Kiwaya KS-1

I recently bought a KS-1 and am extremely pleased. It is wonderfullly constructed and very resonant and "alive." The neck and string spacing are wide, but having gotten used to it (took only a few sessions), it is very comfortable and welcome. The neck is amazingly smooth and clean to the touch, it is the best part about the instrument. I was worried about the "plain Jane" looks and squared-off fretboard (vs. something carved and more ornate), but in person it is really well proportioned and looks great, with a really well-done satin finish. I read about folks having issues with Kiwaya's choice of friction tuners on the Eco Series, but I am getting on just fine with them, they hold great and are easy to work. I can see now why some folks swear by friction tuners - tweaks vs. turns to get in tune - yes, it is easy to go *sharp* but overall quicker tuning vs. 14:1 gears. The handles are also large enough to provide decent leverage (vs. a Flea's tiny handles that are not so kind when hands are tired). I thought I was going to be relegating myself to concerts, but this uke has shown me what's possible in sopranos (vs. the more readily available kind that for mew always proved hard to play) and I am having a great time with it.

Thank you for your review, and this gets me very interested in getting one too.

It sounds great and is very comfortable to play. As I said, I think the secret is the wider neck and string spacing, which allows for a little more finger room, making chard changes more relaxed (at least for me) compared to the more budget sopranos that's I'd been testing out at the local music stores (they left me feeling disappointed). The body is super light (though balanced, not neck-heavy) and really rings when you strum it - much moreso than I expected (knowing it's a laminate instrument). I wanted something nice that didn't have me worrying about humidity issues (esp. winter-time), and also something that if my kids began to take an interest, I wouldn't gasp if they picked it up. This is so nicely finished, however, that I invite them to grab the Flea if they want to strum along!

Jeff

Has anyone compared a KS and a KTS? laminate vs solid.... I suppose the Kiwaya construction is the same for the 2 series, and I am just wondering if the solid is worth the $ difference.