In need of consultation as to buying a new ukulele

Chummy

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Hi guys

I have been playing the ukulele for about 6-7 years now.
My first ukulele I bought back in 2011 which is still my primary instrument is a Hawaii Kai S-10A Soprano (discontinued) . This is a very cheap all laminate wooden chinese ukulele (45$ in value), and the intonation on that thing is quite bad honestly! not to mention its sound doesn't ring or resonate well at all.

As a side note I also have a decent-ish banjo uke (vintage Dallas B) , but it's mostly suited for strumming as most banjo ukes are due to the extremely short release (no tail), plucky sound. Used it to play Dixieland in a band.

I have grown out of the Hawaii Kai definitely, as my level of play deserves a serious instrument.

Now I can't just go to a local shop because where I live those shops only sell very beginner ukuleles out of which there's almost no selection AT ALL, there are literally no shops that I know of that even sell tenors or higher end solid wood instruments

I'm having a dillema regarding ordering the Kiwaya KTU-2CE tenor (I believe it's solid acacia top, laminate acacia sides and back, it just reads Acacia not "solid" so I figure the back and sides are not), since I found it with free international shipping (meaning more $ value into the uke itself even if the company ups the uke's price a little bit to cover for the shipping)

This uke seems to actually have everything I'm looking for:
Tenor size (bigger more able intsrument)
Piezo Pickup (When I was performing with my Banjo uke - about 3 or four times I had to be amped with a mic...)
Cutaway, very important to make use of those higher notes
Comes with a soft case, actually important for me a lot because I wouldn't wanna search for a fitting case since lack of stock at local shops
and... solid top! Acacia of all, that is closer to Koa, I am personally looking for a mellow, soulful ( good lower frequency) fingerpicking sound rather than the "in your face" bright sound.

So since I can't try that uke myself I was wondering if any of you guys recommend it, what you think of it or have any reservations regarding it. Or, should I be considering other options? the price range (405$ , free shipping, it's a 100% feedback seller) suits me and I don't wanna spend like 500-600$ on a uke).

Any insights would be appreciated, should I go for the purchase with confidence? Thanks
 
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I can't vouch for that particular model, it's only been a week or so since I learned of its existence, but I can vouch for the quality of Kiwaya ukuleles in general. Even their less expensive ukuleles are highly regarded.

Kiwaya make wonderful ukuleles. I own 4 of them and I would not hesitate to buy that tenor if I was in the market for another tenor to add to the three tenors by other makers that I own already.

They're particularly good at making very high quality laminated wood and building great ukuleles from it.. so the laminated back and sides on that one would not cause any trepidation on my part.
 
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Hi guys

I have been playing the ukulele for about 6-7 years now.
My first ukulele I bought back in 2011 which is still my primary instrument is a Hawaii Kai S-10A Soprano (discontinued) . This is a very cheap all laminate wooden chinese ukulele (45$ in value), and the intonation on that thing is quite bad honestly! not to mention its sound doesn't ring or resonate well at all.

As a side note I also have a decent-ish banjo uke (vintage Dallas B) , but it's mostly suited for strumming as most banjo ukes are due to the extremely short release (no tail), plucky sound. Used it to play Dixieland in a band.

I have grown out of the Hawaii Kai definitely, as my level of play deserves a serious instrument.

Now I can't just go to a local shop because where I live those shops only sell very beginner ukuleles out of which there's almost no selection AT ALL, there are literally no shops that I know of that even sell tenors or higher end solid wood instruments

I'm having a dillema regarding ordering the Kiwaya KTU-2CE tenor (I believe it's solid acacia top, laminate acacia sides and back, it just reads Acacia not "solid" so I figure the back and sides are not), since I found it with free international shipping (meaning more $ value into the uke itself even if the company ups the uke's price a little bit to cover for the shipping)

This uke seems to actually have everything I'm looking for:
Tenor size (bigger more able intsrument)
Piezo Pickup (When I was performing with my Banjo uke - about 3 or four times I had to be amped with a mic...)
Cutaway, very important to make use of those higher notes
Comes with a soft case, actually important for me a lot because I wouldn't wanna search for a fitting case since lack of stock at local shops
and... solid top! Acacia of all, that is closer to Koa, I am personally looking for a mellow, soulful ( good lower frequency) fingerpicking sound rather than the "in your face" bright sound.

So since I can't try that uke myself I was wondering if any of you guys recommend it, what you think of it or have any reservations regarding it. Or, should I be considering other options? the price range (405$ , free shipping, it's a 100% feedback seller) suits me and I don't wanna spend like 500-600$ on a uke).

Any insights would be appreciated, should I go for the purchase with confidence? Thanks[/QUOTE]

These are supposed to be very nice.

BFF466A0-6738-4C18-8599-F1022FDEAC1F.jpg
Kala tenor on The Ukulele Site
 
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I can't vouch for that particular model, it's only been a week or so since I learned of its existence, but I can vouch for the quality of Kiwaya ukuleles in general. Even their less expensive ukuleles are highly regarded.

Kiwaya make wonderful ukuleles. I own 4 of them and I would not hesitate to buy that tenor if I was in the market for another tenor to add to the three tenors by other makers that I own already.

They're particularly good at making very high quality laminated wood and building great ukuleles from it.. so the laminated back and sides on that one would not cause any trepidation on my part.

Thank you very much for your experience and reinforcement! It certainly helped removing the doubts I had from my heart

If any others have other insights they would be welcome as well.

-Chummy
 
Thank you very much for your experience and reinforcement! It certainly helped removing the doubts I had from my heart

If any others have other insights they would be welcome as well.

-Chummy

Not a problem. Let us know how you like it if you get it! I know I'm not the only person here that is wondering about that tenor from Kiwaya.
 
Acacia usually has a nice middle balanced tone. But, if the Kiwaya tenor is too bright for you, you can always string it with a warmer set of strings.

If the quality is even close to that of their sopranos, it will be a fine instrument for you.

The pickup and amplifier will provide an opportunity to adjust the sound to your liking as well.

Best of luck.
 
Something I did read about, is that the Top being made out of solid wood is like 10 times more important than the back and sides also being made out of solid wood. I guess that would be because the vast majority of the sound wave ricochets occur on the top, and since they occur there first (closest to the location of plucking) before traveling all throughout the body they are also the loudest at the attack stage which would affect the coloring of the tone in a sharper way. So for me at that price point I'm not compromising much at all in terms of sound, while I get better price and improved reliability.

I just seen those 5 strings ukes though as well, pretty hard to find but they DO sound absolutely delightful and I'm really stumped as to why they don't make more of those. I am going for this model though as I believe (and please correct me if I'm wrong) 395 US dollars (free shipping/included in the price) for a Kiwaya solid Acacia Koa body... tenor with a cutaway and pickup electronics and a gig bad included is a good deal, right?
I'm right now in talks with the seller as apparently there's a bug on his side that prevents the payment from going off, he seems to have fixed it and I'll update when I make payment - so excited for this new UKE!!!
 
Shalom Chummy, mah nish mah? Ahnee loh mi dabber ivrit (first thing I learned when I visited Israel in 1975). I think that Kiwaya is a very choice, especially with free shipping.


This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly West near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 9 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 34)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers
 
I don’t own a Kiwaya, but is that a real Kiwaya? I can only find that model available on eBay. The auction does say solid “acasia” top, and it has a piezo pickup. Except for the K Wave, from about 10 years ago, I don’t recall a Kiwaya with a factory pickup. And the price of $405 for a tenor just doesn’t add up. Just wondering.

John
 
Kiwayas are excellent instruments.
 
@KohanMike

;)

haha, thanks, reminds me of the 2 most important words I know in Russian : nyet ruski :p damn you make me feel young... I am 25 but I thought I'm old... 1975 sounds like history to me.. btw we share the same last name assuming that is your real name on your profile.. only that mine reads/spells 'Cohen' (like Leonard Cohen)


@70sSanO @70sSanO

Apparently it is a real Kiwaya.



it's a vid posted by the company "Kiwaya" official YT channel. this is the same uke I'm gonna buy and It sounds awesome to my ears from the video. Apparently it is also a new model, so that's why might have not heard about it... is 405$ too expensive in your opinion? I'd say relatively speaking it's quite a few $$ but as seeing what they get you ukulele wise I'd say it's justified for me, especially with the free shipping. The case that it comes with isn't the most fancy high quality gig bag but the uke sounds good enough to me. and I'm looking for a Hyundai, not a BMW in terms of sound, functionality and reliability lol

Edit: also apparently this uke's concert model costs about 32,000 yen in Japan ( that's if google translate is correct) not including export taxes .. that's about 286$... Assuming a tenor would be more expensive, while adding the "free shipping" and Japanese taxes into the price I'd say it's not a bad deal (+~120$). Amazing how us westerners just pay more for products that are much cheaper in the far east and other places. Heck even their factory workers don't get paid as much, just saying...
 
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Finding a uke with a specific sound - without playing it yourself - is going to be almost impossible. Terms like mellow, in your face, jangle, resonance, and sustain are all subjective. Unless you use electronics and look for a uke that produces a certain number on that device, no one will be able to say, "Yes, this uke will give you the exact sound you want."

In my opinion, good ukes produce good sound, and Kiwaya makes good ukes. If you buy it and then look for sounds you don't like coming from it, you'll find them. It's almost a matter of finding a quality ukulele that has the appearance you like for a good price, and the sound will follow. I don't recall anyone here saying he bought a good quality uke, and the sound was awful.

Don't be afraid of laminate wood. It's not as susceptible to damage from lack of humidity as solid wood, and the sound might be different, but it won't be bad, assuming you buy a good quality uke - like a Kiwaya.
 
You might try watching for it on Global Rakuten. The concert version there is less than what you found it for.
 
Thanks guys just wanted to update the Kiwaya TENOR solid Acacia top has been shipped a couple of days ago :p can't wait, about two-three weeks it's here
 
What's a NUD post?^^ is there like a special thread for this or something?
 
NUD = new ukulele day.

Some forum members like to post a picture when their new ukulele arrives in the mail, and write their impression of the Ukulele In Real Live.
 
@KohanMike ...btw we share the same last name assuming that is your real name on your profile.. only that mine reads/spells 'Cohen' (like Leonard Cohen)...
Yep, that's my name. In Poland where my parents are from, Dad's was Kochan. They were Holocaust survivors and they came to the US, the C was dropped. We pronounce it Ko-hán.

When I first started playing uke, I limited myself to no more than $200 for tenor, but when I decided to step up and buy a Kala for $380, I found it to be far better than any other I had, well worth the price. $400 for the Kiwaya sounds worth it.


This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly West near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 9 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 34)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers
 
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