to break as close to even as possible.
if anyone is interested it is in perfect condition. I did learn something about the gold labels most of the ones made in Japan have cut off the Honolulu from the bottom of the label. So just the Kamaka logo.. i have seen this both ways cut and uncut but the Koa Ukuleles from Japan seem to all have cut Labels. Sorry I missed your question somehow.
 
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