11 Jun 2012

Big Island Koa Traditional Concert ukulele - REVIEW

Time for another Got A Ukulele instrument review. For a while now I have been looking to plug the gap in my collection at the concert scale. That basically consists of my Mainland Mahogany and my wife's Pono MHC. Both of those are very nice ukes, but as I own Koa Hawaiian instruments in the tenor and soprano scale, I have developed a love for the richness of tone that wood brings.  Enter the Big Island Koa Traditional Concert.

big island koa concert ukulele

Now I do like to keep a balance on Got A Ukulele by reviewing both cheap and pricey instruments. Well this one falls in the middle, at the upper end of the intermediate level instruments (price £370).  As tempted as I was to go for a Hawaiian or luthier built Koa, I wanted to look at something more affordable. This places this uke at a price considerably higher than the £180 Mainland uke, and only a bit higher than the £350 Pono model. For this review I will principally be comparing this uke to both of those.  I was also intrigued by this instrument and suppose I took a bit of a chance with it - whilst there are several reviews online of their Honu line of instruments (pretty much the same save for different stylings on the bridge and headstock), I've not yet found a review of the standard Big Island models - surely there must be more of them out there?

So what gives this uke, an all solid Koa instrument a lower price point? Well, Big Island, despite being a Hawaiian based company (in Hilo) don't put these together on the Islands, rather they are built in Vietnam. Much like many other top brands, such as Kanile'a with their Islander range or Ko'olau with their Pono range, manufacturers have looked at creating more affordable instruments by outsourcing the building to the far east. What Big Island did was something different though. They outsourced all of their builds to the far east, but maintained control of the wood, growing, harvesting and shipping their own Koa for building. The finished instruments return to Hawaii for final checks before being shipped out. Can that compare to a pure Island brand?

The Big Island series comprise three options - this standard 'Traditional' model uke, their Tortoise Rope curly koa model, and a solid Hawaiian Mango model. When you look at the ukes I own, I don't go in for much bling, and the binding or fancy wood of the other two models didn't really appeal - for me its about how the wood looks and sounds mainly. The fact this is gloss is something of a concession for me too, but they don't offer a satin finish.

So what we have is a beautiful, yet plain instrument. The finish all over this uke is absolutely first class, and I gave a genuine gasp when I took it from it's case (thanks again to the guys at Southern Ukulele Store). In fact, I will stick my neck out and state that, Hawaiian ukes included, this is the nicest finished ukulele I own - it really is absolutely perfect all over. Not a glue drop or imperfection anywhere and the gloss is deep and even and really makes the wood shimmer.

big island concert ukulele body
Starting with the body we have a traditional uke shape with a  wide butt. In fact the uke is actually what I would call a jumbo concert in the body department - it is considerably bigger than my Mainland or Pono, and in fact won't fit in either of their standard concert uke hard cases (something you should note if buying one). The top and back are book matched beautifully and the grain is really stripy with some nice dark patches. It's got a beautiful orange hue that looks so warm and I am very taken with it. It has that wonderful koa grain that if tilted in the right light has a kind of 3d effect to it with colours changing depending on how you look at it. The finish is sublime. It's a league above the finish of the Mainland, and ahead of the Pono (which is also beautiful). The grain on this though leaves the Pono in the shade, but that is koa wood for you.

big island concert ukulele back

I was very pleased to note that the wood pieces on the back (also book matched) match the top perfectly.  The top and back wood grains are pretty straight, but there is a bit more curl in the wood used for the sides. The sides are in two pieces and don't quite match on the join at the butt, but this is a factory instrument away from premium prices so I can forgive it that.

big island concert ukulele sides

As I say, all brilliantly put together. Standard slotted kerfling inside the ukulele assists with holding the top and back to the sides, and the bracing looks fairly standard issue but is nicely scalloped.


big island concert ukulele bridge


The bridge is a standard square tie bar affair made from East Indian Rosewood and looks well made. The saddle is made of bone, and is shaped in a compensated pattern to assist with intonation. For me, the jury is out on these as I don't consider the scale of a ukulele demands them (and my Kanilea Tenor doesn't have a compensated saddle and intonation on it is perfect) - but there you go - it can't do any harm I suppose. Incidentally, the uke came strung with the now ubiquitous Aquila strings. I like Aquilas, but this gets me down as they now seem to appear on absolutely everything. I actually tend to find them overkill and boomy on finer solid wood ukes, and think fluorocarbon strings suit these ukes much better. Anyway, I immediately swapped them out (yes, I did try them first - boomy!) and currently have Martin Flourocarbons on it. I also have some Worth Clear Dense on their way as they get good reviews on the Big Island Honu line of ukes. As I often say about strings - experiment!

On to the neck and we have a neck made of mahogany and topped with an East Indian Rosewood fingerboard. I actually thought the neck was a one piece, but it isn't, it has a join at the heel - not that you would know as the join is so perfectly matched it's hard to spot. The neck has 20 nickel frets which are finished perfectly at the edges and incredibly small and low which should make for an easy playing experience. I love how the fingerboard comes down to the sound hole and is shaped around it.

big island concert ukulele fingerboard

The wood of the fingerboard is also nice and even and dark with very few lighter patches that can sometimes affect cheaper rosewood. Fret markers are provided in abalone at the 5th, 7th, 10th and 12th, and there are similar side markers too. The edges of the fingerboard are bound in a dark wood to hide the fret edges which is a nice touch - something missing from the Mainland uke.  I adore the neck profile too - its very shallow, yet has a good width at the nut. I usually like chunkier necks, but find this ever so comfortable.


big island concert ukulele headstock

On to the headstock and we have a bone nut (cut nice and shallow - I cannot stand huge tall nuts that have deep slots), and the mahogany head is topped with a face plate of Koa. Inlaid into this is a nice version of the Big Island logo in abalone - again, no finish issues with it whatsoever. It's a fairly stock three pointed crown style shape.


The tuners are unbranded, sealed, chrome geared with a 14:1 ratio. They are very nicely finished with small koa buttons which I think look absolutely great. They feel good too with the right amount of resistance and certainly not sloppy. Unfortunately, this is my first gripe with the instrument. I don't like geared tuners that stick out too much - makes a uke look like Mickey Mouse. These could benefit from being shrunk (the tuners, not the buttons) a touch, or attached on an angle to lessen the effect. The geared tuners on my Pono and Kanile'a stick out far less than these. A shame.

big island concert ukulele tuners

So, that is the uke described for you - but how does it play? Well firstly on to setup and tuning. The action, coupled with those low frets and thin profile neck make it a joy to play. Action is nice but I may well take it down a fraction, though that is no big job and certainly not a complaint. A check on intonation up the neck shows it's pretty damn good - not quite as accurate as my Kanile'a but certainly better than the Mainland, and on a par with the Pono. No complaints here - the uke plays well.

Sound wise - well, WOW it's rich! I had heard some reviews that these ukes were quiet. Well, it's not the loudest uke I own (that job goes to my Koaloha Soprano, but then that uke is louder than all my other ukes) but this is no slouch - its got a perfectly reasonable volume and when strummed hard a nice bark if you need it. I actually jammed with it on the second day of playing along with 9 other ukuleles in a crowded environment - it did take a little more effort to find it's place in the mix compared to, say, my Kanile'a or Koaloha, but it was there.

Fingerpicking makes it sound very sweet indeed. The tone is balanced across all the strings and when strummed the uke has an extremely rich chime sound to it. In fact its got a ring and a chime unlike any of my other ukes. Sure my Kanile'a Tenor beats it when picked, but I am not sure it does when strummed. It has almost a 3d sort of sound - in fact the best way I can describe it - it sounds like it has more strings on it than just four - a really rich shimmery sound that I adore. Whilst that may sound like the tone is confused or busy, it isn't - its very clear and you can hear every note being played in a strum. Sustain is superb too and after picking a string not only can I hear it ringing on, I can feel the wood of the body vibrating.

In fact, despite only playing this for a couple of days, first impressions are that this is probably the most balanced in tone and sound of all my ukes. Whilst it's not as loud as my Koaloha soprano, it beats it in strumming for richness of tone. Whilst it gets beaten by my Kanile'a Tenor in fingerpicking, I think it's up there with it in strumming richness - an altogether brighter and broader tone to my ears. And what about the other two concerts I mentioned? Well, compared to this, as much as I love my Mainland, the sound leaves the Mainland sounding rather thin and boxy. The finish on this also beats that one hands down.  As for the Pono - the finish just edges that uke (though that is probably as much down to wood choice than anything else), but it certainly has a broader tone and better volume. I actually think this says more about the Pono than the Mainland - this is more than twice the price of the Mainland - it should sound better! But if you are in the market for a Pono at this sort of price I suppose what I am saying is, try this one out for size.

For a ukulele that doesn't seem to get written about very much, I would like to think that this review may help to change that and get a few more out there. In fact, with this sound I will have to question myself if I do choose to buy a K Brand Concert - I mean, why?

big island concert ukulele soundhole

PROS

Wonderful construction, finish and setup
Beautiful wood choice
Nice neck profile and perfect frets
Rich broad sound

CONS

Tuners could be smaller
Can't makers ship with anything OTHER THAN Aquilas?
Body size may limit case choices


SCORES 

Looks - 9.5
Fit and finish - 10
Sound - 9
Value for money - 9

OVERALL - 9.3



Video Review


19 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I have looked at one of these in the past. The list of "cons" are pretty minor, which says a lot about the quality of the ukulele. Enjoy!

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  2. Yep - not much to dislike on this one Andy

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  3. That's a great review, and a beautiful, beautiful uke for a factory-built, nothing at all to dislike on it! I will have to covet my neighbour's uke, no avoiding it! Lesley

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  4. Thanks Lesley! Yeah, it's a looker! Glad it plays as well as it looks too as I'm quite often scared by unnecessary bling!

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  5. I bought this uke a few days ago after a lengthy hunt for my second (and first serious) ukulele. I can't agree with the above review more; this is a wonderful instrument, in both in terms of sound and appearance. I can't keep my hands off it! Truly a thing of beauty.

    I played this alongside several other concerts in a similsr price range at the Duke of Uke in London: the Pono MCD, Kala lacewood, and Lanikai LQA. This uke was in a different class in terms of tone, ease of play, and aesthetics. An easy choice in the end. I also tried the Big Island Curly Koa rope style concert, which was over £50 more expensive. I much preferred the sound of this model. More projection, richer.

    I also feel that the Aquilas are probably not the ideal strings for this uke, and will be trying out the Worth CDs soon.

    Overall I'm absolutely delighted with my purchase.

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  6. I bought this uke about a year ago and overall I like it. I do get some buzz but it could be my playing?/

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  7. There are many things that can cause buzzing aside from the instrument itself - check my guide in the beginners tips section

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  8. I have the Discontinued Khaya Mahogany Tenor A/E. I agree with most all you say. My example is satin, which wears to gloss at the strumming position at the cutaway, and a bit at the forearm position. I too removed the Aquila's as they sounded too brittle and a bit quiet. I replaced them with GHS Standard Ukulele tenor strings with a wound third and find them louder, and more traditional in looks but a bit stiffer to play. My one big gripe is the undersaddle piezo system from Fishman, usually a great brand, it's boomy if you touch the saddle or bridge and can offer a percussive note that isn't pleasant through an amp. I'm not sure if there is a cure for this, but it is what it is. Overall, I find it a bit quieter also, I have a 1958 Kamaka soprano that is a cannon against this much larger ukulele, I do find that a drawback.

    Fit and finish is superb. For a foreign assembled instrument, QC is squeeky tight and very good. Mine is now 5 yrs. old and has been dropped, dinged and played hard and never an issue. It's a great workhorse.

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  9. I 100% agree about Aquilas strings, they are not they best, just the most common on new Ukes. I bought a new solid Mango high end ukulele and the first thing I did was change out the Aquilas strings. They where horribly boomy.

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  10. Nice review. Thanks for this thorough assessment. According to their website, however, they are based in Honolulu, not Hilo. Cheers!

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  11. As a lefty I always have to look at whether the instrument is reversible but with the compensated saddle I think not.

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  12. You can buy left handed compensated saddles

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  13. Is that a simple case of lift one out, slot another one in Barry? Are they glued?

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  14. Yes - they pull out easily. They are designed to so that you can adjust them, add a pickup etc. Best take it to a tech if you dont' know what's what though as you will need to adjust a new one to get the same height / intonation etc. But it's absolutely achievable.

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  15. Thanks Barry. I've checked out and they seem to have increased a lot in price in the 5 years since you did your Review.

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  16. Replies
    1. Yes, I believe you can. though finding stock can be difficult

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  17. Replies
    1. If you still want one, I would sell mine. It is incredible!

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