New Models

Jerryc41

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 4, 2015
Messages
10,203
Reaction score
3,052
Location
Catskill Mountains, NY
I see the occasional notice about a company introducing new models of ukuleles. That's got to be tough. I mean how much meaningful variation can there be? They have to be careful about putting designs on the top, or it will look cheap and gaudy.

They can play around with the shape a bit, but that's limited, too. Non-wood materials are getting more popular, but some people insist on actual, solid wood. I'm glad my only responsibility is buying them and playing them.
 
Dang it, Jerry! I had firmly resolved not to add any new ukes to the herd this year, but if it's our collective responsibility to buy and play them... well... as the expression goes... "You're killin' me, man!!!" :rolleyes:
 
Like Kala, bringing out every wood, color, texture, graphic. Every week, it seems there's some new gimmick to sell.
 
Like most products, the hype outstrips the actual improvements.

I will say, the improvents in the Ko'Aloha and Kanile'a lines are a step up. And it's great that Kamaka has offered other wood tops for some of their ukuleles.
 
Fwiw, I just had a 2018 long neck soprano Koaloha replaced under warranty and the new one unequivocally has more sustain and ring to it right out of the box. Shape is exactly the same, though Koaloha did make some adjustments - apparently noticeable - since just two years ago.

Like most products, the hype outstrips the actual improvements.

I will say, the improvents in the Ko'Aloha and Kanile'a lines are a step up. And it's great that Kamaka has offered other wood tops for some of their ukuleles.
 
The last time I bought an ukulele with 142 frets, it wouldn't fit in my car. It was a b---- to play.
 
Kamaka is also producing special microtonal models. They have 142 frets to the body

http://www.kamakahawaii.com/products/41-standard.html

Scale length: 13-9/16"
So those frets must be mighty close together. Glad I don't have to figure out how to make that work. :)

Of course, they said 142 frets to the body, but didn't say where on the body, so maybe that's the secret.

I hope they fix their typo, though, for those who might be genuinely confused by it.
 
Like most products, the hype outstrips the actual improvements.

I will say, the improvents in the Ko'Aloha and Kanile'a lines are a step up. And it's great that Kamaka has offered other wood tops for some of their ukuleles.

The "improvements" are generally in appearance, and people are attracted to good looks.
 
It is all about being a little different so that they don't get lost in the crowd. It is marketing. They have to compete in some way to stay front and center.
 
The "improvements" are generally in appearance, and people are attracted to good looks.

And a lot of times they use some very creative descriptions to convince you that they are attractive. My wife is a technical writer. She can make you think that a hex head bolt looks good.
 
I see the occasional notice about a company introducing new models of ukuleles. That's got to be tough. I mean how much meaningful variation can there be? They have to be careful about putting designs on the top, or it will look cheap and gaudy.

They can play around with the shape a bit, but that's limited, too. Non-wood materials are getting more popular, but some people insist on actual, solid wood. I'm glad my only responsibility is buying them and playing them.

In this case, I think "the more, the merrier" truly applies.
More choices to bring more people into the uke fold.
What's gaudy to one person may be just perfect to another.

So, I say: Let the manufacturers keep the variety coming!
New things make the world a fun place.
 
Top Bottom