I just bought a used KPK concert cutaway with rosewood nut and saddle, and aquila strings, and like many, I just "assumed" that bone or some similar material for nut/saddle would be superior to the rosewood ones available on KPKs. Weeeeellllll, as has often been said on UU, this is a highly subjective matter and I suspect that a bone nut and saddle on this uke only sounds better to to the people who prefer that sound. I had ebony nut and saddle on my Mele soprano, and wasn't wild about the tone (not really bad though) but my new KPK arrived and it has some of the sweetest, woodiest tones (some folks pay huge sums for this tone by buying high end ukes.) I've heard lately. I started to consider a while back that it's wise to have someone who knows how to play a uke to play yours, so that you can really hear it the way others will hear it, before you go making any modifications. A huge difference in "hearing it while you are holding it."
In short, my son was wild about the tone and would'nt consider changing a thing about it. The more I really "heard" it as he played it, the more I agreed. If you love the tone, why put on a harder materials so that it sounds more like your other ukes (with bone nuts and saddles.) After installing some Southcoast strings on my Mele tenor with ebony nut and saddle, and "hearing it" while my Son played it, I think I'll stick with the sweet, woody sound on that one too. Just somethig to think about before "automatically" falling into the bone nut and saddle always sounds better philosophy. (that's right up there with the "koa ukes always sound better philosophy."
