Comments on: KoAloha KCM-00 Review

By: Victor

Victor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:32:33 +0000

Did you ever get a custom Koaloha?
If you didn’t what is a good brand to get a custom uke from?

By: Joel

Joel — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:33:57 +0000

I own one of these, and I love both the sound and feel of it. I like its sound better than any other uke I have. For differences in sound and feel, I also own a Kanilea Soundmonster soprano, an Applause soprano, a Hamano soprano that sounds very much like a vintage Martin, a soprano Ohana with an extended tenor-length neck, a concert Flea with the rosewood fingerboard, a Fluke, a Kala Mango tenor, and a Lanikai baritone. They all have unique qualities, but I believe the KoAloha is superior.

By: Julie

Julie — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:07:25 +0000

I became obsessed with custom ukes and stopped playing this one, so I sold it.

By: molokinirum

molokinirum — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:59:22 +0000

How come you no longer have this uke?

By: Julie

Julie — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:37:10 +0000

It was (I no longer have it) comfortable to hold and play.

By: molokinirum

molokinirum — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:58:42 +0000

Great review, I am heading to the Islands in the fall and i plan on buying the same uke. I liked the sound clip you added. How does the uke play and feel in your hands?

By: Slipinkramer

Slipinkramer — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:03:04 +0000

Yeah, I have some thoughts…

I just returned from Hawaii, where I spent a lot of time playing ukuleles from all over the Big Island. The Pono is a fine instrument but The KoAloha has the edge in sound. In my opinion, its more than a slight edge. The KoAloha soprano is clearly better sounding!

By: Evan

Evan — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:44:04 +0000

Hey i was looking at getting either the pono soprano pineapple of the Ko’aloha standard soprano..your thoughts?

By: ukola

ukola — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 22:05:44 +0000

I think these are some of the best ukuleles I’ve ever heard that were not vintage. It even sounds brand new as good as some good quality vintage instruments do.

By: GString C1 Sun Concert Ukulele Review

GString C1 Sun Concert Ukulele Review — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 19:22:57 +0000

[...] one model from each major Hawaiian luthier. My first review towards that lofty ambition was the KoAloha KCM-00 and the next one is the C1 Sun Concert from the GString Ukulele [...]

By: DaveW

DaveW — Sat, 24 May 2008 09:42:42 +0000

Personally I don’t like them one bit. I don’t like the build, the look of them, and I can’t stand the sound. This does sound like I am a grumpy person but I’m not really like that – honest. Its just that for the life of me I can’t understand how these could be popular when there is so many other good brands out there.
For anyone who wishes to get one of these, I really would suggest they try one out first before ordering by mail. Don’t get me wrong here, you may well love them to bits, but personally I don’t.

By: howlinhobbit

howlinhobbit — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:15:53 +0000

Seeing the pores in the wood means they’ve put a light finish on it. This is a good thing as it doesn’t stiffen the top up like the heavier finishes. The top movement is what produces the sound and volume.

I have a Glyph ukulele and Dave Means french polishes his ukes. You can see the pores in mine as well.

By: Julie

Julie — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:54:19 +0000

Thanks for clearing up that issue. I had read on another forum where people were complaining about the pitted surface, so I wanted to make sure I at least talked about it. My Koa Pili Koko has the same issue. I don’t find it to be a problem at all…

By: GX9901

GX9901 — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:07:27 +0000

Nice review of the KoAloha concert. I would like to point out that the pitted surface finish really should not be considered a defect. You can see the pits in the wood grain because KoAloha does not grain-fill before applying the final coats of their finish. G-String ukulele does the same thing (I own one) and I believe Kamaka also. This is done on purpose. Whether it’s to save on costs or because it doesn’t impede the sound as much as a glass-smooth surface, I do not know.