Lots of Kanile'a Ukes

Must be getting them for free :)
 
Counter said:
Must be getting them for free :)
Click to expand...

Chee/Maisel got their custom Kanile'a ukes from the company as a gift - wedding gift, maybe. Giving a popular performer a free uke is cheap advertising, but it puts the performer in a tough position if someone asks if he actually paid for it.
 
Jerryc41 said:
Chee/Maisel got their custom Kanile'a ukes from the company as a gift - wedding gift, maybe. Giving a popular performer a free uke is cheap advertising, but it puts the performer in a tough position if someone asks if he actually paid for it.
Click to expand...

To which the answer I'm sure would be 'nunya bidness'
 
I don’t think they are just gifted in all cases. I’m thinking these artists have also agreed to almost always play a Kanile’a Uke at their shows/ on social media. So everybody wins. I would also think a lot of these artists prefer Kanile’a. Also, whenever Kanile’a sets up a booth at a Uke fest or show they can probably call on these people to come play and advertise in person.
 
Last edited:
gqd1dkyta4rzphhynw7j.jpg

I just got my first Kanile'a a week ago. Love it! I have never had a uke with a 1.5 inch nut width on a tenor and I was worried that it was too wide. Turns out that I made the adjustment just fine. Love the sound, playability, and the looks.
 
Last edited:
ubulele said:
One reason may be the wider nuts—with wider string spacing (unlike on, say, KoAlohas). And Kanile'a builds with some of the handsomest koa on the market.

I'm also a fan of Kanile'a's Islander line.
Click to expand...

They both make very fine instruments!

deznuchs said:
View attachment 127599

I just got my first Kanile'a a week ago. Love it! I have never had a uke with a 1.5 inch nut width on a tenor and I was worried that it was too wide. Turns out that I made the adjustment just fine. Love the sound, playability, and the looks.
Click to expand...

And, I just got a Martin tenor with a narrower nut and seem to have adjusted just fine.
 
Kibes37 said:
I don’t think they are just gifted in all cases. I’m thinking these artists have also agreed to almost always play a Kanile’a Uke at their shows/ on social media. So everybody wins. I would also think a lot of these artists prefer Kanile’a. Also, whenever Kanile’a sets up a booth at a Uke fest or show they can probably call on these people to come play and advertise in person.
Click to expand...

When Lil' Rev performed at last Fall's GMUG and Bluegrass festival, he mentioned his new Kanile'a Tenor and Baritone ukuleles recently given to him. Spending a minute or so talking them up. He also used them in his workshop. I am sure he receives sponsorship money, as well as the instruments to promote. Or, they may cover part of his costs to attend the festival. Often times, if the artist is prominent enough, (that has a large enough online following and in-person appearances) they will go so far as to make a custom instrument to the performer's input. Sometimes the usage and mentions are spelled out in the contract. If just a stock instrument is provided the hope is that the performer will be seen playing it.

If they are a featured artist the sponsor will often pay for the performer to show up at festivals and events. Or back a tour and promote it and the artist(s). With the proviso that the artist plays and hopefully mention the instrument brand.

Any and all of the above can be included in a contract. If the performer is big enough, it's all negotiated by an agent.
 
Jerryc41 said:
Chee/Maisel got their custom Kanile'a ukes from the company as a gift - wedding gift, maybe. Giving a popular performer a free uke is cheap advertising, but it puts the performer in a tough position if someone asks if he actually paid for it.
Click to expand...

I saw Sarah's ukulele during it's build and got to hold it. I was ordering a tenor and they were showing my wife and I around.
I also got to meet Honoka Katayama during a trip to the shop a few years ago. A very nice young lady, a hell of a musician. She had just graduated from high school a few months earlier. She and Azita had just returned from a tour in Japan. Azita was in school that particular day. I was asking Honoka what her plans were and she was planning to take some business courses at Hawaii Community College. I graduated from Berklee and told her she should go there and be the first ukulele major on campus!
 
Kibes37 said:
I don’t think they are just gifted in all cases. I’m thinking these artists have also agreed to almost always play a Kanile’a Uke at their shows/ on social media. So everybody wins. I would also think a lot of these artists prefer Kanile’a. Also, whenever Kanile’a sets up a booth at a Uke fest or show they can probably call on these people to come play and advertise in person.
Click to expand...

You are right on the money there; Every company does things different.

I have a friend who is a "Featured Performer" of National Resophonics instruments (Guitar, Ukulele, and Mandolin); that lets him purchase the instruments at *cost*, which is roughly 50% of MSRP.

On the other hand, he recently joined the staff of one of the mandolin companies (Weber?), so he gets to test drive the mandolins...

If you can't keep it, but can play it for free (and probably buy it cheap as "used" when you are done with it), that counts, doesn't it?
 
No matter what instrument a professional artist might get for free, they're not going to use it in public if it makes them sound bad.
 
Jerryc41 said:
Chee/Maisel got their custom Kanile'a ukes from the company as a gift - wedding gift, maybe. Giving a popular performer a free uke is cheap advertising, but it puts the performer in a tough position if someone asks if he actually paid for it.
Click to expand...

I believe Sarah and Craig received their custom Kanile’a ukuleles as a wedding gift. They are definitely sponsored by the company. Sarah let me strum her ukulele and said she encouraged people to try their ukuleles to see how they liked them.
 
Martinlover said:
I believe Sarah and Craig received their custom Kanile’a ukuleles as a wedding gift. They are definitely sponsored by the company. Sarah let me strum her ukulele and said she encouraged people to try their ukuleles to see how they liked them.
Click to expand...

At the one Wine Country Uke Fest I was able to attend, Sarah asked if she could play my Donaldson...



...then asked if she had to give it back.

-Kurt
 
Kibes37 said:
I don’t think they are just gifted in all cases. I’m thinking these artists have also agreed to almost always play a Kanile’a Uke at their shows/ on social media. So everybody wins. I would also think a lot of these artists prefer Kanile’a. Also, whenever Kanile’a sets up a booth at a Uke fest or show they can probably call on these people to come play and advertise in person.
Click to expand...

I'd love to see one of their contracts. "We'll give you a uke, but you have to do whatever we say." ;)
 
Jerryc41 said:
I'd love to see one of their contracts. "We'll give you a uke, but you have to do whatever we say." ;)
Click to expand...

I've met Sara; I rather doubt that a contract like that would get signed. (I would have met Craig, too, but I had no idea who that guy I was standing next to was. Of course, I found out much, much later that I was sitting and jamming along with Sara, Craig, Heidi Swenberg, Ukulenny, and Daniel Ward. Sara was the only one I knew.)
 
I regularly see Joe and Kristen Souza (the owners of Kanile'a) at ukulele events that are organized by Craig & Sarah. I'm sure that whatever business arrangement they have is very friendly.
 
ksiegel said:
I've met Sara; I rather doubt that a contract like that would get signed. (I would have met Craig, too, but I had no idea who that guy I was standing next to was. Of course, I found out much, much later that I was sitting and jamming along with Sara, Craig, Heidi Swenberg, Ukulenny, and Daniel Ward. Sara was the only one I knew.)
Click to expand...

Wow! What a group to jam with. And wow! I am envious that you play well enough to jam with them.

Loved the Donaldson story.
 
It's a win-win for the performers and the company sponsoring them.

Even now, companies get good exposure from the online jams, instruction videos and Zoom gatherings.

Great demonstrations of the instrument's capabilities.

We all take note (pun intended) of what instruments the pros play. How they sound and how well they seem to play. Even if we know that they may be custom made to the performers' requirements, we still think part of the magic will rub off on us if we buy one of that company's ukuleles.

Thinking that, perhaps a tiny bit does.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
Islander MC-4 vs Kanile'a K-1C (lots of pics)
Replies
3
Views
6K
Cooper Black
C
Jerryc41
Lots of Sales!
Replies
13
Views
567
maximuss
M
B
Vancouver (BC) Uke Circle tomorrow night (Tuesday 16) - I have some (lots) extra tix if anyone is around town and wants to go
Replies
0
Views
223
baconsalad
B
C
Lots of Ukulele Tabs
Replies
2
Views
519
mikelz777
mikelz777
H
Kiwaya kts-4 w/ hardcase, humidifier lots of strings, lint cloth, free ship SOLD
Replies
5
Views
1K
william1
william1
Top Bottom