Kiways in D tuning

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Jannik Lindquist

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Kiwayas in D tuning

I feel sad for all the Kiwaya sopranos that were returned because it didn't occur to their owners to use D-tuning :D That was the tuning that was popular for sopranos when Kiwaya began making their instruments - and the Fremont Blackline strings Kiwaya have been using for years seems perfect for that tuning (and not so perfect for C-tuning).
 
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Well, it seems as if those at Kiwaya just might have figured out that most players now tune to C. Maybe they did some figuring when gut strings were no longer used. Or maybe if D tuning was the sweet spot for their soprano ukuleles, they would put the word out. Or maybe, they do really well with the newer fluorocarbon strings and get a great reputation even in C tuning. And maybe there have been very few returns because the price/quality/sound is really good value.

Problem with D tuning is you cannot easily play with a group of other players tuned in C.
 
I have seen quite a few reports on the web from people returning their Kiwayas because they were disappointed with their "dark" sound. Apparently, Kiwaya switched away from Fremont Blacklines to clear fluorocarbon strings at some point - but they are back at Fremont Blacklines now.
 
Interesting, I didn't know this. But to say they generally have a dark sound may not be accurate. My soprano is dark, my concert is bright. Love them both.
 
FWIW-Any Kiwaya I played came tuned in C
 
I love Kiwaya's too and I've only ever played them in C tuning, though the original Blacklines weren't on them. I can't imagine returning a uke because I didn't like the strings. Kamaka's come with black nylon strings, Pono come (or at least used to come) with D'Addario titaniums, many ukes come with Aquila's (including the one making it's way to me presently). I typically don't like any of those strings and I usually (though not always) end up putting clear flourcarbon on my ukes. I would never decide I didn't want a uke without trying different strings unles there was some other obvious issue I had with it. I wonder if there is actually an issue with a lot of people returning them or just a few noisy people out on the internet. Regardless, good to know that Blacklines are good for D-tuning. I also play old-time banjo which is usually in D or A tuning. On uke D tuning is really good for those tunes and I've been thinking of keeping one of my sopranos tuned up to D.
 
CPG said:
I love Kiwaya's too and I've only ever played them in C tuning, though the original Blacklines weren't on them. I can't imagine returning a uke because I didn't like the strings. Kamaka's come with black nylon strings, Pono come (or at least used to come) with D'Addario titaniums, many ukes come with Aquila's (including the one making it's way to me presently). I typically don't like any of those strings and I usually (though not always) end up putting clear flourcarbon on my ukes. I would never decide I didn't want a uke without trying different strings unles there was some other obvious issue I had with it. I wonder if there is actually an issue with a lot of people returning them or just a few noisy people out on the internet. Regardless, good to know that Blacklines are good for D-tuning. I also play old-time banjo which is usually in D or A tuning. On uke D tuning is really good for those tunes and I've been thinking of keeping one of my sopranos tuned up to D.
Click to expand...

I intend to keep my Kiwaya KTS-4 in D tuning now. I liked it a lot as it came but it really sings now. Which makes a lot of sense to me - considering that the Kiwaya-model that eventually became the KTS-4 (and the Martin style 0 which it is a clone of) came out at a time when the D tuning was near standard for sopranos.
 
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