23

Two KoAloha Tenor Bodies Compared

KoAloha is a wonderful group of craftsman and artists making killer ukes here on Oahu. They began in the mid 90's when Alvin Okami, engineer, inventor, musician that he was, designed a unique instrument with a voice like no other. Because Alvin came from other fields of study, he had an entirely different approach to the support and resonance of ...
27

Acacia or Mahogany?

That's a common question and I find it hard to take sides. Pono is very consistent at this point. On top of that, these woods are a similar density. Both have a .54 specific gravity. The Mahogany is slightly lighter at 34lb/ft while Acacia is 42 lb/ft, and both are close to Hawaiian Koa which is approximately 41lb/ft and .55 ...
14

Moore Bettah Ukulele – 2 Tenor’s

Feast your eyes on two heart stopping tenors custom made by Big Island Luthier, Chuck Moore. They look amazing and sound even better. Huge, lively, warm, clean, and just a beautiful sound from both the spruce top and the all koa. Both instruments belong to my friend Stan. Not 4 Sale. Just a review, but  words won't do justice.  In ...
16

A Dangerous Spin on Uke Tone!

I'm talking about the ceiling fan in my office. It terrorizes my sweet ukulele sounds. Sucks them in and chops them up like a sushi chef. What am I talking about? The vibrato created by my fan makes uke play unbearable! So I turn it off, but it gets hot! Have fan companies addressed this problem with their circulation methods? ...
10

2 Phenomenal Tenors from Ko’olau!

Ko'olau ukes have always been anywhere from good to unbelievable. For the last year everything I have seen from them would fall into the latter, extremely awesome category. Less experienced builders often make a wonderful instrument, but they lack the ability to consistently produce at that level. Noa has been building Ko'olau guitars and ukes full time for 15 years. ...
6

Aldrine Guerrero’s Signature Kanile’a

Almost every week we get instruments from Kanile'a with tremendously beautiful Koa. These last a few days at the most on our website and then disappear . This instrument didn't make it through the morning so I decided to post it here. Why? Because it's insanely gorgeous! Radical Koa gives mind altering pleasure! You all know who Aldrine Guerrero is, right? He's probably most ...
26

Can a Baritone Be Tuned Like Tenor?

In the past year the long neck tenor has become a loved, and longed for new model from Kamaka. The scale of a long neck tenor is 19", very close to the average baritone 20" scale.  For years, people have been converting baritones into long neck tenors, but it can be a disaster if you put too much tension on ...
45

Pono and Godin – Tenor Solid Body Review & Compare

When I got into work this morning I saw a a new Ko'olau on my photo table. CE-2.. it looks like...Wait...it's not a a Ko'olau...This is the new Pono Tenor electric! A chambered solid body electric and it's so nice! I am truly ecstatic to see and hear the quality of this new TE model. These will sell for 649 ...
46

A New Concept from Daniel Ho – Acheived by Pepe Romero

For the last 15 years Daniel Ho has been a major force behind Hawaiian music and the ukulele renaissance. I could list all of his awards and hit albums but you probably already know. Basically, Daniel is the man. A musical mastermind and an intelligent business man. Pepe Romero is a highly acclaimed classical guitar builder who rocked the uke world a few years ...
58

6 Concert ‘Ukulele Around $100

This video and review shows six laminate mahogany concert ukes in the hundred dollar range. This was recorded to be as uncompressed and "true" as possible. Listen with good speakers or headphones to really pick up the differences. The first instrument is the Islander MC-4. The islander is an import line from local Hawaiian makers, Kanile'a. Their entry line or ...