UkeStuff
Well-known member
I have a very nice ukulele that I am in process of reviewing for my YouTube channel...the Flight Spirit Concert. It is a stunning ukulele in just about every way, and the closest ukuleles that I own to it are KoAlohas...in particular an Acacia concert Opio and a full-fledged Koa model from 2004.
I don't know what it is about the Koa model...certainly age has something to do with it...but its sound is transcendent.
The acacia is pretty wonderful, too...but it lacks something that the Koa has.
I also have a solid Acacia Bruce Wei that is still in great condition after a couple of years (no horror stories) with a smaller body and overall less sound. It is pretty and has a pretty tone, but it doesn't compete with the KoAloha or the Flight.
What i'm noticing is that the KoAlohas have a much bigger sound with a longer sustain than the Flight Spirit. The Spirit has recently been reworked to have a thinner top and more delicate bracing. The KoAlohas mainly have the unibrace. I realize that KoAlohas are cannons and that not everyone likes their sound, either. But I have to admit...I'm pretty partial to the sound of a KoAloha.
But what I found on accident today is that the KoAlohas (I also have a spruce/acacia concert Opio), when tap, all seem to have the same pitches on the tops and on the back. i haven't tested the actual frequency yet...I want to get some feedback before doing so. The Flight creates a higher frequency when tapped, and the Bruce Wei even higher yet.
I seem to remember that Kamaka hires blind workers to sort wood, by tapping and hearing the sound.
I'm wondering if there is a potential "ideal" frequency that could be created by tapping, that would result in ukuleles with the best sound, resonance, and sustain?
Maybe that's crazy...and I certainly don't have a wide enough collection to test my theory on other quality solid wood instruments (I don't have a Pono at this time, nor do I have a Kamaka). But I wonder if ukulele bodies could be tuned to a tapped pitch which would result in a better sound?
Thoughts?
I don't know what it is about the Koa model...certainly age has something to do with it...but its sound is transcendent.
The acacia is pretty wonderful, too...but it lacks something that the Koa has.
I also have a solid Acacia Bruce Wei that is still in great condition after a couple of years (no horror stories) with a smaller body and overall less sound. It is pretty and has a pretty tone, but it doesn't compete with the KoAloha or the Flight.
What i'm noticing is that the KoAlohas have a much bigger sound with a longer sustain than the Flight Spirit. The Spirit has recently been reworked to have a thinner top and more delicate bracing. The KoAlohas mainly have the unibrace. I realize that KoAlohas are cannons and that not everyone likes their sound, either. But I have to admit...I'm pretty partial to the sound of a KoAloha.
But what I found on accident today is that the KoAlohas (I also have a spruce/acacia concert Opio), when tap, all seem to have the same pitches on the tops and on the back. i haven't tested the actual frequency yet...I want to get some feedback before doing so. The Flight creates a higher frequency when tapped, and the Bruce Wei even higher yet.
I seem to remember that Kamaka hires blind workers to sort wood, by tapping and hearing the sound.
I'm wondering if there is a potential "ideal" frequency that could be created by tapping, that would result in ukuleles with the best sound, resonance, and sustain?
Maybe that's crazy...and I certainly don't have a wide enough collection to test my theory on other quality solid wood instruments (I don't have a Pono at this time, nor do I have a Kamaka). But I wonder if ukulele bodies could be tuned to a tapped pitch which would result in a better sound?
Thoughts?