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Original Post By:
Ukestoo
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Date: 8/28/2010 10:48:48 PM |
| Any one have a chance ot play one of these ukuleles yet? I just found out about them and were curious about quality, especially the tenors, and where they are made. |
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Posted By:
William
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Date: 8/29/2010 2:00:05 AM |
When you do a Google search for Kamoa ukulele, it will take you right to their comprehensive website. They tell you which ones are veneer and which ones are solid wood. They tell you the prices of everything. They tell you that if you are not happy they will give you your money back. There are several different styles of playing for each uke, so you can hear only as good as the speakers on your computer. There is an address to either call or e-mail. If you have local long distance calling, Hawaii is just a local call away.
Let us know what you find out about where they are made,please.
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Posted By:
shawn
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Date: 8/29/2010 5:49:56 AM |
Aloha Ukestoo,
You could try contacting Sam over at Larry's Music over on Kauai. He's got some of these up for sale and speaks highly of them.
I've never owned or played one myself but they seem to be popular sellers for Sam. Here's his web page below. Perhaps he can also give you additional information on where they are built and what's in stock.
http://ukuleleuprising.com/
Mahalo & good luck,
Shawn
http://ukulelefriend.com
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Posted By:
Yosef 1965
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Date: 8/29/2010 11:20:26 AM |
| I have not heard anything positive about these Ukes. "Pull the Trigger" and buy yourself one the the "Big K's".......Shalom.........Tom 1965
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Posted By:
Ukestoo
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Date: 8/29/2010 9:57:10 PM |
| A friend told me that they are imports from China but have good quality control.
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Posted By:
Yosef 1965
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Date: 8/30/2010 10:37:07 AM |
| A friend of mine purchased one awile back. He had been playing it for a month, then a crack appeared at the sound hole, and the bride popped off. He called the manufacturer, explained what had happened. The told him to "go pound sand" They would not help. Go figure.....Shalom Tom 1965
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Posted By:
William
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Date: 8/30/2010 4:40:20 PM |
As I look at different sites which advertise it, I don't see numbers I want such as nut width;bridge width;scale length;width between strings at both locations. With those and a piece of paper I can get a feel for an instrument without having to pay shipping to actually get it in my hands. What is the height of the strings under #1 and #12 fret will also tell me a lotabout the feel of playing it without paying shipping to get it to me, and back again, if I do not like it.
A very inexpensive Makala will be far less expensive. The allure of solid koa doesn't justify the huge jump in prices. There are tone woods which equal or exceed the qualities of koa.
It isn't much different than paying for the Niki swoosh on your clothing
Sour grapes because I cannot afford one?If I didn't have instruments which cost more, I would perhaps plead guilty, but since I have several, I would say that I don't want to pay shipping for a questionable item. I think that is probably a concern of everyone who has posted as well as those who have just read it. It seems to be yours as well. At one time or another I think we all place a bet on a long shot.
If I may paraphrase the old saying....one who marries well becomes doubly blessed while he who does not becomes a philosopher; one who gets a great uke at a great price is doubly blessed, while one who does not becomes a philosopher.
I laughed about the comment to pull the trigger!
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Posted By:
Ukestoo
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Date: 8/30/2010 9:42:54 PM |
| As I did too! I am very happy with my Kamaka concert but been considering a tenor and frankly I don't have the $$$ for a Kamaka tenor but someone told me about the Kamoas. I will keep looking and wait for more input on Kamoa. Thanks as always everyone.
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Posted By:
RedHotBlue
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Date: 8/31/2010 1:52:34 PM |
"and the bride popped off"
If your friend is married, I imagine his uke woes are the least of his problems...
My vote for best typographical error on this board in some time. Keep 'em coming Tom!
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Posted By:
William
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Date: 8/31/2010 5:00:39 PM |
May I ask why you would want to go from a concert to a tenor? Is it that you need more finger space? If it is that, that can't be changed with a concert. But....if it is tone difference you want, that can be changed by how the concert is strung. A low g really makes a different sound from re-entrant. I am not impressed with re-entrant tenors. The cuatro post is intriguing! The reaction to a soprano tuned g C E a is noticeable, and raises lots of eyebrows. Have you been to
http//www.lehuaukulele.com ? Acacaia koa is rare-protected-endangered= expensive. One of the 180 other species of Acacia is Acacia melanoxylon. It has good tonal qualitites- is cut extensively-an invasive species=not expensive.
You can read the comments in the archive under Lehua.
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Posted By:
Walter in Austin
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Date: 8/31/2010 9:27:22 PM |
| I'll put in a plug for Lehuas (see William;s post above). I've had a Lehua concert for five years & love it (and I have fat fingers), plus the wood is beautiful. Not koa, but with a cool personality of its own.
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Posted By:
Ukestoo
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Date: 8/31/2010 9:51:28 PM |
| I actually purchases a concert Lehua around 4 years ago and there were numerous issues, even for a factory ukulele, and ended up sending it back to the store. Perhaps they have approved since then or maybe it was a fluke (apologies to our host). By the way, finger space is not the issue, just wanted to find a nice tenor but for now I am happy with my concert and may try a set of Aquila low G strings on it some day.
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Posted By:
Walter in Austin
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Date: 8/31/2010 10:55:26 PM
(Updated: 8/31/2010 10:56:47 PM)
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| Ukestoo-- Sorry you had problems with your Lehua. I've heard that years ago they were uneven--some really good like mine, others not so. Instruments made of wood are problematic, since (well, yeah) no two wood items are alike. I've heard they're more consistent now, although who (unless you buy an expensive custom-made model) can guarantee it'll be great? Good luck!
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Posted By:
William
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Date: 9/3/2010 12:12:01 AM |
When quality was erratic, the two who have their reputations at stake changed countries of origin.Lack of consistency was not what they wanted or would accept. So far, I have had one unsatisfied buyer. He did not like the grain of the wood on the neck. His money was refunded.
When you are ready for a set of strings, contact me off post and I will send you a set. All the Lehua ukes I sell are strung Aquila. There are now three choices for all ukes; re-entrant,linear(low g) cuatro (linear re-entrant with a low a)
My own Lehau concert is cuatro tuned. so is the soprano. Awesome sound!!!
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Posted By:
Ukestoo
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Date: 9/3/2010 7:29:50 PM |
| I was very disappointed in the Lehua from both the standpoint of tone and quality of workmanship but sounds if though they are much better as this was around 5 years ago. I will contact you William off line about the strings but you got me on the cuatro tuning. Please explain as generally plan with the re-entrant tuning and have experimented with the low-G. I spent a couple weeks in Kauai this past June with my family and visited a few uke shops and was told that low-G was the way to go. One of the shops gave me a low-G string to take with me while I was on vacation as I had brought along a uke, of course!
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Posted By:
William
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Date: 9/4/2010 2:45:50 AM |
Southcoast ukuleles has a post not too mnay days before your post about cuatro tuning. They have sounds as well as visuals of different types of music with cuatro tuning. I don't think they did it to a soprano, juat bigger ukes. The g string is a low g. The A string is replaced with another low g string and pulled up to one whole note higher than the low g. That makes it a low a.
Low g is the way to go for some things. re-entrant is the way for some things. Cuatro tuning is the way for some things. There really is a reason why some of us have more than one of the same size instrument. UDSS {ukulele diversified sound syndrome} is even more pernicious than UAS.
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