Kamaka Tenor owners - Hard case advice

sealcove

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My tenor came with a rigid foam soft case. It's fine for light duty, but I would really like a proper hard case. A number of the tenor ukulele cases I have been looking at seem too large on all dimensions. Can anyone recommend a stock hard case that fits the Kamaka Tenor (HF-3) well?

Thanks for any suggestions, Douglas
 
My tenor came with a rigid foam soft case. It's fine for light duty, but I would really like a proper hard case. A number of the tenor ukulele cases I have been looking at seem too large on all dimensions. Can anyone recommend a stock hard case that fits the Kamaka Tenor (HF-3) well?

Thanks for any suggestions, Douglas

The best hard case known to man is Calton...but they cost as much as some mid-grade/high end ukes.

You're best bet is finding an Oahu or like brand from MGM. He's got all the goods and specs you need.
 
Mike DaSilva has some cases also (scroll to the bottom portion) . . . take a look at this baby.

Fiberglass-Open-1024.jpg
 
Beautiful cases from DaSilva, thanks for sharing!

I was also hunting for a good case for the Kamaka Tenor for awhile, and there are many around and so I picked up a Ko'olau hardcase. Pretty decent too~ :shaka:

case1.JPG
 
Ko'olau/O'ahu cases are awesome.
 
Koolau case is the best for cost/value IMHO. See my photo album for shots of my Kamaka tenor in an Oahu case. It has a pickup so its a tight fit.
 
I have the Kamaka tenor hard case that came with my ukulele. But I didn't order it direct from Kamaka so I'm not sure if they sell them on their own.

I actually have two of them...one for my Kanile'a as well, which always prompts people in Hawaii who see it to ask if it is a Kamaka inside.

I highly recommend this case because is is form fit to the ukulele, and has pretty good faux fur lining. The only downside is the lack of storage space, which leads me to put some strings, etc. under the headstock.

I had a strap installed on one of them, and I carry the other with the handle. The faux leather (or real, I'm not sure which it is) on the exterior does scrape on the edges if you aren't careful but I absolutely love this case.

For some reason, I can't get the image to post here, so you can see what it looks like by clicking on the link...
http://ukuleleunderground.com/forum/album.php?albumid=384&pictureid=3443

But I've heard lots of good things about the Ko'olau ones...
 
I have the Kamaka tenor hard case that came with my ukulele. But I didn't order it direct from Kamaka so I'm not sure if they sell them on their own.

I actually have two of them...one for my Kanile'a as well, which always prompts people in Hawaii who see it to ask if it is a Kamaka inside.

I highly recommend this case because is is form fit to the ukulele, and has pretty good faux fur lining. The only downside is the lack of storage space, which leads me to put some strings, etc. under the headstock.

I had a strap installed on one of them, and I carry the other with the handle. The faux leather (or real, I'm not sure which it is) on the exterior does scrape on the edges if you aren't careful but I absolutely love this case.

For some reason, I can't get the image to post here, so you can see what it looks like by clicking on the link...
http://ukuleleunderground.com/forum/album.php?albumid=384&pictureid=3443

But I've heard lots of good things about the Ko'olau ones...

Pretty sure thats the Kamaka case. Its not branded Kamaka but if you order a hard case from the factory they offer that case for an additional $60. I'm not sure how much it is if ordered separately. Might be the same.

If it is the same price then the Koolau will be more expensive but like I said, IMHO, its a nicer case.
 
I have a Ko'olau case for my Kamaka HF-3, and it fits like a clove with no wiggle. I have an Oahu case for my Kanile'a H-1T. I tried switching these two tenors into the other cases, but they fit best the way I have them. This Ko'olau link shows the prices and dimensions of each case (merchandise>ukulele cases>dimensions). http://www.koolauukulele.com/ As you can see they are slightly different in size. MGM might have them for less.
 
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Mike DaSilva has some cases also (scroll to the bottom portion) . . . take a look at this baby.

The DaSilva case is not a hard shell. Kind of soft. The great thing is the combination lock. (If you have kids running around, it's nice to have it locked up. Though you don't always want to have a key on you.) But you need to check your measurements. I tried to use this with my Moore Bettah tenor and it wouldn't fit. Was too small.
 
Thanks for the info on the case, looks good tho.

It does look enticing. I was very hopeful - as I really wanted a combination lock. The only other way I knew to get one, was to pay over $300 to have a custom case made by Cedar Creek Cases.

So instead, here is what I did (hot tip): There is a company called G&G Quality cases. The owners are the guys that created the original Fender Guitar case for Leo Fender back in the 50's. I got in touch with them, and they're making me a custom case for $90 - one with a combination lock, and tweed on the outside. They had me send them a tracing of my uke, so it will really be custom fit. I'm amazed and appreciative that there was a resonable way to solve this and get what I needed. They can be found at: http://www.ggqualitycase.com/ If you want them to make one for you, just email them at info@ggqualitycase.com and tell them what you want - they'll give you a quote. You get to even pick out the color fur on the inside!
 
You mentioned this in another thread, I think. I'll have to check out the site and keep them in mind. I have cases for both my tenors and I agree spending the extra $$ in getting a good, quality case to protect your investment.
 
My tenor came with a rigid foam soft case. It's fine for light duty, but I would really like a proper hard case. A number of the tenor ukulele cases I have been looking at seem too large on all dimensions. Can anyone recommend a stock hard case that fits the Kamaka Tenor (HF-3) well?

Thanks for any suggestions, Douglas

The best case you can get before you get into Jake S crazy Calton case territory is the Ameritage tenor case. I have one of these for my HF-3S and can't fault it, it's a perfect fit. Stong plywood design with an interior padding system that means your uke never directly touches any exterior material. It's humidity controlled and extremely well made, check it out:

http://www.finecases.com/browse/ameritage/ameritage-3306.html
 
Thanks for all of the great suggestions! From what I am seeing, I think the Ko'olau would be an easy choice for cost, fit, & ease of aquisition. The higher end cases are certainly fantastic, but probably overkill for my use. I have a fiberglass Eastman case for my Phoenix mandolin, and I wish they would branch out to uke cases.
 
The Koolau case arrived today and as promised, it fits like a glove. Anyone need a foam case for a tenor (I think it is the one pictured below)? Free when I can find a box to ship it in.

UC-TEN_open.jpg
 
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