Any opinions on the concert Acacia Pono vs the concert Koa Martin? Specifically I'm talking about the Pono AC and the Martin C1K. Taking the price difference out of the equation, which one would you prefer and why?
Acacia Pono vs Koa Martin?
- Thread starter kkimura
- Start date
uketanzon
Well-known member
Had a martin TK1....was not impressed with sound, maybe i got a dud.
Have a martin IZ and love it
if its a NEWER MADE pono would probably go with the PONO...newer one are lighter built, and nicer over all I think if thats the only choices.
if its an open ballgame, look a Koaloha concert or Opio. better than both of the above...to my ears...just sayin
Have a martin IZ and love it
if its a NEWER MADE pono would probably go with the PONO...newer one are lighter built, and nicer over all I think if thats the only choices.
if its an open ballgame, look a Koaloha concert or Opio. better than both of the above...to my ears...just sayin
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Yes, a Koaloha concert should be on the list but I'm trying not to spend that much. And yes, there is a Kamaka in my signature that was way more than I should have spent but I really can't make a habit of spending that much.
So a newer build Pono is something I'll look for.
So a newer build Pono is something I'll look for.
I've had a C1K & T1K. I have a Pono Acacia tenor ATD. Martins are gone. Pono's still here. Draw your own conclusion.
Sounds like valuable information to me. Thanks!
Jerryc41
Well-known member
Without even Googling them, I would go for the Martin - by reputation alone. And resale value.
https://www.beginnerukuleles.com/martin-c1k-and-t1k-review/
https://www.beginnerukuleles.com/martin-c1k-and-t1k-review/
Bob-in-Alberta
Well-known member
If you look at my signature my opinion should be obvious. Pono is, in my humble opinion, great value for the money spent. Next up for me is a Pono mahogany baritone.
I think sound is important here as well. The Hawaii made K ukuleles have a unique sound as compared to Martin, and I think Pono sounds like the K Hawaiian brands, at least to my ears. While I like that sound, my favorite ukulele tone has always came from Martin ukuleles. Just my personal preference. I have had both, Pono and Martin and still have many Martins. The C1K, in my opinion, is one of the best values on the market today in a solid wood instrument. Also, they are built flawlessly.
Good luck in your search and ultimate purchase.
Good luck in your search and ultimate purchase.
Jerryc41
Well-known member
I see you have the Martin Iz. I have #393. It always surprises me how light it is for a tenor.
Jerry, I do and the IZ is my favorite of the bunch really. I love the Mahogany sound and Martin did everything right on the 1T IZ model. Only thing I would change would be a pin bridge, but, the tone, balance and playability more than make up for this one area of my criticism. While I do enjoy my Koa Customs, the IZ is the one I play the most.
Sorry kkimura, didn't mean to hijack your thread.
I didn't realize the necks were substantially different. Try before buy might be the way to go here.
More valuable information pointing toward Martin in this case.
I am afraid that I don't have any experience with Pono, but I can comment a bit on Martin. My wife has a Martin T1K (that's the tenor size, of course) which she loves... mostly.
The instrument is impeccably well built and sounds absolutely lovely. The nut width isn't overly generous (about 34 mm by my measurement) and while that isn't terrible, it is Martin's choice on the string spacing that causes her some headaches. The strings are spread quite a bit over that nut width, and the G and A strings are *very* close to the edge of the fingerboard. This can make it tricky to avoid accidentally touching the outer strings with your fingering hand when you don't mean to. Again, not a deal-breaker, but it does make it a bit less forgiving of sloppy technique.
The instrument is impeccably well built and sounds absolutely lovely. The nut width isn't overly generous (about 34 mm by my measurement) and while that isn't terrible, it is Martin's choice on the string spacing that causes her some headaches. The strings are spread quite a bit over that nut width, and the G and A strings are *very* close to the edge of the fingerboard. This can make it tricky to avoid accidentally touching the outer strings with your fingering hand when you don't mean to. Again, not a deal-breaker, but it does make it a bit less forgiving of sloppy technique.
Yeah, I love my T1K strung with Worth Brown, high g. My Kamaka HF3 has Worth clear low G and is a great finger picking instrument. The T1K is my strummer. I'm hoping to do the same in concert size with my Eastman in low G and a Pono or Martin in high g.
Since you are considering a Pono and my above advice was based on a Pono I had back in 2008, someone has stated in the last 3 or 4 years Pono changed and they are now much lighter and have a re-profiled neck. Does anyone know if this is correct? If so, I would like to try a cedar topped slothead maybe in the future. Damn UAS, killing me.
Damn UAS, killing me.Similar threads
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Pono BE-C cedar/acacia solidbody baritone
