JonThysell
Well-known member
My grandmother passed last year, and left my mother her Kamaka white label soprano (circa 1970's my guess):
My mother kept it in a case without a humidifier, and unfortunately the back split about half way up the center. I had it fixed for her - and man does it sing! I started taking it to the dog park, my ukulele club, friend's parties - and the uke definitely still has a lot of life left in it.
I already have a Kamaka pineapple of my own - but I decided that I needed a 2nd Hawaiian soprano for duets, alt tuning, etc. So after some hemming and hawing I ordered a KoAloha Pikake:
But the day it came in I didn't get a chance to really play it - I had to fly out of town for a family emergency, and took my mother's Kamaka to return to her.
To my somewhat surprise, after hearing how I'd been playing the old uke, she decided to pass it on to me. So I left it in California in her care, so that she could still enjoy it, and then I'd always have a nice uke to play when I fly in to visit.
In less than two years I've come full circle from soprano on up to baritone and right back into complete soprano-love mode. C tuning, D tuning, jangly and sweet, I can't get enough of them. I go back and forth between the Kamakas' mellow rounded sound and the KoAloha's loud shimmery bark.
So much fun to play!
My mother kept it in a case without a humidifier, and unfortunately the back split about half way up the center. I had it fixed for her - and man does it sing! I started taking it to the dog park, my ukulele club, friend's parties - and the uke definitely still has a lot of life left in it.
I already have a Kamaka pineapple of my own - but I decided that I needed a 2nd Hawaiian soprano for duets, alt tuning, etc. So after some hemming and hawing I ordered a KoAloha Pikake:
But the day it came in I didn't get a chance to really play it - I had to fly out of town for a family emergency, and took my mother's Kamaka to return to her.
To my somewhat surprise, after hearing how I'd been playing the old uke, she decided to pass it on to me. So I left it in California in her care, so that she could still enjoy it, and then I'd always have a nice uke to play when I fly in to visit.
In less than two years I've come full circle from soprano on up to baritone and right back into complete soprano-love mode. C tuning, D tuning, jangly and sweet, I can't get enough of them. I go back and forth between the Kamakas' mellow rounded sound and the KoAloha's loud shimmery bark.
So much fun to play!