Great video, I personally like the tone from the spruce, but that could be because I've mostly played acoustic guitars with either cedar or spruce. I have recently begun a journey of building my first tenor ukulele and decided to go with a spruce top, I've already thickness sanded it down to about 0.0800 or I'm sure of this...half ways between 1/16" and 2/16". Someone handed me a homemade uke that was around 2/16 and it was dead, my soprano martins are 0.08, but that's mahogany.
He said that spruce is too soft for the back and side but I know of a good ukulele luthier that use spruce to make top back and sides, and say that it sounds good, the problem is that I dont saw any video of a whole spruce uke here in the youtube
@greendog105 You probably won't find a video of a whole spruce ukulele, because it is not a good choice. Neck, back and side should be a stiff frame, which doesn't absorb the vibration to give a certain sustain, while the top should be of softer or thinner wood to vibrate most and create the sound. You can take spruce for the whole body, but for back and side it needs to be thicker and have more bracings.
No question but the koa wood is FAR more attractive, visually. But how does it change the sound? I'm using some fairly expensive earphones, but I don't think I'm catching half of it. Besides, I'm not as much of a musician as you are.
How do YOU describe the difference in tone?
Koa is an acacia. While one of the fastest-growing trees in Hawai'i, it still takes 20 or more years to produce a tree large enough for tone wood. Good koa wood is hard to find and expensive; someday we will reforest.
the koa is much brighter in tone , where ase the spruce seems to ressonate a much warmer mello tone personally in the case of these 2 sopranos. i myself prefere the spruce top. although the look of the koa soprano is far better in my opinion anyway.
both fantastic sounding, spruce have a cleaner sound, while the koa is abit more mellow. And koa produced a very authentic ukulele sound, while the spruce produced a quite classical nylon guitar sound, so i guess depending on the sound you're after, but koa top(body) definately have a much more authentic ukulele sound which spruce can not produce, and again, i am not saying spruce doesn;t sound good
The spruce sounded like a little guitar, and the koa sounded like a ukulele. I prefer in this case the koa. Should it be a tenor, I will have to listen again very carefully
I have an Koa ukulele, and its not pronounced how you say it.
The Koa Wood is mainly found in Hawai'i, (Big Island) and Mau'i but, Koa Wood is Scarce, and there is only a few forests because of all the wild Cattle. The Koa wood is the best you can get for a beautiful rich sound.
Koa is an endemic Hawaiian wood found nowhere else in the world to my knowledge. It is important to know that other acacias are relatives but did not grow in the Hawaiian islands. They may be more plentiful and therefore less expensive. People with "Koa" ukuleles have a right to make the point that koa is NOT acacia. While other acacias are similar, they are not the same wood. Check it out. Koa is more beautiful.
@curlykoa: It's true that koa is an endemic Hawaiian wood and the ukulele used in this video is made of Hawaiian koa!
However, you wrote "Koa is not acacia", which is not really correct. The botanic name is "koa acacia". Therefore it is better to say: Koa is acacia, but not every acacia is koa!
Haveta admit I prefer koa (maybe a snob thing) but after listen to this with eyes open and eyes closed, cican't discern a big enough difference to warrant the price..But, I still would go for the koa (ok, a snob thing I hate to admit) Although for those super musical types, not being being a music expert, I probably can't pick out all the nuances that there are... Just my 2cents(not that 2 cents buy much any more)
i think because of the wood...the koa has a wider range of volume levels...there was a noticable difference when the song kinda picked up.. the spruce is definatly not as crisp. but then again the spruce seems to harmonize each not easier while the koa every string and note is loud and well defined...sooo...i think id go with the spruce...lol it has a nice balance and im sure with better strings and a good pick it can sound beautiful.
The problem is you can build two ukes of the same wood, as close as possible the same and they can sound different. The Kamaka factory admits that themselves.
this is wierd... they sound opposite to what i would think..
usually koa is more rich and blends great (fantastic for struming) but spruce, u can hear individual notes well, has alot of volume aswell (great for picking)but risa has managed to balance these thing they sound great, especially the koa
The koa sounds brighter & not as loud. The spruce has greater volume and warmer sound. For me the spruce is great for fingerstyle. I own Koa ukes, cedar, spruce & mahogany top ukes. I love to play my Kamaka tenor 6 string when singing my hawaiian songs. Beautiful full bright sound. I play my other ukes for other songs and instrumentals. In the end, i say, buy them all. But then again, I'm ukulele crazy, i can't stop collecting them. I've got Uke fever bad.
Wow, everyone hears a difference aside from me. =O I was expecting some huge difference, and maybe there is to ukulele players, but to me they sound the same. =/
The strum sounds fuller on the Spruce top, but the picking sounds a little more crisper on the Koa. It is, no doubt, because of the type of wood used on the face,and the ability each has to harbor or project sound. The firmness of Koa, the softer yet more sound harboring Spruce. We get a unique sound from using Guava and Mango wood. The only problem with that is the time it takes for the wood to cure and totally dry out. Aloha!
Well done, a great way to get an "apples-to-apples" comparison. Rigk, how would you describe the differences? To my ear the koa sounds richer and fuller, as if the sound is being generated by the entire instrument. The spruce is more precise with fewer undertones. I'm very interested to hear your impressions. Thanks! MNQ
It is very difficult to find good words for a sound. It is a little bit like describing a good wine. I like both sounds very much. I cannot say that one is better than the other. They are just different, but not good or bad.
I think you're building the best production ukes in the world... KoAloha vs RISA, I don't know what to choose!!!! (well, you have better prices hehehehe)
what kind of ukulele used
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david321k 1 week ago
What brand are these ukes? Who makes them? Are these available in US?
popitn2nd 2 months ago
wow fuck the comparisons I want a how to video for how you play Michelle on the uke!!! Great job!
ohmysparticus 3 months ago
Great video, I personally like the tone from the spruce, but that could be because I've mostly played acoustic guitars with either cedar or spruce. I have recently begun a journey of building my first tenor ukulele and decided to go with a spruce top, I've already thickness sanded it down to about 0.0800 or I'm sure of this...half ways between 1/16" and 2/16". Someone handed me a homemade uke that was around 2/16 and it was dead, my soprano martins are 0.08, but that's mahogany.
Maysey1 4 months ago
He said that spruce is too soft for the back and side but I know of a good ukulele luthier that use spruce to make top back and sides, and say that it sounds good, the problem is that I dont saw any video of a whole spruce uke here in the youtube
greendog105 7 months ago
@greendog105 You probably won't find a video of a whole spruce ukulele, because it is not a good choice. Neck, back and side should be a stiff frame, which doesn't absorb the vibration to give a certain sustain, while the top should be of softer or thinner wood to vibrate most and create the sound. You can take spruce for the whole body, but for back and side it needs to be thicker and have more bracings.
ukuleledotde 7 months ago 2
No question but the koa wood is FAR more attractive, visually. But how does it change the sound? I'm using some fairly expensive earphones, but I don't think I'm catching half of it. Besides, I'm not as much of a musician as you are.
How do YOU describe the difference in tone?
Koa is an acacia. While one of the fastest-growing trees in Hawai'i, it still takes 20 or more years to produce a tree large enough for tone wood. Good koa wood is hard to find and expensive; someday we will reforest.
ImperialistRunningDo 11 months ago
The strings are RISA-Premimum Fluorocarbon high-G
ukuleledotde 1 year ago
what strings are those?
sosuperreal 1 year ago
the koa is much brighter in tone , where ase the spruce seems to ressonate a much warmer mello tone personally in the case of these 2 sopranos. i myself prefere the spruce top. although the look of the koa soprano is far better in my opinion anyway.
FIGHTFORFREEBASE 1 year ago
I been looking around for tabs for that song, but never found anything close to wat ur playing...SOLID...
Did you for out the medley all your own? nice...
I got to find a way to learn that, lol.
islandboy801 1 year ago
@islandboy801 Sorry, don't have tabs for it. Arranged and learned by listening.
ukuleledotde 1 year ago
great video. Gives a good idea of the difference between the two materials. Thank you.
pkneeno 1 year ago
what song are you playing here???
rspektorfan 1 year ago
@rspektorfan Michelle (Beatles)
ukuleledotde 1 year ago
Mate! Is it my ears or what... I can't tell the difference just by listening. Both sound supremely superb!
idrnoel 1 year ago
Koa sounds more lively and more dynamic - Spruce sounds more mellow and relaxed
etyrnal 1 year ago
That was an excellent demo and comparison of the two woods. Nice playing on, "Michele." Thanks!
thatvoice4 1 year ago
both fantastic sounding, spruce have a cleaner sound, while the koa is abit more mellow. And koa produced a very authentic ukulele sound, while the spruce produced a quite classical nylon guitar sound, so i guess depending on the sound you're after, but koa top(body) definately have a much more authentic ukulele sound which spruce can not produce, and again, i am not saying spruce doesn;t sound good
jazzysam1314 1 year ago
Thank you so much for this comparison of the different woods. They both sound so beautiful... lovely presentation
globalstrummer 1 year ago
are sopranos better than concerts im thinking of getting a kala soprano??
1984noway 1 year ago
the koa sounds a lot fuller
skate4element96 2 years ago
The spruce sounded like a little guitar, and the koa sounded like a ukulele. I prefer in this case the koa. Should it be a tenor, I will have to listen again very carefully
cienanosdesoledad 2 years ago
hey i liked your video man.
and thanks for the heads up between those types of wood.
but the song being played, was that micheall? (think i spelt it wrong) but by the beatles right or no/?
Yeahv 2 years ago
Yes, that is Michelle by the Beatles.
ukuleledotde 2 years ago
I have an Koa ukulele, and its not pronounced how you say it.
The Koa Wood is mainly found in Hawai'i, (Big Island) and Mau'i but, Koa Wood is Scarce, and there is only a few forests because of all the wild Cattle. The Koa wood is the best you can get for a beautiful rich sound.
Ukuleleboys808 2 years ago
Koa is an endemic Hawaiian wood found nowhere else in the world to my knowledge. It is important to know that other acacias are relatives but did not grow in the Hawaiian islands. They may be more plentiful and therefore less expensive. People with "Koa" ukuleles have a right to make the point that koa is NOT acacia. While other acacias are similar, they are not the same wood. Check it out. Koa is more beautiful.
curlykoa 2 years ago
@curlykoa: It's true that koa is an endemic Hawaiian wood and the ukulele used in this video is made of Hawaiian koa!
However, you wrote "Koa is not acacia", which is not really correct. The botanic name is "koa acacia". Therefore it is better to say: Koa is acacia, but not every acacia is koa!
ukuleledotde 2 years ago 5
I thought the Koa was more mellow sounding to my ear. The spruce was brighter. I like em both. The Koa just looks better to me. More natural.
march1959 2 years ago
the one with the spruce top sounds smoother to me. Both really nice though.
tommart123 2 years ago
the koa is brighter, and sounds fuller.
IanKusekSoloArtist 2 years ago
Haveta admit I prefer koa (maybe a snob thing) but after listen to this with eyes open and eyes closed, cican't discern a big enough difference to warrant the price..But, I still would go for the koa (ok, a snob thing I hate to admit) Although for those super musical types, not being being a music expert, I probably can't pick out all the nuances that there are... Just my 2cents(not that 2 cents buy much any more)
gd230 2 years ago
it pisses my friends with koa wood ukes off when i call it acacia
allupinyourgrillxxx 2 years ago
The correct name is "koa acacia", therefore it is alright to call it acacia.
ukuleledotde 2 years ago
well you know white people.
it's gotta be KOA!, so they can kick it to their hawaiian ancestery.
allupinyourgrillxxx 2 years ago
Excellent vid, thank you!
one1jonne1one 2 years ago
Great demo of Koa versus spruce. Any chance we can get the tabs for that song?
hepgeoff 2 years ago
Apples and oranges
chiefhalftown 2 years ago
koa has the crispness, and spruce is smooth. does anyone know the sound difference between a spalted maple wood, and a spruce wood??
jacobbobcorn 2 years ago
i think because of the wood...the koa has a wider range of volume levels...there was a noticable difference when the song kinda picked up.. the spruce is definatly not as crisp. but then again the spruce seems to harmonize each not easier while the koa every string and note is loud and well defined...sooo...i think id go with the spruce...lol it has a nice balance and im sure with better strings and a good pick it can sound beautiful.
jhummus 3 years ago
michelle! great sounding version, and a good choice for comparison!
davedono 3 years ago
i like the koa.
How much is that?
zignosband 3 years ago
It was a limitted edition for €450 of RISA Musical Instruments which is not available anymore.
ukuleledotde 3 years ago
The problem is you can build two ukes of the same wood, as close as possible the same and they can sound different. The Kamaka factory admits that themselves.
douglaskford 3 years ago
this is wierd... they sound opposite to what i would think..
usually koa is more rich and blends great (fantastic for struming) but spruce, u can hear individual notes well, has alot of volume aswell (great for picking)but risa has managed to balance these thing they sound great, especially the koa
UkuleleExplosion 3 years ago
i am personally a fan of koa wood.
Fortetennis 3 years ago
russian balalaika :))
Antoffka 3 years ago
the spruce sounds kinda caned in. which is nice.
and the koa sounds bright and crisp.
yaaaboii14 3 years ago
Great video! A perfect comparison between the woods.
I think it may have dampered my UAS a bit, too, since I have one with the sound I prefer. :D
SailQwest 3 years ago
the koa was a bit brighter for me
captainkhung 3 years ago
I agree with whoever said the spruce sounds more spanishy. The koa sounds rich and dark.
droctagon17 3 years ago
Great comparison. Thank you.
The koa sounds brighter & not as loud. The spruce has greater volume and warmer sound. For me the spruce is great for fingerstyle. I own Koa ukes, cedar, spruce & mahogany top ukes. I love to play my Kamaka tenor 6 string when singing my hawaiian songs. Beautiful full bright sound. I play my other ukes for other songs and instrumentals. In the end, i say, buy them all. But then again, I'm ukulele crazy, i can't stop collecting them. I've got Uke fever bad.
Tor
torbrennus 3 years ago
the Koa sounds brighter
HeavenlySorrows 3 years ago
Wow, everyone hears a difference aside from me. =O I was expecting some huge difference, and maybe there is to ukulele players, but to me they sound the same. =/
MRxMADxMONKEY 3 years ago
Haha, i havent even touched a ukulele in my life, and i can see alot of diffrance
Zayk54 3 years ago
The Spruce sounds mellower with more of a midrange.
CheezeyWeezey 3 years ago 3
I chose a spruce top because I know that is what is used on well made accoustic guitars, I'm happy I made the choice I did now.
SeidMadr 3 years ago
the spruce sounds a little brighter, and more spanishy, is how I would describe it. the koa is warmer, and crisper.
I'd just end up buying both, anyways... :/
maaingan 4 years ago
this is an important video comparison and I learned from you.... thank you
Boondockflyfish 4 years ago
rigk knows his ukuleles.
i hope to own a koa wood one
one day.
for more ukulele
click on the username above...
Yookyoolaylee 4 years ago
if i could afford the kow i would prefer that for sure
pmeflip 4 years ago
The strum sounds fuller on the Spruce top, but the picking sounds a little more crisper on the Koa. It is, no doubt, because of the type of wood used on the face,and the ability each has to harbor or project sound. The firmness of Koa, the softer yet more sound harboring Spruce. We get a unique sound from using Guava and Mango wood. The only problem with that is the time it takes for the wood to cure and totally dry out. Aloha!
olu143 4 years ago
If thies ukes are guitars, koa uke sounds like a classic concert guitar and spruce uke sounds like a flamenco guitar.
glus 4 years ago
Well done, a great way to get an "apples-to-apples" comparison. Rigk, how would you describe the differences? To my ear the koa sounds richer and fuller, as if the sound is being generated by the entire instrument. The spruce is more precise with fewer undertones. I'm very interested to hear your impressions. Thanks! MNQ
MercurialAndQuixotic 4 years ago
That's exactly what I here. Great comparison.!
dgekkyl 4 years ago
It is very difficult to find good words for a sound. It is a little bit like describing a good wine. I like both sounds very much. I cannot say that one is better than the other. They are just different, but not good or bad.
ukuleledotde 4 years ago
thats what I was hearing too. Except I wouldn't have been able to describe it so precisely! :)
And great video ukuleledotde!
davoomac 3 years ago
hmmmm It's better to have both... Koaloha for hawaiian sound and RISA for old time sound!!!!
FranSpain 4 years ago
are you going to sell Risa koa sopranos?
FranSpain 4 years ago
Yes, but it is a limited edition. Currently, we have 5 Sopranos and 5 Concerts. The Tenors are already sold.
ukuleledotde 4 years ago
well, I'll have to wait untill the next limited edition production (if I were a rich man nananananananananananananananaaaaaa...).
I haven't seen this edition in your website.
FranSpain 4 years ago
I think you're building the best production ukes in the world... KoAloha vs RISA, I don't know what to choose!!!! (well, you have better prices hehehehe)
FranSpain 4 years ago