Super unofficial sort of market study

[ukeatan]

Paul ...Percentage of baritones vs 8 strings sold...90 baritones for every ten 8 strings....Outcome should be obvious

ah yes, but what about the percentage at a koaloha pricepoint?

 

[DeG]

I won't say my next uke purchase, because UAS can strike at anytime, but the next uke purchase I make while thinking rationally, will be an 8-string tenor. However, I checked the KoAloha website to see if you made an 8-string tenor and I found your sweet Imaikalani creation, and now I wake up at night dreaming of her...so I may go for the Lili'u uke instead of an 8-string now.

One thing, if you decide to produce an 8-string, try to do something creative with the headstock. I know that 8 tuners need to fit on there, but I hate look of the huge headstocks on Kamaka 8-strings for example. Maybe have 4 slotted tuners, and 4 peghead tuners or something? I don't know, that might look goofy too, but I'm just throwing ideas out there.

 

[josuegroundhog]

I am newer to ukes than many. I currently have a few concerts and sopranos. My next will likely be a 4 string tenor. While an 8-string tenor sounds very interesting I would be more likely to buy a baritone before an 8 string tenor. If I had a significant collection I may consider the 8 string tenor. but the bari is first.

Just my thoughts.

 

[deach]

.....

One thing, if you decide to produce an 8-string, try to do something creative with the headstock. I know that 8 tuners need to fit on there, but I hate look of the huge headstocks on Kamaka 8-strings for example. .....

wow, didn't even thing of that.

 

[ThePunkWay]

i vote the baritone... even if it is a fractional guitar, who cares? i'd love to have a KoAloha Fractional guitar! besides, from what i gathered, aren't you guys innovators? i mean, you would be the first Uke/Guitar company that didn't suck!

 

[Bruddah Kekoa]

I would be a fan of the 8 string tenor...

*Pauses to think about what to type next, but nothing comes, send*

BK:shaka:

 

[HoldinCoffee]

Baritone. Fractional guitar? I wouldn't use that in the ad, but yes, final answer, Regis.

 

[koalohapaul]

Thank you again for the responses, guys. I think market will dictate that we do a baritone next, but I really didn't think there was that much of a demand for the 8-string. I don't see anyone use it outside of Hawaiian music. Then again, I live in Hawaii.

The 8-string would actually be less work, since the body would be very similar to a four or six stringed tenor. The only trick would be figuring out how to to the KoAloha head stock, without it becoming hideously large.

As far as the baritone goes, I have a lot of work with that one. Basically, I would be starting from scratch. I have no jigs or molds setup and the baritone is the one size I have zero experience in building. I have a good idea how to execute a build and get production going, but working from the ground up involves a lot of time and experimentation. I hate making jigs, only to find that there's a better way of doing it, halfway into full production. Well, I hate making jigs to begin with, so I really don't like having to do them more than once. Unfortunately, the best way to arrive at the best process and jigging is often to keep doing it until you work out the kinks.

 

[koalohapaul]

It's a giant ukulele!

Baritone. Fractional guitar? I wouldn't use that in the ad, but yes, final answer, Regis.

 

[UkuleleD]

Thank you again for the responses, guys. I think market will dictate that we do a baritone next, but I really didn't think there was that much of a demand for the 8-string. I don't see anyone use it outside of Hawaiian music. Then again, I live in Hawaii.

The 8-string would actually be less work, since the body would be very similar to a four or six stringed tenor. The only trick would be figuring out how to to the KoAloha head stock, without it becoming hideously large.

As far as the baritone goes, I have a lot of work with that one. Basically, I would be starting from scratch. I have no jigs or molds setup and the baritone is the one size I have zero experience in building. I have a good idea how to execute a build and get production going, but working from the ground up involves a lot of time and experimentation. I hate making jigs, only to find that there's a better way of doing it, halfway into full production. Well, I hate making jigs to begin with, so I really don't like having to do them more than once. Unfortunately, the best way to arrive at the best process and jigging is often to keep doing it until you work out the kinks.

Oh man......just saw this. If there was anything keeping me from buying a baritone, this would crush it. I love the warm rich deep sound I get out of my KoAloha tenor when I throw on a set of wound 3rd/4th strings, I cannot imagine how lovely a baritone would sound. How long do you expect the process of making new jigs will be till they're in production?

 

[mealfrog41]

I would prefer the 8-string tenor, for what it's worth

 

[Lori]

baritone guitalele!!! YES

I can't tell you how much I have been searching for a good guitalele. It seems like KoAloha and Kanile'a and Mele are the only real players, with the others in the 1/4 sized guitar category. And I am tempted by the 1/4 sized guitars, because they are cheap (but also considered student quality). I just can't get excited about those. But a solid koa (or other exotic wood combo) would really do the trick for me. And if it could be tuned to EADGBE, wow, that would sell me in a minute. As a guitar player, the desire for a uke with more base strings is hard to resist. Why, I might even sell my guitar to get one! And to be able to play all my guitar pieces on this new instrument would be really wonderful.

This maybe is a good way to win over more guitar players to the uke.

I can't wait... what is a reasonable length of time to expect from idea to production?

–Lori