bt93
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2009
- Messages
- 725
- Reaction score
- 0
Features 9
What year was it made? Where was is made? (Hawaii, Japan, China etc...) November 2009 in hawaii
How many frets? 17-Fret Fretboard joined at the 13th Fret
Solid-Top? Laminated top? Solid
Any pickups or electronics? No
Body and neck woods? ( Koa, Plywood, etc...) Koa body and Sapele Concert Neck
Finish (Satin, transparent, quilted top, flamed top, etc...) Gloss
Body style (Soprano, Tenor, Concert, Cutaway, etc...) Concert
Tuners (Locking? Non-locking? brand of tuners - Sperzel, Gotoh, Grover, Schaller, etc...) Regular koaloha friction tuners
Neck/Scale (Fat, Thin, Jumbo Frets, Rosewood, Maple, etc...) thin neck
Any included accessories? (Case, gig bag, strap, cable, tools, humidifier, etc...) Strap button, case, extra strings, and humidifier
Sound 10
How does it suit your music style (and what is that style)? perfectly because i am mainly a strummer and it has the perfect volume and tone
What amps and effects are you using it with? None
Is it noisy? On what settings? N/A
Rich/Full sound? Bright sound? Full bright hawaiian sound
Action, Fit & Finish 9.5
How well was the ukulele set-up at the factory? (How was the action?) action is great
Properly bookmatched top? yes
Did the ukulele contain any flaws? (misaligned bracing, poorly filed fretwire, finish flaws, poor quality wood, rusted or oxidized hardware, loose tuning pegs, poorly cut nut, poorly fit saddle, noisy pickup selector, loose controls, etc...) yes, it was a factory second but i still am not able to find the dent or crack or any flaws on the uke.
Reliability/Durability seems reliable just recently got it
Will this ukulele withstand live playing? yes
Does the hardware seem like it will last? Most likely
Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off with lots of playing? Seems a little thin but i think it will last
Can you depend on it? I hope so
Would you use it on a gig without a backup? yes
Customer Support 12 out of 10
If you've dealt with the company, how helpful/friendly were they? well, when i first decided i wanted a koaloha, brian emailed me pics of the superconcert and played it over the phone. about two weeks later, i decided that i wanted a regular concert. he immediately emailed me the pictures and once again played it over the phone. i asked if he would include a case...and without hesitation he immediately replied yes. i asked how much it would cost to get a strap button installed and he said " I'll do it for free" and i also asked how much for an extra low g which he gave to me for free. he tried to ship it friday but their last shipment had already gone out so he said it was going out on monday. on monday, Patricia (the person in charge of shipping) did not have time to run to the post office. i called tuesday to see if the uke had shipped and she explained to me what happened (how she wasn't able to go the day before) and then gave me overnight shipping to michigan. i thought for the 545.00 plus shipping that the uke cost, i was getting only the uke. little did i know that this company was willing to go so far above and beyond what i expected and i was truly shocked at how great the customer service is. i was a little hesitant to be spending this much money on a uke, but am i glad that i chose koaloha. they definitely are some of the nicest and most generous people. i would 100% recommend buying a ukulele from them again just based off of the customer service.
Ever try and get it repaired? N/A
Was it under warranty?N/A
How long is the warranty Better than the weather!!!
Overall Rating 10
How long have you been playing? 8 months
What other gear do you own? mainland soprano, mitchell mu-70 (spruce), and hilo
Is there something you wish you had asked before buying this ukulele? No
If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else? i would definitely buy it again
What do you love about it? everything
What do you hate? that i cant put it down
What is your favorite feature? either the soundhole or the thickness of the body. it seems much thinner than many other ukes i have played
Did you compare it to other ukuleles? Which ones? Yes, all three of mine
Why did you choose this one? based off of talking to people (especially haolejohn) and everyone giving koalohas the best review
Anything you wish it had? A mi-si pickup
Anything else you'd like to share? the decision was between a kanilea concert with fishman pickup for 600, koolau tenor for 500, and mike ayers custom uke but i decided koaloha and i am so happy that i did!!
What year was it made? Where was is made? (Hawaii, Japan, China etc...) November 2009 in hawaii
How many frets? 17-Fret Fretboard joined at the 13th Fret
Solid-Top? Laminated top? Solid
Any pickups or electronics? No
Body and neck woods? ( Koa, Plywood, etc...) Koa body and Sapele Concert Neck
Finish (Satin, transparent, quilted top, flamed top, etc...) Gloss
Body style (Soprano, Tenor, Concert, Cutaway, etc...) Concert
Tuners (Locking? Non-locking? brand of tuners - Sperzel, Gotoh, Grover, Schaller, etc...) Regular koaloha friction tuners
Neck/Scale (Fat, Thin, Jumbo Frets, Rosewood, Maple, etc...) thin neck
Any included accessories? (Case, gig bag, strap, cable, tools, humidifier, etc...) Strap button, case, extra strings, and humidifier
Sound 10
How does it suit your music style (and what is that style)? perfectly because i am mainly a strummer and it has the perfect volume and tone
What amps and effects are you using it with? None
Is it noisy? On what settings? N/A
Rich/Full sound? Bright sound? Full bright hawaiian sound
Action, Fit & Finish 9.5
How well was the ukulele set-up at the factory? (How was the action?) action is great
Properly bookmatched top? yes
Did the ukulele contain any flaws? (misaligned bracing, poorly filed fretwire, finish flaws, poor quality wood, rusted or oxidized hardware, loose tuning pegs, poorly cut nut, poorly fit saddle, noisy pickup selector, loose controls, etc...) yes, it was a factory second but i still am not able to find the dent or crack or any flaws on the uke.
Reliability/Durability seems reliable just recently got it
Will this ukulele withstand live playing? yes
Does the hardware seem like it will last? Most likely
Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off with lots of playing? Seems a little thin but i think it will last
Can you depend on it? I hope so
Would you use it on a gig without a backup? yes
Customer Support 12 out of 10
If you've dealt with the company, how helpful/friendly were they? well, when i first decided i wanted a koaloha, brian emailed me pics of the superconcert and played it over the phone. about two weeks later, i decided that i wanted a regular concert. he immediately emailed me the pictures and once again played it over the phone. i asked if he would include a case...and without hesitation he immediately replied yes. i asked how much it would cost to get a strap button installed and he said " I'll do it for free" and i also asked how much for an extra low g which he gave to me for free. he tried to ship it friday but their last shipment had already gone out so he said it was going out on monday. on monday, Patricia (the person in charge of shipping) did not have time to run to the post office. i called tuesday to see if the uke had shipped and she explained to me what happened (how she wasn't able to go the day before) and then gave me overnight shipping to michigan. i thought for the 545.00 plus shipping that the uke cost, i was getting only the uke. little did i know that this company was willing to go so far above and beyond what i expected and i was truly shocked at how great the customer service is. i was a little hesitant to be spending this much money on a uke, but am i glad that i chose koaloha. they definitely are some of the nicest and most generous people. i would 100% recommend buying a ukulele from them again just based off of the customer service.
Ever try and get it repaired? N/A
Was it under warranty?N/A
How long is the warranty Better than the weather!!!
Overall Rating 10
How long have you been playing? 8 months
What other gear do you own? mainland soprano, mitchell mu-70 (spruce), and hilo
Is there something you wish you had asked before buying this ukulele? No
If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else? i would definitely buy it again
What do you love about it? everything
What do you hate? that i cant put it down
What is your favorite feature? either the soundhole or the thickness of the body. it seems much thinner than many other ukes i have played
Did you compare it to other ukuleles? Which ones? Yes, all three of mine
Why did you choose this one? based off of talking to people (especially haolejohn) and everyone giving koalohas the best review
Anything you wish it had? A mi-si pickup
Anything else you'd like to share? the decision was between a kanilea concert with fishman pickup for 600, koolau tenor for 500, and mike ayers custom uke but i decided koaloha and i am so happy that i did!!
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