NUD: Kanile'a K1 Concert

Normally I wouldn't necessarily do a NUD post on just a Kanile'a concert but I've had a special interest in this uke company in particular. For the longest time, I never understood what's so special about Kanile'a ukes. In every video I watched/listened they never sounded like anything particularly special and always kinda muffled and underwhelming. This was the reason I've looked at various other higher-end brands previously. But after getting my first K brand uke, a KoAloha, I was still intrigued whether a Kanile'a could offer me a different experience. I almost exclusively play sopranos but I wanted to get a Kanile'a concert specifically because of a few reasons: First, every Kanile'a soprano I've heard has sounded extremely quiet and thin, and second, they only offer geared tuners even on sopranos which I dislike.



Well, after receiving the uke, I definitely get why people revere these so much. Every aspect of this instrument looks and feels high-quality. The weight, the fretboard, the tuners, the feel of the neck, the absolutely stunning gloss finish, and of course the looks. I chose this particular one because of the beautiful stripe in the middle. For their basic grade koa, I think it looks stunning. And the sound? Let's just say that I think I now know why Kanile'a ukes sound so underwhelming in videos. The tone is so full and dark that I don't think even high-quality microphones can properly record the more low-end tones of these things, let alone that you could properly hear the tone after video and audio compression. Everything about this uke is just sublime. The single niggle I have is the strings which I will be changing soon. Ultimately, I can't imagine how I could be happier with this uke.

Just a quick mention that I got this one from Gute Ukulele and - as opposed to the KoAloha I bought from them - this time there were no issues with the uke. They also provided a very nice case which you can see from the photo. It isn't the new Kanile'a ABS case but really high-quality nonetheless.

Congratulations! I'm very happy for you. The wood is indeed stunning on this 'basic graded' Koa instrument.

Nice. The stripe definitely makes it. Like you, I haven't really had much interest in Kanile'a, although I'm sure they're wonderful ukes. And I'm with you about the tuners on sopranos. Glad to hear you got such a great uke.

I'll be interested in hear about your impressions on strings. I've got a Kanile'a baritone I adore (despite the fact that I am a terrible baritone player and really struggle with the size of the neck), so I got a concert to try out as well. It's a beautiful uke, and it sounds good, but I can't shake the feeling I have yet to find the perfect strings for it. I've currently got Anuenue Blackwater strings on it, which are definitely sound better than the Aquilas it came with, but there is just something about the sounds I can't put my finger on that I feel like could be better. I tried worth browns on it as well, and I felt like those made it sound a little weak.

Congrats! I do love that stripe!
I believe one can't go wrong with any of the K-brand ukes from Hawaii.
Finding the right string set can be a crapshoot. What sounds fine on one uke may suck on another.
Somewhere, here on UU, there is or was a thread or chart about which strings work best on which ukes.

Congrats to you! I've just pulled the trigger on my first Hawaiian K brand, a Kanile'a KSR-T - though I don't have it yet. It's a gift to me (quite a wonderful one!) that I got to pick out for myself. I listened to sooo many sound clips trying to make up my mind which K brand I wanted. Like you, I was a bit underwhelmed with some of the sound in videos, but managed to hear one or two that gave me high hopes for it. Plus the sheer beauty of the thing really grabbed me. I do agree about the strings, and will be looking to change them out. Your Kanile'a is lovely, enjoy!

That's a beauty.

Now that I've had the chance to play a Kanile'a myself it's easier to identify the particular sound of a Kanile'a uke from videos but I still think no video can really properly represent the wonderfully deep sound these things make. The video that I think does the best job in this regard is the HMS string comparison video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr0h0FeOQP4) but even then I don't think that video compares to trying the uke yourself in person. So if you're on the fence on buying one, I would encourage anyone to try one in person if at all possible. Or you could just pull the trigger on a whim like I did. In any case, I'd be surprised if anyone was disappointed with a Kanile'a.

Regarding the strings, I've fitter Worth CMs on my concert now and I think it's an improvement on the Aquilas (although even the Aquilas sounded surprisingly good). They give the uke a bit more punch and clarity while still retaining the warm tone. I tried to read some comments on string recommendations, and there were many suggestions for trying Living Water strings but I don't have a set handy right now. I would guess most clear fluorocarbon strings will do the job decently enough provided they don't mess with the intonation. I will probably try Worth BMs at some point but I have a feeling (judging by comments) that brown/black fluorocarbons don't work on a concert quite as well as clear fluorocarbon, possibly making the tone a bit too mellow.

I love Kanile’a. From tone to fit and finish. I had a 2018 concert K2 that I thought sounded great with Living Water strings. Now I have a 2019 KSR-T with high tension Uke Logic strings that are a more favorable combo. In my experience, Kanile’a tone is very balanced and the volume is great with the right strings. If I needed more volume I’d be looking to plug in. Acoustically very satisfied. Neither models ever felt muted, (I have experience with loud ukes having owned and played a couple Blackbirds, a Moon Bird and a Opio) although my KSR-T is louder being a tenor and having high tension strings. The newer bracing may make a difference too, but I’m pretty sure my old K2 would have been quite a bit louder with the same Uke Logic strings. I can’t wait to try Uke Logic low g on my Kanile’a next. Living Water strings brought the K2 to life. They were a nice improvement from the original Aquila stock strings. I just now prefer what I consider a to be a louder more well rounded tone from uke logic strings.

Another thing I adore is the neck and fretboard of my Kanile’a. Very subjective, (like string choice) but the the width, string spacing and thin neck profile are legit in my book.

Congrats on an awesome uke!

Kibes37 said:

Another thing I adore is the neck and fretboard of my Kanile’a. Very subjective, (like string choice) but the the width string spacing and thin neck profile are legit I my book.

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I so agree with this. The neck is actually wider than what I'm used to but the string spacing is not that much larger. And the neck profile is incredibly comfortable. It's so thin, especially regarding how wide the neck width.

Congratulations on a beautiful uke!

I got my Kanile'a K1 concert a while ago. I love it and my husband absolutely adores it. It is funny that he hasn't been interested of ukuleles, but since the Kanile'a arrived, he can't put it down. So we play together now, nice (it would be nice to play the Kanile'a too...)!

At first I thought it was a bit quiet, but after playing some more I noticed that it is very, very well balanced. Incredibly balanced my husband would say. Truly amazing, sweet and lovely, complex sound. And the sustain is superb. It is a responsive instrument, in good and in bad, and it challenges me as a player. I really do enjoy the neck profile. I was a bit worried as Kanile'a necks are often referred as 'meatier', but it is thin and as I almost always play classical or fingerpick, the extra room is great.

I bought mine from SUS and they changed the strings to Martin fluorocarbons. I have a set of Living waters waiting, but now I'm too afraid to make the change.

Congrats again and looking forward to hear how do you find it with other strings!

Loska said:

At first I thought it was a bit quiet, but after playing some more I noticed that it is very, very well balanced. Incredibly balanced my husband would say. Truly amazing, sweet and lovely, complex sound. And the sustain is superb.

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I'm only guessing here but the sound of a Kanile'a might seem quiet because of the emphasis on mid and low range regarding the tone. We sometimes perceive this kind of tone as quieter compared to a higher or brighter tone of, say, a KoAloha. I would guess that is part of the reason for the excellent sustain as well.

I'm planning on trying Martin fluorocarbons as well at some point. I'd be surprised if they sounded bad in some way.

Congrat's! Kanile'as are superb instruments. Try Living Water strings...

I have loved my K 1 tenor now for years. It’s been praised by others with much more expensive ukes. I say it sounds like butter. I use Southcoast strings. I don’t change often and don’t need to. Low G. Got a few small nicks on the back and front. Lived with and loved.Will take it to the grave and then pass it on.

My Kanile’a concert was about a year old when I bought it used, and I also thought it seemed quiet and dull compared to my white label Kamaka soprano. I even thought about selling it. I replaced the strings with low G Nylguts, played a lot, and it definitely sounds better. I don’t know if the wood has “opened up”, or if my perception of the sound has changed, but I’ll be keeping it while I look to add a tenor to my small collection.

Xpathdoc said:

My Kanile’a concert was about a year old when I bought it used, and I also thought it seemed quiet and dull compared to my white label Kamaka soprano.

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Dohle's new concert is beautiful and the stripe makes it special. I bought my first Hawaiian K ten years ago. It was a Kanile'a concert and I still have it. Although Kanile'a has made a few changes since then, everyone's comments make me think the sound isn't that different today than in 2010. I also own a 2016 Kamaka soprano and the two sound very, very different. IMO:

The mids on the Kamaka stand out which gives it that "jangle" when strumming that many soprano lovers want. Fingerstyle...well, it's like a sports car; learn to handle it and it sounds great - miss just a little and that first string will bark at me.

The Kanile'a, seems to have less interest in making any one string stand out. Some would call that well-balanced and want that in a concert or tenor. Mine is a little less resonant then some of my other concerts when played lightly, but that also means that a "firm hand" when strumming or fingerpicking has no problem. In short, it's well balanced and easy to play with an average or firm hand.

They are both beautiful, well-made, yet different sounding instruments. I expect to keep both for a long time.

The biggest difference between pre and post 2019 models is the bracing system. I've no idea if there's any other difference than the weight of the bracing which should be lighter on the new one. I don't know if there's a noticeable difference in the sound either but of course they do advertise that there is. Go figure.

Out of curiosity, which strings do you use on your Kamaka, Ed? I've heard several sound samples of a Kamaka soprano with stock strings and to me they just don't sound good. I also tried some black nylon strings on my KoAloha and I had to take them off immediately. They completely killed the sound for me. Not a fan.

Congratulations on your Kanile'a K1 Concert. Truly beautiful. I hope you find the strings that give you the sound you want.

I have two beautiful older Kanile'a K-1T tenors. A gorgeous 2015 and a 2016. Both have Living Waters strings on. One is strung Re-entrant and one linear. They both have sound shifted more towards the bass end. They sound and play great. (Though I prefer satin necks to the high gloss ones on these.) It's amazing how loud the Kanile'a sound is for a somewhat thin body. Probably because of the curved back design.



I'd like to compare the sound of the new tenors to these. But I like these a lot!

Dohle said:

Out of curiosity, which strings do you use on your Kamaka, Ed? I've heard several sound samples of a Kamaka soprano with stock strings and to me they just don't sound good. I also tried some black nylon strings on my KoAloha and I had to take them off immediately. They completely killed the sound for me. Not a fan.

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I've been changing the strings on the Kamaka soprano a lot lately looking for a sound I like across all the strings. The set before the current set were Worth CMs which I like a lot on other ukes but that 1st string on the soprano was a little "too much" for me. I think I picked it a little hard one day and two days later I woke up to the uke still ringing (OK, slight exaggeration

So, I decided to go back to the stock strings to just try to remember what Kamaka thinks is the sound they want for the standard soprano, and I find if I pick it "gently" it is my favorite overall sound - so far. However, next I'm going to go back to the Worth's on 2,3,and 4 and leave the black on 1. I've never combined fc and nylon before, so it'll be interesting for me.

Again, congratulations on your new Kanile'a concert.

Ed1 said:

I've been changing the strings on the Kamaka soprano a lot lately looking for a sound I like across all the strings. The set before the current set were Worth CMs which I like a lot on other ukes but that 1st string on the soprano was a little "too much" for me. I think I picked it a little hard one day and two days later I woke up to the uke still ringing (OK, slight exaggeration

So, I decided to go back to the stock strings to just try to remember what Kamaka thinks is the sound they want for the standard soprano, and I find if I pick it "gently" it is my favorite overall sound - so far. However, next I'm going to go back to the Worth's on 2,3,and 4 and leave the black on 1. I've never combined fc and nylon before, so it'll be interesting for me.

Again, congratulations on your new Kanile'a concert.

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Thank you, and thanks for the answer as well. For softer playing and fingerpicking, black nylon might be ok but I like my ukes to have some punch and volume as well and the black nylons completely killed my KoAloha. I will try them on my baritone, however.