1st time buyer: KoAloha, Kanilea, KoAloha...???

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antnycwolf

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Difficult question to answer; as it is totally "subjective"; however here I go...

I play Taylor acoustic guitars for years and own Vintage Gibson's. So - I'm looking for a Tenor uke for about $1K and I'm confused as to the sound vs. the look. I need both; great "full" sound (mostly rhythm/strumming) and cool funky wood grain/color.

So here's the 3 I'm looking at: (2 Tenor's or a Concert with a Tenor neck):

Kanilea K1 -T UV, KoAloha Super C or a used Kamaka HF3-6 string
It appears that the Kamaka has some curly grain.... could someone confirm this; also someone else suggested a Satin Finish vs. the UV - for a more mellow-woodsy sound....??

Thanks for any insight you may have.....

Anthony
 
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I'll bite -- but you may not understand what I mean.

What do YOU want? I play a super-concert (concert with tenor neck). That is my preference. I also LOVE a glossy finish. The higher gloss the better. I am not into more than 4 strings. But, see? That's what I want. Also -- I used to have a KoAloha concert. I love them. I would steer you to that one. Especially since the one you picked is a KoAloha super concert. Now, somebody else is gonna post about how awesome Kamakas are. I've played a couple Kamakas and I think they are too quiet.

Good luck choosing. They're all lovely.
 
Well, I don't have a super concert, but I do have tenors from Kanilea (K2), Kamaka and KoAloha, so I'll base my advice off of that. For wood grain, I usually think the Kanilea seem to look great (their UV finish is also very eye catching). For aesthetic design and playability, plus history and name cache, I'd give it to Kamaka. But for sound, volume, warranty and customer service, I think KoAloha leads the pack. The warranty/customer service alone would make me pick them over the other two.

But all three are great makers and you can't go wrong with any of them. You will get lots of fanboys and fangirls steering you to one over the other two, as each company has its diehard fans. No matter what you choose, I'm sure you will like it. :)
 
Each "K" brand is very high quality and has a unique sound of it's own.

You'll have to play each and buy the one that you like.
 
What GKK said. At this level you are getting an amazing uke from all three makers, so only you could decide.

It's like you asking us to tell YOU what Malt Whisky or wine you would like best. Totally subjective.
 
What everyone else said, you can't go wrong with your choices so you'll have choose what'll make you happy.
 
My son recently bought a custom 6 string tenor and with some Southcoast strings, it's the very definition of "full sounding." Some folks get 8 strings for strumming, but I like the sound of 6 strings better....also better if you do want to do a little fingerpicking. Tone wise, that K-1 would be hard to beat.
 
Since it's your first uke, why not get a Mainland mahogany tenor?
It will save you quite a few bucks and give you tons of enjoyment.
Once you're seasoned and hooked you will have a better idea of which K brand fits you.
 
None of the ukes you mentioned will disappoint you. They are all great instruments. If you have the opportunity to play them and handle them then one might "grab you" - but if not just go by what you like the looks of and rest assured you'll have a fine instrument.

I will say the six-string might not be the best choice for a beginner - not that you can't play it, but just that a six-string is kind of "on the edge" and it would probably be better to get a four-string as your first uke so you develop an affinity for what the uke is all about.

@Shazzbot - I'm about as big a Mainland fan as there is (have four of them in the house right this minute), but you can't really compare them to the ukes the OP is talking about. A volkswagon is a great car and a very good bargain for the money - but it's not a Porshe and never will be. The Volkswagon is probably a better deal dollar-for-dollar - but if you have the scratch for the Porshe then that's what you should buy. That's about the best analogy I can make, I think.

If the OP is used to playing high-end guitars like Taylor's then he already has the chops to appreciate the difference between a K and a Mainland
and he indicates that he has the money for a K - so that's the direction he really should go.

John
 
Not to sound like a complete and utter %#&$((@, but didn't this forum just have this very same discussion like a week or two ago?
 
PoiDog said:
Not to sound like a complete and utter %#&$((@, but didn't this forum just have this very same discussion like a week or two ago?
Click to expand...

As long as there are new members, there will always be this and many other repeating questions, and that's OK! There are plenty of patient stewards of this forum that will always be happy to revisit them.
Oh, and my vote is for the KoAloha. I really love their sound.
 
Play them so you can see how they feel, how they sound. I played both Kamaka and Kanilea right next to each other and each were vastly different sounding.
I ended up getting the Kanilea K-1 Deluxe with UV Gloss and love it. You really should go somewhere that has some to play for sure. Would be a shame for you to spend $1000.00 and not be happy with it.

Do you like C style necks, D style necks, nut spacing, 14 frets to the body. My uke has a very mellow rich sound but I am not sure if that is because it has UV Gloss as I played some other Kanileas and this one just grabbed my ears.

I think whatever you find that you like is what you'll be happy with. I used to ask the same question when I started and the best advise I got was "Go play them".
Luckily we have quite a few uke dealers in the bay area. Not sure where you are but if you ahve never played the K brands, you really should make a trip and check them out. Even if you like one brand, every instrument sounds different from the other. Then yhou have to decide if you like low G or high G ;-)
 
blue_knight_usa said:
...when I started and the best advise I got was "Go play them".QUOTE]
Jay's absolutely right. The reason I know I'd take the KoAloha is because I recently did just that, and played a bunch of the big guys, Kamaka, Kanilea, KoAloha, Compass Rose, Collings, antique Martin, etc., all on the same day. I was surprised. Although all of them were fine instruments, it was the KoAloha that really sang for me, and it was not the one that I would have guessed.
Click to expand...
 
Personal Preference...our choices may differ from yours....each individual uke has it's own voice like you and me due to the many building process and variations
Like said above, if possible try before you buy.....and select the sound, size and asthetics you want....if not ask a reputable dealer to play them on the phone for
you side by side....Good Luck...
 
Actually at that price range, there is a lot of choice and a lot of instruments at that higher point have individual voices, so it's more of a personal preference.

And you may wish to consider a luthier built uke in addition to the workshop ukes- many of those start at that price point.
 
You can't go wrong with the KoAloha customer service. Even if you buy a used one, they will honor the lifetime warranty.
 
Here's a link to a great video comparing the 4 K's in soprano. I know you're looking at tenors, but you can see and hear how they all sound great in their own way and while one may sound the best to one person it may not to another. Best case scenario would be to try each one side by side and the one that takes your breath away is "The One."

 
Yo PoiDog, this question is asked every other day brah. lol.


But since the OP asked, I'll answer. KoAloha. I have only played a few Kanile'as that I actually enjoyed. I do think that the koAloha SC might be as good as their concerts and are very hard to beat. I enjoy the KoAloha tenors but they don't wow me like the SC and concerts. Kamakas, when good are hard to beat. The only problem is some are truly duds. Pretty duds but duds none the less. As I said, I have seriously only played three Kanile'as that I would have considered buying. I have played close to 50 of them. Maybe I was expecting too much?? Maybe I was set on wanting a Koaloha so that made me be prejudice. Not sure.
 
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