I think that person's viewpoint is rather extreme, but I know what they mean. As I perceive it, mahogany ukes tend to have a gentler, warmer sound than koa, accentuating sounds in the lower register - koa tends towards the brighter, upper range of sounds.
I like both. I have several mahogany sopranos, and two in koa. One is an Ohana, the other is a KoAloha. Neither of them sounds "tinny" to me - they both sound great, but not the same.
It really is a matter of personal perception, and what you are used to. I was playing my koa Ohana in a group, and the person next to me said, "What kind of uke is that? It sounds very loud". We discussed the matter and tried each others ukes. His uke was a cheap plywood one, and to me it had hardly any voice at all. I don't think I was guilty of playing too loudly, the man just wasn't used to hearing a uke with a strong voice.
The thought of a Timms soprano in Koa gets my antennae waving, but I doubt I could justify the likely price. If you have any off-cuts or rejects, Ken, I'd be very interested.:drool:
John Colter.