Back this week with a ukulele that requires me to point out some bias - it's from a brand that is probably one of my favourites. This is the Kanile'a 'Ilikai Tenor Pro Ukulele
I've been on record several times saying that there is just something about the feel of a Kanile'a ukulele that moves me in ways that others never have quite so much. And this particular one has interested me for a few months now as something quite different from their usual offering. In fact I believe this is the first full production model (specials and store exclusives aside) from Kanile'a to NOT use Hawaiian Koa in the tone woods. Say hello to the 'Ilikai which I am told means 'horizon' for reasons that are probably obvious from the look!
SUMMARY VIDEO REVIEW
The bridge is the usual Kanile'a style pin bridge made of jet black ebony and is sublimely finished and smooth. That holds a compensated synthetic bone (Tusq) saddle in black. Spacing here is 44mm.
But it's all about the finish on the 'Ilikai. Yes, you get the usual UV cured gloss that Kanile'a are so famous for (best glosses in the business in my opinion - people think 'gloss is gloss' but when you see something like Kanile'a gloss - trust me, they are NOT all equal), but the woods all around are stained in red on the lower bouts and blue on the upper creating the 'horizon' look from the name - earth and sea.. (or if you turn it upside down a sunset over the ocean I suppose!). I fully understand that coloured ukuleles are not everybody's cup of tea, but this is really doing it for me - and I'm actually surprised at my own reaction. It's very much a statement ukulele, very bold and... well... I think it's a beauty. And of course you can still see the wood grain so the colouring is not 'hiding' anything. To add to that, most 'naturally coloured' ukes are stained, just in wood tones.. so what is the difference really?. You also get some ebony binding to the top and a black soundhole ring which I think is 'just enough' to finish it off. Oh, and you also get an oval side sound port which I think may be the first i've seen on a Kanile'a? Cor..
Inside is tidy and employs more of the Kanile'a trademark tech developments in both the Tru R bracing (with cutouts and clever fitting that allows the top to move more) and Tru Reduction thich thins parts of the sound board top with a latticed etching pattern to remove weight and keep stability. Yes please!
The neck is made from a single piece of mahogany and is another star of the show, as they are on every Kanile'a I have played. There is something about the neck from this brand that is so comfortable for me. It's satin, and tapers to a well flattened nut profile and 38mm nut width (30mm from G to A). The perfect neck profile for my tastes as they always are with this brand.
It's topped with more ebony for the fingerboard which, like the bridge is smooth, dark and in superb condition. It has 19 frets with a 14th fret body joint and all are dressed wonderfully. Position dots are made of poplar stained turquoise at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, double 12th and 15th and these are repeated with smaller stained poplar dots on the side. One thing that I think is a slight shame is it is not edge bound so you see the fret ends, even if you can't feel them.
It's topped with more ebony for the fingerboard which, like the bridge is smooth, dark and in superb condition. It has 19 frets with a 14th fret body joint and all are dressed wonderfully. Position dots are made of poplar stained turquoise at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, double 12th and 15th and these are repeated with smaller stained poplar dots on the side. One thing that I think is a slight shame is it is not edge bound so you see the fret ends, even if you can't feel them.
The nut is made from more black Tusq and unsurprisingly for a Kanile'a that came to be via Southern Ukulele Store, the set up is perfect.
The headstock is the usual Kanile'a shape and wonderfully thin from front to back. It's faced in something ebony and carries the Kanile'a K logo which is also made from blue stained poplar.
The tuners are not Grover as they originally were from this uke brand but look comparable in quality and are stamped with Kanile'a. They are open gears with small black buttons and work brilliantly.
Completing the package are a set of Worth fluoro strings on strings one to three and a GHS Phosphor bronze wound on the G. That immediately makes sense to me with the use of bright sounding maple. You also get the Kanile'a padded gig bag which again is about as good as it gets with bags. And the price... well premium uke prices are ever rising and this one is no different at a cool $2,745, or if you buy from SUS in the UK £2,499. Big money and it prices me out of owning one. That's significantly more than their entry level natural koa tenor at $925, but that is an unfair comparison as this is a pro spec instrument with gloss and bindings so more comparable to the koa tenor Pro (though is still more expensive than that). I can see there is a lot more going on here though with things like the staining, and stained wooden inlays. Hey, it's a Kanile'a hand made in Hawaii, it was never going to be five hundred quid!
So, OK, as expected from Kanile'a, a sublime build and finish. I put a teaser pick up before this review and it's fair to say that based on my followers the looks are 'divided', but even for someone like me who prefers a simpler looking uke I just can't stop looking at this. I think it's quite beautiful. I am intrigued by the use of maple in all the tone woods though and whether that is going to be just too much 'zip', but that's where the second half of the review comes in.
Basics are, as fully expected from this brand and the store that carried it, superb. Faultless setup. It's not at all heavy at 625g and is wonderful to hold.
The volume is wonderful and as is the sustain that just goes on and on.. Top marks
Now the core tone. A fully maple uke.... Yes there is a crisp-ness and yes there is a low G keeping some of the low end, but honestly this one has foxed me and I put that down to the clever people building them. This is NOT just 'some slabs of maple with strings on' - there is so much more going on with this. Sure it's crisp as I say, but it has a wonderful rounded tone that is incredibly interesting to listen to. I sometimes mention in reviews that they get a 'my wife' test. She hears everything I test and only on very rare occasion does she turn her head and say 'that sounds wonderful'. She did that to this one. Views like that are of value to me as they are not expected or asked for. The uke did the job!
Strummed this certainly has some brightness, crispness and attack, but there is masses of range too meaning it doesn't sound strident, too in your face or one dimensional. Fingerpicking is just utterly delightful and as addictive to play this way as all Kanile'a ukuleles tend to be. I sometimes use the term 'plays itself' sparingly, but it always applies to Kanile'a.
I put much of this down to the fact that making a wonderful ukulele is not simply a case of 'cutting a front back and sides out, glueing braces on and putting it together'. This is where you see the difference between cheaper factory production and a more considered build as I have no doubt that a big part of the complex tone here is down to the magicians at work with tuning the actual build. Add in to that a neck feel which, whilst subjective of course is just absolute perfection for my tastes and, well...
This is impeccable - all Kanile'a instruments are I think, but I like the boldness with this one. It's out of my price range and I fully accept the views on looks are divided, but remember what I always say. Looks don't make sound. This is wonderfully (and cleverly) built and finished and plays like an utter dream.
Another dream uke to highly recommend!
Another dream uke to highly recommend!
And thank you so much to Southern Ukulele Store for letting me borrow this one!
UKULELE SPECS ROUNDUP
Model: Kanile'a 'Ilikai Pro
Scale: Tenor
Body: Flamed maple
Bridge: Ebony pin bridge
Saddle: Black Tusq, compensated
Spacing at saddle: 44mm
Finish: Gloss
Neck: One piece mahogany
Fingerboard: Ebony
Frets: 19, 14 to body
Nut: Black Tusq
Nut width: 38mm, 30mm G to A
Tuners: Kanile'a branded open gears
Strings: Worth clear with GHS bronze low G
Extras: Padded gig bag
Weight: 625g
Country of origin: USA
Price: £2,499
UKULELE PROS
Sublime build and finish
Bold statement looks
Bold statement looks
Terrific volume and sustain
Remarkably balanced tone considering the tonewoods
Wonderfully playable feel
UKULELE CONS
UKULELE CONS
Don't be silly...
UKULELE SCORES
Looks - 10 out of 10
Fit and finish - 9.5 out of 10
Sound - 9.5 out of 10
Value for money - 9 out of 10
OVERALL UKULELE SCORE - 9.5 out of 10
UKULELE VIDEO REVIEW
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Hard to tell I now due to different tone wood, but how does this compare to the K1 previous generation build?
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