Please Help!: Kamaka vs. Kanile'a?

chrisg14mac

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Please help! I am new to playing the uke, but wanted to invest in a high end tenor that I can enjoy playing (and keep in my family). I have been leaning toward a Kamaka - but many people recently have recommended Kanile'a.

Does anyone out there know of the differences? I can't find any side-by-side comparisons - and there are no dealers close to where I live.

Any advice would be appreciated!
 
I would suggest you to search on the forum, since there are already lots of threads on this topic.

I think (without ever playing one) both instruments are top notch.

maybe you can find some information on this page too...
 
Mandolin Bros carries Kamaka. You can also check the Ukulele Stores listing. I can understand your dilemma. Choosing between the two really comes down to personal preference. In all honesty, I think any one of the four K's would be a great choice. Personally for a new off the wall instument, my #1 choice would probably be a KoAloha, then Kanile'a and Kamaka. If it's an older model Kamaka, that would be my #1.

The link to Ukulele Ghetto is a good one and George, who has several custom instruments gives an honest, straight up review. Have you considered ordering on-line once your choice is made?
 
Kamaka Vs Kanile'a ' Ukulele Experience

The experience is absolutely personal and boasts no "expertise". That said, I have owned both ukes in concert size and have no hesitation is voting for the Kanile'a. Personal reasons are that the Kanile'a has a "sweeter" sound, i.e. more resonance in that it doesn't sound "flat" like the Kamaka - to my ear, and the Kanile'a is equipped with geared tuners. Yes, you can get used to friction tuners on the Kamaka, but why go through the bother when so easily and pleasantly avoided.
 
I was in the same situation a while back. I ended up buying a Kanilea and it was nice, then bought a Kamaka and it was nice too, but then I stumbled upon a Koaloha and it blows the other two away.
 
I have Kanile'as - two of them, soprano and concert - and I can't imagine a production uke being better. Whatever choice you make will give you a top-notch, quality ukulele that you can play forever and feel good about giving your kids some day.
 
I'm curious as to why you aren't thinking about a KoAloha? They are gorgeous. I did have an opportunity to try out a Kamaka. I know it needed new strings, but I went away feeling that a KoAloha was a sweeter ukulele. But, I'm extremely biased. Just was wondering...
 
Both Kamaka and Kanile'a are excellent choices, but you might want to give a KoAloha a shot also.

Just my biased opinion.
Jack
 
I own a Kamaka and a KoAloha and I've played a Kanilea. At this level it really is down to personal choice. I can understand all the opinions above even though they seem contradictory.

The KoAloha has a unique sound. You can hear the same sound throuout the range. I can understand someone thinking that it blows the other 2 away.

I can understand someone thinking that a Kamaka sounds flat. I did myself at one time but I'm changing my mind and playing it more annd more often. It has other qualities I like. It gives more and more the harder you strum it. The KoAloha seems to max out. Kanile'a make superb instruments too.

They are all lovely but different. Buy all 3. (or4)
 
If you can get a vintage Kamaka then I say go for it! If not it's personal choice as said above. You can also get a cheap custom on the exchange. Personally I would go for a well kept vintage then a custom ... there's an awesome custom in the exchange right now for a give away price.... Failing the above KoAloha is the best bang for you buck. Rock solid reputation.

Also only buy one ukulele.
 
I'm also from NYC and I agree it's difficult to check out different ukes. Check out Mandolin Brothers at Staten Island they have Kamakas and Martins. If you like to find groups of players at NYC, you can check out Fleamarketmusic.com as they have a player's group section in NYC where they do a meet-up for uke players -- maybe you can join and get a chance to see a variety of ukes.

Comparing to guitars -- Kamaka uke is like a Martin guitar to me, Kanile'a is a Taylor and Koaloha is like a Gibson Hummingbird at least to my ears. They are all greatand it's just a matter of sound preference. Even buying the same brand will give you different sounds. With Kanilea for example, I find that a darker koa versus lighter colored will not be as bright as the latter.

I agree that for a vintage or older uke, Kamaka is great. For a new uke, I like Koaloha the best. I like it loud, with great sustain and sounds like its singing with me -- that's what I get from a Koaloha. I find the Kanilea not as loud as the Koaloha (at least the one I got) and is more of a mellower and sweeter side maybe because of the darker vs. koa it has.

Good luck on your purchase.:D
 
The experience is absolutely personal and boasts no "expertise". That said, I have owned both ukes in concert size and have no hesitation is voting for the Kanile'a. Personal reasons are that the Kanile'a has a "sweeter" sound, i.e. more resonance in that it doesn't sound "flat" like the Kamaka - to my ear, and the Kanile'a is equipped with geared tuners. Yes, you can get used to friction tuners on the Kamaka, but why go through the bother when so easily and pleasantly avoided.

It seems that the Kamaka that I played while visiting O'ahu had geared tuners on the tenor. i could be wrong but I never played a tenor with friction tuners.

BTW- My first choice is KoAloha then I would get 2 Meles for the price of the Kamaka.J/k(Well not really) If you want a "K" brand it has to be a KoAloha and if you don't want one of them then get which ever one you want. If you can't decide just flip a coin once you have it narrowed down to two ukes.
 
Here's my answer your original question regarding Kamaka vs Kanilea. I'll list out my opinions on both companies.

Kamaka is the original Hawaiian Uke (like Gibson to guitars)
Kanilea is the new company (like PRS guitars, both companies started in the 90's)

Kamaka bridges are "tie bridges"
Kanilea bridges use "bridge pins"

Kamaka has a thin lacquer finish (you can see and feel the pores of the wood)
Kanilea has the ultra violet cured finish (coating is like like glass)

Both really good ukes... but like I've posted in another thread, asking us which is better is like asking us if we like pepsi or coke better :D:D
 
I'm curious as to why you aren't thinking about a KoAloha? They are gorgeous. I did have an opportunity to try out a Kamaka. I know it needed new strings, but I went away feeling that a KoAloha was a sweeter ukulele. But, I'm extremely biased. Just was wondering...

I have a KoAloha myself, it was the first serious ukulele I ever bought. To me, it was perfect in every way, except for how it looked, and how bright it is. I like a mellow, warmer tone. I thought it was a little to showy, too shiny. So again it comes down to personal preference.
My first choice would be Kamaka if I had the cash. They're the ones that gave the ukulele it's identity. I like the the feel of the dimples of the wood, and to me they just LOOK high-high ranking, while a KoAloha looks like it's trying to hard. (just a personal opinion)

But when it comes down to it, just remember that the brand, or the strings don't make the music, the player does
 
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You're not going to go wrong. I've got a pair of Koaloha concerts which may speak to my personal preference, but we've also got (and which the lovely wife has taken as her instrument of choice) one of the concerts that Kanile'a made for Lanikai. (you can do a search. It's been covered a few times)

Kanile'a makes an instrument that has a much fuller sound than a lot of other makers. They somehow wring a lot more mid-range tones out of the wood. It's a very deep and complex sound. You don't quite get the volume out of it, but it's worth it for the tone. The neck profile is a bit wider and fatter as well.

Koaloha (as you might gather is really highly regarded around here and very rightly so.) has a really sweet bright punchy sound which really fits me. It's loud too. Their neck is shallower and thinner and plays fast.

Kamaka is Kamaka. It's what an ukulele is. They've earned their rep. Within my limited experience with Kamaka, they fall somewhere in between.

(If I were to continue with the guitar analogies that others have started, I'd say Kanile'a is more like a Les Paul, Koaloha like a Telecaster and Kamaka as a Strat in the ukulele spectrum)
 
I was in the same situation when I bought my first nice uke. I thought I wanted a Kamaka tenor, but went in the store, and tried a few of the high end ones. G String, Kanilea, KoAloha, and Kamaka. Lucky I live Hawaii. But eventually, I was swayed to get the Kanilea, one, because it's more visually appealing to me, and two, I thought it had better resonance. G string really didn't do it for me, and while the KoAloha was good, I figured I'd wait to buy a KoAloha Sceptre (still haven't yet...thank god for low UAS and cash levels.)

But really, as people have said, you can't go wrong. But one thing to keep in mind is that it is difficult to give specifics about these handmade ukes, because each one is a little bit different, and you may end up with a lemon (rare, but it happens.) And even when you play a bunch of "identical" Kamakas or Kanileas next to each other, you can hear and feel differences. So it sort of does depend on the individiual instrument you pick up too. If you read GX9901's Ukulele Ghetto blog, I think he talks about the Kamaka Tenors he played in Maui before coming to a decision, and how each of them were a little bit different.

Good luck in your search!
 
I have both a Kanilea and a Kamaka tenor. I got the Kanilea first and I love it's sound and I am a big fan of the UV gloss they use for their finish. I also can't say enough about their customer service. But I got sick and tired of people saying to me you should have bought a Kamaka as they are the true Hawaiian ukulele manufacturer. I actually got really bitter about Kamakas in a resentful fashion. But then I started thinking about why I started playing the ukulele.

I am not Hawaiian blood and I also never lived there but my greatgrandfather left Korea to work in the fields of Hawaii before settling in California and my grandmother is laid to rest in the waters off Kauai since that is where we spent our vacations since I was a kid. I truly love and cherish Hawaii and its culture, so I wanted a ukulele made by the only standing original Hawaiian manufacturer and that is Kamaka. I also really wanted a curly koa uke since my Kanilea is straight grain. I bought it and haven't looked back. I now play it almost exclusively over the Kanilea and I actually took it with me on my Alaska cruise that I board tomorrow because I can't bear to be separated from it for ten days.

The moral of my story is that in terms of aesthetics - do you like flashy (uv coating) or traditional (Kamaka style). In terms of sound both sound great and both occasionally have duds. But if you want the tradition, the history of the uke you need to go Kamaka.

P.S. I don't mean to dismiss Koolau but I've never seen or heard one in person. And as for KoAloha they sound wonderful but I really don't care for their styling - I'm a bit more traditional. If you are a religious person though I know a lot of people like the devout nature of the KoAloha company...
 
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Please help! I am new to playing the uke, but wanted to invest in a high end tenor that I can enjoy playing (and keep in my family). I have been leaning toward a Kamaka - but many people recently have recommended Kanile'a.

Does anyone out there know of the differences? I can't find any side-by-side comparisons - and there are no dealers close to where I live.

Any advice would be appreciated!

I suggest a KoAloha. You should read some of the threads about KoAloha. They are in Hawaii, build a top ukulele and stand behind their ukes. I will be going to Hawaii and plan on buying a KoAloha Concert.
 
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