Drew Bear
Well-known member
Since this is my first ukulele, please take that into account as you read my opinions and impressions. I have no basis for comparisons; only observations. With that in mind, most of my numerical ratings will max out at 9. I'm going to assume (possibly incorrectly) that custom-made ukes in the $2,000+ range will be able to hit the perfect 10 through some process not readily available to the more time-constrained production shops/luthiers, high-end though they may be.
Kanile'a offers four price points for their K-1 Tenor line. From low to high:
• Satin Finish
• UV Finish
• UV Finish Deluxe Curly Koa Body
• UV Finish Premium Curly Koa Body
The first two use solid koa, but their grain is "ordinary". The Deluxe uses moderately curly koa, while the Premium uses all-out curly koa. From photos I've seen of all four models, the jump from Satin to UV finish is visually dramatic. The jump from ordinary to the Deluxe and again to the Premium koa is noticeable, but not as dramatic...at least in the photos. The photos of my uke were unable to capture the 3D effect that I assume is a combination of the curl and the high gloss polyester finish. It is truly spectacular.
Features (9)
Here are the specs for the K-1 T:
* Select Koa Body
* Koa or Rosewood Fret Board and Bridge
* Paua Abalone position dots
* South American mahogany neck
* Rounded back
* Bridge Pins
* Chrome Geared Grover Tuner Keys
* UV Curved high gloss Polyester finish (like on Taylor guitars)
* Aquila Corde Strings
* Hard Shell Plush Case
* 19 frets, 14 to the body
* NuBone (Graph Tech) nut & saddle
I bought a used Kanile'a. The original owner had upgraded to Waverly Ukulele tuners with koa knobs. He had replaced the Aquila with Worth clear strings. The uke came in a Uke Crazy foam/hard case. I emailed Kanile'a and they said my ukulele had been "born" August 14, 2011 and had rosewood fret board & bridge. The logo inlay is a darker rosewood.
She's still a baby, but perfectly formed and absolutely beautiful. Although the Grover tuners look great (in a box), the Waverlys look more highly finished and the koa knobs are nicer than chrome metal. I've read both pros and cons about the bridge pins, but can't comment on actual usage until my first string change.
Sound (9)
My limited experience with stringed instruments was on acoustic/classical guitar, mostly finger picking with nearly non-existent strumming technique. I find picking awkward with only 4 strings, so I've immediately started plucking chords and strumming.
I find the sound warm and clear; overall simply beautiful. I had read descriptions (and heard a few recordings) of "muted" or "muddy", but I hear nothing remotely like that. The high notes come through crisply along with all the mid tones. Dynamic range is great. Sustain is very long.
Here's a very short sound sample video I took with an iPhone:
Here's a May 2011 HMS sampling played by someone much more proficient and recorded with better equipment:
Here's a Youtuber (Oct. 2011) with another sample (too much reverb?):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOSL1xVlCt0
Action, Fit & Finish (9)
Action seems good to me. It may be a little high at the 12th fret, but it's fine for the test notes I played up there. Even though I haven't played guitar in many years, I had no problems fretting basic chords without buzzing or intonation problems.
Fit and finish are top notch, as I would expect for a ukulele in this price range. I can't evaluate what I see through the sound hole; certainly no blobs of glue or anything like that. Externally I see maybe one flaw. I can feel a tiny irregularity along one of the edges of the lower bout, but I can't actually see the flaw. It's as if a bit of the high gloss polyester finish wasn't completely buffed down. I once saw a tiny ripple in the finish on the back, but have not been able to find it again.
There are a number of things that are not conveyed even by the photos Kanile'a provides on their website. Starting from the top, the logo on the headstock is a wood inlay. Here's what Joe Souza emailed to me when I asked him about it: "The logo inlay is either Rosewood (dark) or Maple (light) depending on the shade of Koa that we built your instrument from." On the photos it looks almost like black or gold paint, but in person you can clearly see the grain of the wood.
The Paua abalone position marker inlay often show as pale, washed out whitish dots in photos. In reality each are unique with opalescent colors ranging from pearl to shades of turquoise. They also have smaller position markers on the edge of the fret board. I notice the 3rd fret marker most frequently. That marker happens to have a yin-yang pattern with one half a brilliant turquoise color that flashes when light hits it at certain angles.
Reliability/Durability (conditional 10)
I'm not sure I can make this judgement adequately. Everything seems securely attached and is one cohesive unit. Nothing rattles or feels loose. The koa body is not thick, but neither is it flimsy. The finish looks very durable.
My general impression is that there is currently a healthy competition between the four 'K' brands. I think this means that they are all doing their utmost to produce the highest quality ukulele. I am not going to treat this instrument roughly, but neither am I going to baby her while playing. I won't hesitate to let my young niece & nephews play her. I can easily see her aging gracefully decades from now.
Customer Support (conditional 10)
I emailed to ask for basic information about my ukulele and they were able to use the serial number to provide details. Joe responded with all the answers within a few hours. The tone of the email was welcoming and very friendly.
The limited lifetime warranty applies only to the original purchaser. If I thought that a repair or adjustment would need factory attention, I wouldn't hesitate to ship my ukulele directly to Kanile'a.
Overall Rating (9)
This is my one and only experience with a ukulele, so I can't give it a perfect 10. I love just about everything about this uke. She's beautiful to look at; I enjoy examining the various grain, curl & colors of the wood. The bits of abalone also have some gorgeous hues. Although I am only starting to learn how to play, I think the sounds I've been able to produce are beautiful.
I know I'm supposed to have something critical to say, but I really don't have anything right now. This is only my fourth day with the uke, so maybe you should consider this a honeymoon phase and wait for my updates in the coming weeks.
All my pre-purchase evaluations were made via online reviews, sound clips and videos. I considered many of the solid koa ukulele builders: Big Island, Mele, Kelii along with the solid mahogany Pono, Mainland and Islander models. When I made the mental jump into 'K' brand territory, I quickly whittled the field down to KoAloha and Kanile'a.
My primary criterion was sound quality (tone, timbre, texture & "intangibles"), but that varies so much depending on the person playing, the recording device, string selection, tuning, etc. In the end I relied on just a few sound/video clips comparing the two Tenors and then gave some weight to the many forum comments.
It seemed the general consensus was that KoAloha had a brighter sound and Kanile'a a warmer sound. I decided they were both capable of producing fantastic sound if set up properly and matched with the right strings. I was prepared to buy either.
The next question was availability and price. By this time I had gone way past my initial budget. It was still difficult to find either in stock. At these price points I decided I wanted to see photos of the actual uke. Appearance was secondary to sound, but there seems to be significant variation in wood color and grain quality. Few were available without a "special order" to be shipped directly from the builder and pre-shipment photos sounded iffy.
The one I eventually bought came across my radar during Thanksgiving weekend. It was barely 3 months old and looked new. I understood I would not have the factory warranty, but the price discount made up for that lack. It's too soon to say whether I would buy it again if it was lost or stolen (God forbid). Maybe I'll get a chance to hear and/or play one of the custom made ukes and would decide to save up for one of those. I don't know.
Although I understand why people enjoy playing a variety of ukulele, I personally want to form a type of bond with a single instrument. Maybe once I'm proficient enough I can venture and try different sizes with all types of tunings and string combinations. For now I am content to discover all the music this particular beauty and I can create.
Kanile'a offers four price points for their K-1 Tenor line. From low to high:
• Satin Finish
• UV Finish
• UV Finish Deluxe Curly Koa Body
• UV Finish Premium Curly Koa Body
The first two use solid koa, but their grain is "ordinary". The Deluxe uses moderately curly koa, while the Premium uses all-out curly koa. From photos I've seen of all four models, the jump from Satin to UV finish is visually dramatic. The jump from ordinary to the Deluxe and again to the Premium koa is noticeable, but not as dramatic...at least in the photos. The photos of my uke were unable to capture the 3D effect that I assume is a combination of the curl and the high gloss polyester finish. It is truly spectacular.
Features (9)
Here are the specs for the K-1 T:
* Select Koa Body
* Koa or Rosewood Fret Board and Bridge
* Paua Abalone position dots
* South American mahogany neck
* Rounded back
* Bridge Pins
* Chrome Geared Grover Tuner Keys
* UV Curved high gloss Polyester finish (like on Taylor guitars)
* Aquila Corde Strings
* Hard Shell Plush Case
* 19 frets, 14 to the body
* NuBone (Graph Tech) nut & saddle
I bought a used Kanile'a. The original owner had upgraded to Waverly Ukulele tuners with koa knobs. He had replaced the Aquila with Worth clear strings. The uke came in a Uke Crazy foam/hard case. I emailed Kanile'a and they said my ukulele had been "born" August 14, 2011 and had rosewood fret board & bridge. The logo inlay is a darker rosewood.
She's still a baby, but perfectly formed and absolutely beautiful. Although the Grover tuners look great (in a box), the Waverlys look more highly finished and the koa knobs are nicer than chrome metal. I've read both pros and cons about the bridge pins, but can't comment on actual usage until my first string change.
Sound (9)
My limited experience with stringed instruments was on acoustic/classical guitar, mostly finger picking with nearly non-existent strumming technique. I find picking awkward with only 4 strings, so I've immediately started plucking chords and strumming.
I find the sound warm and clear; overall simply beautiful. I had read descriptions (and heard a few recordings) of "muted" or "muddy", but I hear nothing remotely like that. The high notes come through crisply along with all the mid tones. Dynamic range is great. Sustain is very long.
Here's a very short sound sample video I took with an iPhone:
Here's a May 2011 HMS sampling played by someone much more proficient and recorded with better equipment:
Here's a Youtuber (Oct. 2011) with another sample (too much reverb?):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOSL1xVlCt0
Action, Fit & Finish (9)
Action seems good to me. It may be a little high at the 12th fret, but it's fine for the test notes I played up there. Even though I haven't played guitar in many years, I had no problems fretting basic chords without buzzing or intonation problems.
Fit and finish are top notch, as I would expect for a ukulele in this price range. I can't evaluate what I see through the sound hole; certainly no blobs of glue or anything like that. Externally I see maybe one flaw. I can feel a tiny irregularity along one of the edges of the lower bout, but I can't actually see the flaw. It's as if a bit of the high gloss polyester finish wasn't completely buffed down. I once saw a tiny ripple in the finish on the back, but have not been able to find it again.
There are a number of things that are not conveyed even by the photos Kanile'a provides on their website. Starting from the top, the logo on the headstock is a wood inlay. Here's what Joe Souza emailed to me when I asked him about it: "The logo inlay is either Rosewood (dark) or Maple (light) depending on the shade of Koa that we built your instrument from." On the photos it looks almost like black or gold paint, but in person you can clearly see the grain of the wood.
The Paua abalone position marker inlay often show as pale, washed out whitish dots in photos. In reality each are unique with opalescent colors ranging from pearl to shades of turquoise. They also have smaller position markers on the edge of the fret board. I notice the 3rd fret marker most frequently. That marker happens to have a yin-yang pattern with one half a brilliant turquoise color that flashes when light hits it at certain angles.
Reliability/Durability (conditional 10)
I'm not sure I can make this judgement adequately. Everything seems securely attached and is one cohesive unit. Nothing rattles or feels loose. The koa body is not thick, but neither is it flimsy. The finish looks very durable.
My general impression is that there is currently a healthy competition between the four 'K' brands. I think this means that they are all doing their utmost to produce the highest quality ukulele. I am not going to treat this instrument roughly, but neither am I going to baby her while playing. I won't hesitate to let my young niece & nephews play her. I can easily see her aging gracefully decades from now.
Customer Support (conditional 10)
I emailed to ask for basic information about my ukulele and they were able to use the serial number to provide details. Joe responded with all the answers within a few hours. The tone of the email was welcoming and very friendly.
The limited lifetime warranty applies only to the original purchaser. If I thought that a repair or adjustment would need factory attention, I wouldn't hesitate to ship my ukulele directly to Kanile'a.
Overall Rating (9)
This is my one and only experience with a ukulele, so I can't give it a perfect 10. I love just about everything about this uke. She's beautiful to look at; I enjoy examining the various grain, curl & colors of the wood. The bits of abalone also have some gorgeous hues. Although I am only starting to learn how to play, I think the sounds I've been able to produce are beautiful.
I know I'm supposed to have something critical to say, but I really don't have anything right now. This is only my fourth day with the uke, so maybe you should consider this a honeymoon phase and wait for my updates in the coming weeks.
All my pre-purchase evaluations were made via online reviews, sound clips and videos. I considered many of the solid koa ukulele builders: Big Island, Mele, Kelii along with the solid mahogany Pono, Mainland and Islander models. When I made the mental jump into 'K' brand territory, I quickly whittled the field down to KoAloha and Kanile'a.
My primary criterion was sound quality (tone, timbre, texture & "intangibles"), but that varies so much depending on the person playing, the recording device, string selection, tuning, etc. In the end I relied on just a few sound/video clips comparing the two Tenors and then gave some weight to the many forum comments.
It seemed the general consensus was that KoAloha had a brighter sound and Kanile'a a warmer sound. I decided they were both capable of producing fantastic sound if set up properly and matched with the right strings. I was prepared to buy either.
The next question was availability and price. By this time I had gone way past my initial budget. It was still difficult to find either in stock. At these price points I decided I wanted to see photos of the actual uke. Appearance was secondary to sound, but there seems to be significant variation in wood color and grain quality. Few were available without a "special order" to be shipped directly from the builder and pre-shipment photos sounded iffy.
The one I eventually bought came across my radar during Thanksgiving weekend. It was barely 3 months old and looked new. I understood I would not have the factory warranty, but the price discount made up for that lack. It's too soon to say whether I would buy it again if it was lost or stolen (God forbid). Maybe I'll get a chance to hear and/or play one of the custom made ukes and would decide to save up for one of those. I don't know.
Although I understand why people enjoy playing a variety of ukulele, I personally want to form a type of bond with a single instrument. Maybe once I'm proficient enough I can venture and try different sizes with all types of tunings and string combinations. For now I am content to discover all the music this particular beauty and I can create.
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I really like the golden hue of your K-1. If yours is a blonde, mine would be auburn - both beautiful!
