What brands and models should I consider for a Koa Tenor?

Jerryc41 said:

This Kala cedar tenor isn't from Hawaii, but it is a bargain, and those who have it love it. It seems to be available just about everywhere.

https://www.mimsukes.com/search?query=Kala+KA-ATP-CTG&type=reverb

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Swamp Yankee said:

I’d suggest the Kiwaya KTT-2KS ( Koa, Slotted headstock) but good luck finding one. They seem to be as rare as hen’s teeth. I lucked out with finding my KTT-2K (no slotted headstock) in a local shop. It’s an absolute gem of a ukulele.

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Ukador said:

Like I said ... contact Gareth from http://www.anaoleukulele.com/ with your ideas and see if he can help you. You certainly wont get a slotted headstock but you might be lucky with the rest.

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DymnDog said:

I love my KoAloha Tenor and see it was mentioned several times here. I bought mine at the factory in Honolulu on a trip and not only did visiting the factory, meeting the people, and seeing where it was made add to the experience, but they sell factory "seconds" at a modest discount from retail (like more than a few hundred dollars). Mine is a "second" but I couldn't tell you where the problem is... it looks and sounds perfect to me.

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KanzaKruzer said:

We I bought a Pono Acacia ULN4-1 a couple months ago which was my first ukulele. The primary reason I chose this 32.5" baritone is because I am 6’5” and thought I needed the extra size. The lower octave GCEA tuning I ended up with was especially well suited to this model. A couple weeks ago, I purchased a Tenor Outdoor Ukulele for some upcoming travel since I did not want to leave my wood ukulele in the hot car or worry about the dry climate. After playing the Tenor for awhile, I realized it was comfortable to play, but switching between a Tenor to Baritone was not seamless. I sold the Pono to another UU member and am now on the hunt for a wood Tenor. Owning one wood Tenor and one composite polycarbonate Tenor will more than meet my needs.

I've listed purchase guidelines below as well as a budget, and thought it would be helpful to gather additional input from UU forum members on what brands and models I should investigate prior to purchase. My maximum budget is $1,250 including a case, new or used. I would like to purchase a top, back and sides Hawaiian Koa Ukulele, not necessarily made in Hawaii. I’d like at least 14 frets to the body. I’d prefer a standard-length neck to minimize variation from my Outdoor Ukulele and suspect a production model would be more reasonably priced than a custom design. If a custom shop has a proven design with koa wood, I may consider it, but I don't have the luxury to experiment with beta designs. . I prefer minimal decoration (bling) and would like the natural wood grain to be the focus, but would choose straight grain over the more expensive curly grain. I'm particularly interested in the internal construction used and the type of bracing, with the goal to produce warm and clean tones.

Since UU members have purchased thousands of ukuleles and have most likely found winners, help me spend my money. What brands and models should I consider?

The following two features have been added as desired , but they are not required:

Cutaway body to allow more access to the fretboard

Slot Head Tuner since I had good results with the one on my Pono ULN4-1

David

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KanzaKruzer said:

Thanks for all the suggestions. I had been looking at a couple of those recommended, but many of those mentioned are new to me. Since it looks like there is a broad selection of brands that qualify for my initial requirements, I may add two additional features to my wish list.

Those include the following:

Cutaway body to allow more access to the fretboard

Slot Head Tuner since I had good results with the one on my Pono ULN4-1

The initial list on the first post are requirements, i.e. budget of $1,250 is the most I will pay, but the last two listed are desired but not required. I plan to research all your suggestions and make a decision by the end of August. I'll keep you in the loop and let you know which Tenor I choose.

David

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AustinHing said:

Great find and deal you got there! and that’s a huge discount for the almost negligible spot. I have played the 1K koa birds and they sound great and easy to play. You will love it.

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