Kanelia Oha Series

BBegall

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I noticed these ukuleles from Kanelia at a somewhat lower price. They have Koa tops and Mahogany back and sides.

I'd love to hear from someone who has one or has played one. Any thoughts or comments?
 
I have played the concert oha briefly in a store, some time ago. I remembered that it was extremely light in weight. It sounded, if I remembered correctly, it is chimey with a bell like tone. The volume and sustain are all there, expected of a Kanile’a build with the new bracing system.

However, personally I can’t really bond with it as it doesn’t really look like a Kanile’a. I would want to see a ebony headstock, glossy finish and such. Also it felt weird to me, for admiring the curly koa pattern on the top and if I look at the sides and back, it’s a bit disappointing to see the plain hog wood. Understood that it is the cheaper/ entry version. So for me, I would rather save more and go straight for the real deal. Just my 2 cent worth.
 
Thanks. I'm sort of let down that it doesn't have the famous Kanile'a gloss finish but the headstock doesn't bother me and despite being plain I do like the sound of mahogany ukuleles or at least the one I own.

The real deal with standard koa seems to cost almost twice as much as the Oha but I get your point.
 
Realistically, the OHA ukuleles are made more for playing than for looking it. A lot of players prefer the satin finish that is less sticky or slippery than gloss.
 
I don't own a Kanile’a Oha but have played several at HMS at they're okay but not my cup 'o tea. The tenors I tried were rather bright and thin sounding and I preferred the sound of the Kala Elite models in the same price range. I'm not a Kanile’a hater by any means—own a K-1 Preminum super tenor—and really like it. As for the satin finish—too noisy for close mic recording. Gloss is less prone to noise where your arm touches, albeit satin on the neck is less noisy than gloss...
 
There's an older thread on these here, where you can find numerous video reviews and some UU comments.
 
In this review in Ukulelemag, it is suggested that the Oha may not project with volume as well its glossy bretheren.

But it is not a loud instrument. The first time I played the ukulele was at an acoustic gig at a busy restaurant and the volume of conversations and clinking glasses simply swallowed up the sound of the instrument. Usually I can dig in and get the volume I need from a uke, but that didn’t really work. I would figure out a pickup or a mic before I tried it again. A few days later, I brought the ukulele to a jam session with a dozen or so folks playing folk and American songbook tunes. And again, the sweet subtle tone of the ukulele was mostly lost on the crowd. But when the Kanile`a was heard over the bluegrass-tinged din of a Journey hit, it just sounded lovely.
 
Interesting topic. I would've thought that the sound of the Oha models would be very close to the standard koa models but apparently not. I find it really surprising that the sound is thinnier and brighter compared to the standard models because a satin finish often makes the sound of a uke less bright than a gloss finished uke. I wonder if there's some build aspect that can't be garnered from the specs alone.
 
The reviews I have come across, both in print and on video, tend to mention that it is more 'woody' than the more expensive gloss-finish Kanile'as.

Maybe those who say it's 'thinner' really mean that it's not as loud across the frequency range...
 
I believe that I'm right in saying that in one episode of The Ukulele Review that Kalei said that he would prefer the Oha over the K1-T because he prefers the sound of mahogany, but don't quote me on that.
 
Good info here. The Oha series is one I have been considering for awhile. First, I like Matt finish tenors. They give a livelier sound IMHO depending on the Uke. Second, nice price to get for a entry Kanile’a. I’m ok with plain......but for this model would really prefer a visually striking Koa top to offset the plain, bland looking mahogany sides. When I’m searching, that is the look I’m after. Third, Brittni did a really nice sound sample at HMS.........I like high, bell like and responsive. I think the comment was, this tenor is a real cannon for protection.

Now, not having played one.....I can’t comment. Some comment about being too bright or not being able to dig in to get volume may well be correct and for me, it would depend upon what I felt.

Bottom line, for me, given Kanilea’s reputation, I would like to try one .....I do wish they all came with interesting tops......and that the price was south of current $900+ pricing. I guess a play to see is only way to know.

Thanks all for comments.....I stumbled on this thread but have been looking. I don’t see many option currently.

On a side note, I wonder if Kanile’a has tried other body combinations with Koa top like Myrtle or Walnut or Sycamore. Different wood combination is always interesting.

My .02 cents worth.
 
Kanile’a just opened a new store in Windward Mall on Oahu. Surprisingly large for a one-name 'ukulele shop and they had Oha models on the wall you can try.
 
It is a lot more time consuming to put a high gloss finish on a ukulele than it is to add a satin finish. Especially if the pores aren't filled.

The ebony faceplate has fast become a signature of higher quality ukes. So much so that it has been copied by more mid-level models.

Does the Oha have the same curved back as the Kanile'a K-1T? That helps a lot with the projection on the K-1s.

I find that as a whole, and all things being equal, satin finished ukes have a more open but woody sound than their high-gloss brethren. The layers of poly can close and muffle the sound a bit. I think besides adding mass to the wood, it also makes it stiffer at first. But opens up quite a bit after use. But there are no absolutes with this.

Nitrocellulose isn't usually as thick as a poly finish. But that's strictly my observation. No proof of it.

Baz talks about it here:

https://www.gotaukulele.com/2017/02/does-finish-on-ukulele-affect-tone.html
 
It is a lot more time consuming to put a high gloss finish on a ukulele than it is to add a satin finish. Especially if the pores aren't filled.

Baz talks about it here:

https://www.gotaukulele.com/2017/02/does-finish-on-ukulele-affect-tone.html

Interestingly, last year at a KoAloha factory tour, I inquired about their satin finish Pikakes and whether they would be manufactured again. I was told that they would be, but that it was a more difficult process for them. Why? ...Because it really required care to have a dust free environment when they applied the finish. So they would have to tape off the entire finishing room (and perhaps more). He said with a gloss finish, you could just buff out imperfections and unevenness of finish application.
 
Hello all. I'm new to the forum, but I have both a K-1T DLX and the OHA, so I thought I would add my $0.02.

The OHA certainly doesn't have the Kanile'a "look" (i.e., gloss finish and ebony fretboard and head) and it wouldn't win a beauty contest against the K-1T, not even close. But the OHA is a player and I like the understated look of it (might be more in line with my playing skills). Although my K-1T is fairly new, the OHA still gets more use at the moment as I feel like I don't have to be as careful with it. I put on low-g phd strings on the OHA, which really brought the instrument to life - I was not a fan of the stock aquila strings. The K-1T still has the stock high g strings, but that will change soon (I have a set of phd high g string ready to be put on). My ears might not be as discerning as other folks here, but I find the tone on the OHA to be warmer compared to the K-1T. My concert and my wife's soprano are also made from koa wood, so I like that the OHA produces a different tone from the koa and mahogany wood combination - not better or worse, just different. After the string change, I don't find myself having to dig hard on the OHA to get good volume. I'm not good enough of a player to record, so I can't comment on how the OHA behaves in that setting. Overall, I would say that I still prefer the K-1T (from both a looks and sound perspective), but I think that the OHA (at $795+ new (with case) for a HI-made instrument from Kanile'a) is certainly worth considering given the material sticker price difference between the two.
 
Some posts above mention that the Kanilea Oha ukes have a Satin finish, when I believe what they have is what they call a Natural finish. Kanilea's Natural finish is more like the earliest Kanilea finishes, similar to the earliest Monstertone ukes. I believe that Kanilea's current finish options (now all UV) range from Natural (matte), to Satin (more glossy, and prone to fingerprints), to full gloss, with the Oha ukes being Natural.

Huh. Intersting. Thanks for that info Ukecaster. Good to know.
I'm surprised. A true matte finish has a "tooth", or roughness, to it. It makes a lot of noise when you slide a hand or cloth over it. And it wears quickly to smoother shinier areas that are frequently rubbed. I don't think I'd like that for an instrument finish. But maybe it's tougher than I think it'd be.
 
Huh. Intersting. Thanks for that info Ukecaster. Good to know.
I'm surprised. A true matte finish has a "tooth", or roughness, to it. It makes a lot of noise when you slide a hand or cloth over it. And it wears quickly to smoother shinier areas that are frequently rubbed. I don't think I'd like that for an instrument finish. But maybe it's tougher than I think it'd be.

I must say all my instruments with matte finishes now have glossy areas: entire neck, bass side of the lower bout and where the upper bout near the treble side of the 14th fret. Not difficult to restore to matte with micro mesh but then it's gloss again after a year or so.
 
Hi Everyone,

In my opinion the Kanile’a Oha ukuleles are excellent instruments. The craftsmanship at that price point (100% Hawaiian) cannot be beat. The sound to me is not much different than the Koa models... I think the biggest difference in sound comes from the finishes rather than the woods... Being a satin/natural finish the Oha models do have a more woody tone but that is not a bad thing, sound is very subjective.

Also you all need to check out the NEW Oha models on my stores website!!! They just came in today and now have rosewood fingerboards and bridges. Koa headplate with mother of pearl logo and gold machine tuners. In my opinion the new design looks nice!

https://woodvibrationsmusic.com/shop

Have a great weekend!
 
I thought the walnut fingerboard and bridge were good enough for the cheaper Oha models but of course rosewood is a more traditional wood so I'm not upset about the change. I just hope it doesn't drag the price up.

The switch to rosewood isn't mentioned anywhere on the Kanile'a website, or at least I couldn't find it. Weird...
 
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