Martin 1T IZ Tenor VS Kamaka HF-3

Del1015

Active member
Joined
May 31, 2018
Messages
31
Reaction score
0
Location
Virginia

So after some witling down from a larger list, I'm trying to decide between the Martin 1T IZ Tenor and a Kamaka HF-3. I love the look of the quilted mahogany on the Martin. It's not overly blingy but still beautiful and has a great sound. The Kamaka HF-3 is beautiful sounding and carries that rich heritage, and made with that traditional beautiful koa. I like the aesthetic of the geared peghead tuners on the Martin but I also like the wood buttons on the geared guitar style tuners on the Kamaka. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks All!!

P.S. I was also considering a Blackbird Farallon but decided that I should get a nice higher end wood uke while they're available. I'm sure in the future, something like the Farallon will become standard.
 
Funny enough the Kamaka HF-3 has been compared to the Martin dreadnaught guitar as the gold standard. I am with Vic, Kamaka all the way, wonderful heritage, traditional koa, great looks and sound.
 
Being an owner of a HF-3LDS, I have some biases. Naturally I am going to say you should get the Kamaka because of all the reasons you and the others on this thread have indicated, plus reasons such as sustain and playability. As a matter of fact, if it weren't for the Kamaka's strings, I would call this brand perfect for me. However, I can think of one hypothetical situation in which I would prefer the Martin. If I could get a good vintage Martin tenor (obviously not IZ) I would swing that way just for the sake of the mojo.
 
Thanks all!!! You a make great points. Appreciate the input.
 
Top Bottom