Kiwaya student concert vs solid wood imports?

oldtimestrings

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Hi all,

I'm in the market for a mahogany concert in the $250-ish range, and I'm curious about the Kiwaya Student series KCU-1. I know it's a laminate but by all accounts it's a thinner, lighter, more resonant, higher quality laminate. And yes, I know these are made in China and don't have the same level of fit and finish as the more expensive Japanese-made Kiwayas, but I am still intrigued by these because of the company's reputation for quality overall.

Anybody have any experience or insight with these Kiwaya student models? How do they compare with comparably priced solid wood offerings from Ohana, Kala, Mainland?

Mahalo
 
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The Kiwaya KCU is a big step down in quality from their made-in-Japan laminate models like the Kiwaya KS-1 or KC-1G. Kiwaya doesn't have a big distributor in the USA, so prices in the USA are so much higher than prices in Japan that I don't think they are a good value.
 
Look for a Famous FS-1. It's identical to the KS-1 other than the name on the headstock. (Different branding in different countries.) You can find them on Amazon, eBay, or Reverb from time to time. Or on the UU Marketplace if you put out a WTB thread. The price is about $100 less than the Kiwaya-branded ukes for the same instrument. I paid $160 for mine and adore it.
 
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