Neck Profiles: Koaloha vs Pono

fretie

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My pal has been playing my mango Koaloha tenor and now wants to purchase a mango Pono tenor for herself. We are wondering how similar (or different) the neck profiles of these two ukes are because she does like the Koaloha and would prefer a similar neck.
Of course if there was a Pono that we could try out it would be ideal but, alas, we live in a desert when it comes to anything much more than entry level ukes.
 
Haven't played a Koaloha, but they have a 38mm nut width, while the Ponos have the narrower 35mm. As to the profile, the Pono tenors I've played had a somewhat fatter back profile than many other brands. If your friend wants something less costly, but similar to the Koaloha, I'd suggest their Opio line; very similar construction, with different woods. Like this one:

https://reverb.com/item/31936872-koaloha-kto-10-2018-gloss

Of course, if she's gotta have mango, then her options are more limited.
 
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Huge difference.
I have owned several Pono’s and don’t like their necks. Period. The aesthetics and sound are great, super value, but I unloaded them all due to playability issues. I also have a KoAloha, much better neck.
Ron
 
I have several Pono and one KoAloha Opio tenor and find the neck profiles to be very similar: perfectly rounded, not shallow like a Kanilea. Pono is about 1mm thicker (I measured). Despite the wider nut on the Opio, the string spacing and hence playing feels very similar to me. The wider nut on the Opio leaves more distance from the outer strings to the edge of the fretboard which I like. Not sure if the Hawaiian KoAloha tenors have a totally different neck profile (my guess would be they are the same).
 
Thanks for your responses. Definitely some points being made here that have gotten me thinking more about our best options when it comes to a fast neck.
 
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