Bulletin Board: KoAloha's...Koalana?

Original Post By: Guest_dy Date: 2/23/2006 Anyone tried KoAloha's...Koalana? If yes, please provide a review. Thanks! http://www.ukulelepuapua.com/koalana.html Posted By: Guest_Ragamuffin Music Date: 2/23/2006 I am wondering too... Elderly has them for the same price $159.00. http://www.elderly.com/new_instruments/items/KKSA.htm According to Elderly the uke is all solid mahogany construction. Made in China. I would like to hear some comments and maybe sound clips. Posted By: Guest_Noel V. Date: 2/24/2006 Placing/ed an order for a KoAlana soprano, but delaying shipping until the 2nd week of March. Our night temps are still dropping down into the upper teens-low 20's. Bit of a gamble, but based on the Koaloha concert & tenor I own am assuming (hoping) for a reasonable quality built & sounding instrument. Will try to right up a short initial comparison/eval. Sorry for the wait. Posted By: Guest_Jj Date: 2/24/2006 Do a search, just last week, there was a post here with responses about them. Posted By: Guest_Cattywampus Date: 2/24/2006 I got one a couple of weeks ago from Mike at Alternate Tunings, and I've hardly put it down since. It came with Aquila Nylguts, and sounds great. It looks just like a KoAloha, but in solid mahogany instead of koa. It has a good clear sound, and is very comfortable to play. Mike hand-rubbed it to a very nice semi-gloss, because he said the gloss finish was overdone. I don't know if that improved the sound any, but I really like how it looks. It's very well made, and I can't find any flaws in workmanship or finish. I did upgrade the tuners to Grover 4Ws (it comes with 3Ws). I've also got a KoAloha concert and a KoAloha tenor, and the KoAlana holds its own with them. I'm not set up to do any sound clips, but I hope this has been helpful. Posted By: Guest_Jj Date: 2/24/2006 Have seen them as low as $155. Posted By: Guest_Strum Bum Date: 2/24/2006 Well, you can tell that it's mass-produced when you look close, but for the money, it's a real uke in the Hawaiian style, and it sounds bright and resonant - a little like a Fluke. The finish is a little too thick and glossy for my taste and adds to the manufactured look - almost painted. The stock Worth strings are fine, in my opinion. So, if you're in the Fluke price range, you can get this one that looks like a standard uke. Or if you're shopping a little above the Fluke range for something made of wood, you can get this instead of other similiar Asian ukes and pocket some savings. Posted By: Guest_fez Date: 2/24/2006 Catty, I'v a Koaloha and I feel it's a little to glossy too. What does Mike do to reduce this? I'm afraid to get out the sandpaper!! Posted By: Guest_Koty Date: 2/24/2006 Played one at McCabe's and all I remember was that the finish looked like it was dumped on the poor instrument. So for this, I totally understand the concept of sanding off some of the finish. Posted By: Guest_MP Date: 2/24/2006 On the KoAloha's Mike uses 0000 steel wool on the fretboard to remove the finish and adds fret board oil...He uses the same wool on the back of the neck to knock down the gloss...He doesn't touch the body or headstock... He rubs the KoAlana all over the entire uke...Evidently they are way glossed up... Posted By: Guest_dy Date: 2/24/2006 Wow! Thanks everyone for the feedback, especially Cattywampus. I just bought some Aquila strings from Mike for our tenors and sopranos. He didn't mention having the Koalanas. I'm not surprised that McCabe's already has the ukes. Cattywampus: What's the fretboard made of? Posted By: Guest_Ernie Date: 2/24/2006 I played one at McCabes last weekend. I was really impressed. The best uke I've ever seen at that price point, out-stripping the other made-in-China models I've tried. It did look like it was dipped in gloss finish, though. They also had the new Gold Tone solid mahogany soprano, with the nice inlay, which seemed very well made, and very playable, too. The sound was promising, but the Koalana sounded better to my ears. They both had black strings, which are often cheap, and I almost never like, so I'm assuming the sound of both would improve with Nylguts or Worths. Posted By: Guest_Dash Date: 2/24/2006 MP, I dont understand the following: You say "He doesn't touch the body or headstock..." Then say "He rubs the KoAlana all over the entire uke" So which is it? Does he use the steel wool on the entire body or not. Posted By: Guest_Suggestion Date: 2/24/2006 Dash, maybe read things more carefully. He is talking about 2 different ukes. Posted By: Guest_MP Date: 2/24/2006 Yep...the whole uke on the KoAlana's & just the neck on the KoAlohas... Sorry for the confusion... Posted By: Guest_KoAloha Date: 2/25/2006 Hi guys, just a small correction. The KoAlanas are made entirely from Sapele, not Mahogany. This includes the bridge and fret board. They are made for us in China, using solid wood construction. What's nice is that they carry the same warranty as their bigger brothers, the KoAloha line. Aloha, Paul Posted By: Guest_John R Date: 2/25/2006 Has anyone seen one for $154?...going once... Too bad, my cutoff is $153. What is the difference--sound-wise, quality-wise, etc., between Sapele and Mahogany? Elderly still lists it as mahogany. Posted By: Guest_Who Knows? Date: 2/25/2006 Difference in wood? They sound great, what's it matter? I guess it's just "I need to know" curiousity, since you are a dollar short. Go check them out. You might like them. Posted By: Guest_Come on "Who Knows" Date: 2/25/2006 Next you'll ask what is the difference--sound-wise, quality-wise, etc., between glues used in laminates. Posted By: Guest_KoAloha Date: 2/26/2006 Considering the same construction technique, Sapele tends to be brighter sounding, while mahogany is more mellow. The two woods are similar, in terms of grain structure, color, and density. Both trees grow in the same type of forest. However, they are not related and are completely different trees. Posted By: Guest_FranSpain Date: 2/26/2006 Sapele (Sapeli in spanish) is often used to build spanish guitars. If Okami family sells a uke, that uke is a good choice, I'm sure.

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