In our last night here on the island of O'ahu, my wife and I went to the Waikele K-Mart to do some last minute shopping. While there, we saw a case of ukuleles. Curious, I decided to ask to play one. The brand waas Koa Kalane.
The first few that I played had more bling on them. As I played each, they sounded a bit harsh and bright for my taste. Then, I picked up a plainer looking one and I started to play it.
It was warm, responsive and clean sound ... rich and open ... After having played a lot of high-end guitars, I have a discerning ear. I wasn't sure if this was right so I picked up a few of the other ukes that were less ornate. Most of them sounded thinner and a bit harsh for my taste as well. They weren't bad; in fact they sounded much better than the $180 price tag that I saw. In fact, in my opinion, if you're looking for a good uke, this is all the ukulele that you need. We had a chance to play quite a few at a ukulele shop in Waikiki. These ukes seem to me to be a much better deal.
Hopefully, when I go back to Arizona, I'd love to compare to a Kamaka at Acoustic Vibes Music. Our visit here has been short and I wasn't able to see a lot of friends who would have a good uke.
I'm also coming back home with the guitar that I built for my dad - a Port Orford Cedar / East Indian Rosewood 12-fret 000. I need to do some finish buffing on it.
I can't wait see what this little uke can do. I'm not much of a player but hopefully my knowledge of music can help me get by.
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