Just made it by a penny ! In at $59.99 this new Leolani Mahogany Standard has some impressive stats – Bone nut and saddle!!, quality geared tuners, an attractive mahogany body, and Aquila nylgut strings. Another nifty attribute is the 14 frets, two more than other soprano’s in this neighborhood. So down on paper it has some impressive features, but the real question is- How does it sound?
While there are many quality brands now in this affordable range, the Leolani Mahogany Standard is setting a New Standard! Take a listen-
We just got in the new Makai TK-65 tenor ukulele and the consensus here at the shop is that this is some serious value! The sound is balanced and the design is fluent with a soft venetian cutaway. Classic Martin style construction, solid without being heavy. The tuning keys are really well made and a bone nut and saddle are …
For those of you not able to get to a store with these models, the next best way to check them out is with pictures and videos. This is a Ko’olau T1 Koa and C100 Hawaiiand Ash wood. Though Ko’olau at one point was more of a production line, they are now much like the custom shop they started as. With Noa Bonk building these from start to finish you get the continuity of a master builder sanding the woods and shaping the braces, all the way to stringing it up. Enjoy~
This is one of the finest instruments to come through the shop and so I wanted to share it with you. The Ko’olau ukulele sound has excellent body and balance. An instrument of this caliber gives a player the inspiration to attain a higher level of musicianship, and enjoyment! Corey here plays the Tenor Ko’olau in a few different styles …
What is the best ukulele 300 dollars can buy? Well, it’s not exactly a calculus equation anyone can prove, given the fact that personal taste and opinion exist. But we thought we would put our 2 cents in the pot anyway, and who better to judge than people that sell ukuleles every day, us. After discussing it at length, the Kala ASAC-T came out slightly ahead of the competition. As John Gonzalez, one of our guitar instructors put it, “The intonation is always on, and they sound good!”. With a nice looking slotted headstock and the swirls of pearl inlay on the fretboard, the look is right on point for what many people like. The Makai LC-80R was a close second and is also all solid wood -Cedar top, rosewood sides and back. It may have won, because the sound is HUGE, if it didn’t come with friction tuners . It may have also lost because it is a concert, and pretty much all of us here are bias to the tenor size, most of the time. Any ideas for reviews or ukes you were wanting to hear and see more of? Leave a comment.Thanks for the look. Enjoy the video!
In this review we took four locally made standard(soprano) ukes and tried them back to back. We had the 4 Ks, Kamaka, Kanilea, Koolau, and KoAloha. Ko’olau with Ko’olau Alohi Strings , Kamaka with Kamaka strings , KoAloha with Worth strings, and Kanile’a with Aquila strings.
This wood is also called Pheasant wood because of it’s grain and colors resemblance to the Hawaiian pheasant. This beautiful piece was from a tree here on Oahu. It is a rare and expensive wood that Ko’olau has been using, when available, for over 10 years now.
We took our three most popular local tenor made koa ukes and put them back to back. The video shows them in a few different styles with two different players. This was done to help those not able to come in to the store here, which is the best, because to see and feel it is the best.
We just picked up this very nice tenor Ko’olau ukulele. Hawaiian Ash top back and sides, Koa binding and headstock, and dark rich rosewood fingerboard and bridge.This uke just has a really warm sound.