KPK Advice Needed

Victoriuke · Jul 24, 2014

So depressed!

I bought a new Koa Pili Koko concert uke recently. It's beautiful and has a sweet sound. HOWEVER, it is not very loud; not as loud as any of the other ukes I've tried. Does anyone know, is it:

1. Because the body is less deep than other Concerts?
2. Because it's made of Acacia?
3. Because of the Worth strings? or
4. All of the above?

I'm about ready to give up and buy a Martin. Would appreciate advice on the matter.
Thanks in advance.

PereBourik · Jul 24, 2014

Victoriuke said:
So depressed!

I bought a new Koa Pili Koko concert uke recently. It's beautiful and has a sweet sound. HOWEVER, it is not very loud; not as loud as any of the other ukes I've tried. Does anyone know, is it:

1. Because the body is less deep than other Concerts?
2. Because it's made of Acacia?
3. Because of the Worth strings? or
4. All of the above?

I'm about ready to give up and buy a Martin. Would appreciate advice on the matter.
Thanks in advance.

1. Don't give up. You'll find the right strings. Did you get the bone saddle? That's a little louder.
1a. You could string with Martin M600 but it won't be much different from Worths.
2. Buy a Martin anyway.

ukemunga · Jul 24, 2014

No offense, but you're comparing ukes in 2 very different price points and build qualities. I've had KPKs and they are pretty nice ukes at that price point. Mine were Acacia and frankly I thought they were not "loud" either. But loud is just one aspect. I think they sound pretty good. Though I will say, one sounded better than the other. But I think that is to be expected at that price point. Some are gems. Most are at least pretty darn good.

Victoriuke · Jul 24, 2014

Thanks PereBourik.
It does have the bone saddle. I may try the Martin strings first.

Victoriuke · Jul 24, 2014

Thanks Ukemunga.
Glad to hear from another KPK owner too. I agree...price difference may have a lot to do with it.

PhilUSAFRet · Jul 24, 2014

I have a KPK acacia cutaway and it is "loud", with a nice, woody, bell-like tone. I have an ebony nut and saddle and Aquila strings on it. Sounds like a uke costing 2-3 times as much.

Bagaag · Jul 24, 2014

I had a similar experience when I received my Pono concert - it came with Ko'olau Gold strings and was ridiculously soft-spoken to my ears. I popped Aquilas on there and confidence was restored. I had gotten used to Aquilas on a laminate instrument and wanted to hear that pop. Since then I've settled on Martin strings for the Pono, which are about as loud as the Aquilas but not quite so brash. May be different for your instrument (I'm not familiar with the brand) but the point is that strings can make a huge volume difference.

Bill Mc · Jul 24, 2014

My advice is to play your KPK for the nice qualities it possesses and don't worry about how loud it is.

Victoriuke · Jul 24, 2014

You have really helped. Think I'm gonna change my strings asap. Tks.

Victoriuke · Jul 24, 2014

It must be the strings. Gonna change mine post haste. Tks.

ukemunga · Jul 24, 2014

By all means try a variety of strings before you move on. Strings can make a big difference. The Worth strings are fluorocarbons so if you are not happy with the sound try some nylons instead. Not sure what to tell you brand-wise but should be easy to find. Just a suggestion as the 2 compositions have different characteristics. Some prefer nylons.

Hammond · Jul 24, 2014

I agree what others said. I suggest try some Aquila, or Southcoast strings, (these two brands are the most loud strings on my ukes, but Aquila doesn't fit my personal taste) also other string brands to find out the better match to the uke. For my two Tenor ukes, Worths string always sound quiet on them (only for my ukes, they sounds loud on some other ukes), compare to Southcoast string.

If you tried many different strings and still feel its quiet, than this may be the case that this uke just not fulfil your desire in sound. But it is still a nice instrument.

Hammond · Jul 24, 2014

**Duplicated question** Sorry I missed some posts

Does your KPK uke came with rosewood saddle? If it does, try to replace it with bone saddle may make some difference. No harm to try

KPK Advice Needed

Victoriuke

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PereBourik

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ukemunga

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Victoriuke

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Victoriuke

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PhilUSAFRet

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Victoriuke

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