Kanile'a k3 premium

new uke day last week.

i made the giant step to a k brand.

well, what do i have to say?

aesthetically it's maybe one the most beautiful "things" i've ever seen.
the kinda red tortoise binding in contrast with all the colors of the koa it's something awesome. and the rosette has a fantastic curly maple inlay that you can't see in pictures.

but let's talk about the most important things for an instrument...sound and playiability.
i have a Kala Acacaia T that i consider a very good value for the money, but it has nothing to do with it.
it's not a very loud instrument but it has a great clarity, when you play a chord you can hear every single note resonating perfectly and the tone is just what i was looking for...warm and aggressive when needed. i'm not into bright sounding instruments.
obviously the intonation is spot on through the whole fretboard.

the playiability is incredible, the wider neck is perfect for my long fingers (one of the main reasons while i chose kanilea) and allows me to have a comfort that i never had even on electric guitars.
it really increased my speed.

the only little remark is that i hear a very little (i have some kinda obsession for fret buzzes, so maybe is just me) fret buzz on the F note on the first fret of the E string, but it only happens when i strum it with great vengeance and furious anger.
btw is it normal to have a little fret buzz when strumming very hard?

overall it's better then i was expeting. you feel you have a professional instrument when you play it.

pics when my brother will bother send me an email.

Congrats on your new Kanile'a!

Congrats, lets see and hear it!

Congrats on the new Kanile'a! Post the pics when ya get them!!

Congratulations on your new Kanilea. I think they are lovely instruments, probably the prettiest of the K brands. One thing to note, I found that my Kanilea is also very mellow and not exceptionally loud when I play on the fingerboard above the soundhole or at the top of it. When playing directly over the soundhole it is much louder. You may want to try that.

I look forward to seeing pics of it.

wickedwahine11 said:

Congratulations on your new Kanilea. I think they are lovely instruments, probably the prettiest of the K brands. One thing to note, I found that my Kanilea is also very mellow and not exceptionally loud when I play on the fingerboard above the soundhole or at the top of it. When playing directly over the soundhole it is much louder. You may want to try that.

I look forward to seeing pics of it.

Click to expand...

i also think it's louder strummed above the soundhole, but i prefer the tone i get by strumming a little bit more towards the neck.
it's mellow yes but has a very good projection when you need a "sharp attack".

Congratulations on your new Kanile'a!! They are very very beautiful ukes! Looking forward to seeing the pictures

Congratulations on your new K3.....NO uke should buzz for whatever reason...if anybody tells you different...they are misinformed or lying..sounds like you have a too wide gap in your e string
groove of your nut...put a small piece of paper in the groove as a shim and see if the bees have left your ukulele...

mm stan said:

Congratulations on your new K3.....NO uke should buzz for whatever reason...if anybody tells you different...they are misinformed or lying..sounds like you have a too wide gap in your e string
groove of your nut...put a small piece of paper in the groove as a shim and see if the bees have left your ukulele...

Click to expand...

thanks stan.
in the last two days there was no buzz, but...i didn't turn on the air conditioner to see if it was a humidity (lack of) related issue.
i have to take something like three or four showers an hour because i sweat like a pig but my uke comes first.

i want to wait some more days to see if i really solved the problem.

Another satisfied Kanile'a customer..........alrighty! The curly koa they use on premium models really comes alive, with their awesome finish. I can't wait to see your pics. Same results here when strumming above the sound hole and my K1T premium allows for a nice variation in tone by changing your strumming location. I'd let it acclimate to it's new home and play it in before I got concerned about a slight buzz, like you describe. I suspect the setup was spot on when it left the factory.