推荐型号：Pono ATD、Pono MTD
Ko'olau, known as the old K by piano friends, relied on his previous experience in making and repairing violins to directly enter the high-end ukulele market in 1990 when the ukulele market recovered, taking the limited edition customized route, which was expensive. Jake Shimabukuro's younger brother, Bruce Shimabukuro, used Ko'olau custom pianos.
Ko'olau currently focuses on making custom instruments, from the foundation to the collection of four series: 100, Deluxe, Permium and CS. Kamaka's custom pianos have high requirements for the customizer's skills, while Ko'olau custom does not value these and prefers to provide customized services for those who need it. The customization process is simple, the price is clear, and you can choose from many series, even if you don't know how to play the piano, you can also customize it according to your preferences. Starting at $1,795, the glossy side is $500 more expensive than the matte side; Details such as headstock, fretboard, knobs, etc., can be added to choose the preferred material, and the production cycle can be as long as a year, but for this meticulousness, it is worth the wait.
Designed and produced by Noa Bonk and Ryan Condon, as Ko'olau's first concave back instrument, the ARCHTOP has a slimmer body, open sound holes on both sides, and a special shape, which is suitable for fans who like different ukulele shapes and larger body size. However, due to channel and customization reasons, Ko'olau did not have a particularly high reputation in China, but later launched a relatively mid-range, mass-produced brand Pono, which has a good reputation.
Although Pono's factory is located in Indonesia, the body design and control are all in Hawaii, and after the production is completed, it needs to be sent to Hawaii for final adjustments, and the industry reputation has been good. Pono pays the most attention to the timbre, and the appearance is too simple compared to the piano of the same price, and it is not conspicuous at first glance, but as soon as it comes out, you know that Pono has put in the production process.
In particular, we recommend the Pono ATD and MTD of the D series, which have a finely polished glossy lacquer surface that resonates better than the regular series, and uses original Ko'olau strings, plus the internal adjustable neck curvature feature, which is durable and brings a better feel. ATD is shiny Honduran mahogany full single, Honduran mahogany is the highest quality wood in mahogany, suitable for pop fingerstyle, modern fingerstyle, pop singing and classical. MTD is acacia wood, which has the advantage of not breaking the sound when playing powerful tunes. The price of both models is about 5000 yuan, which is a good choice for advancement.
