REVEALED! Differences between KOA wood ukuleles and ACACIA wood ukuleles!
Vložit
- čas přidán 29. 01. 2021
- The waiting is over! Every time I post this type of videos a huge question always pops up: what's the difference between Koa wood Ukuleles and Acacia wood ukuleles? Well.. now is REVEALED! I tell you everything in this video, where you can see it and hear it by yourself!
But there is a difference? Which one is better? You will have to check this video to find out! But the cool thing about this particular video is that I'm using the same instrument a KoAloha Tenor ukulele with Low G, the Koa Wood Tenor ukulele Silver Anniversary KTM-25 (Made in Hawaii) and the Acacia wood Opio Tenor ukulele KTO-10.
You can check both ukuleles at the #1 Ukulele Online Shop: store.ukelikethepros.com
What you think? Which one is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!
FREE STUFF:
+ Free Ukulele Fundamentals Course
www.ukelikethepros.com/offers...
+ Free Guitar Q&A's Live Community Sessions
www.rocklikethepros.com/offer...
+ Free Ukulele Chord Chart
www.ukelikethepros.com/chords
+ Free Baritone Ukulele Chord Chart
www.ukelikethepros.com/barito...
+ Free Guitarlele Chord Chart
www.ukelikethepros.com/p/guit...
+ Free Uke Like The Pros Worldwide Forum
www.ukelikethepros.com/offers...
+ Free Uke Like The Pros Facebook Group
/ ukelikethepros
LOVE UKULELE AND WANT TO KNOW HOW TO GET BETTER? HERE ARE SOME NEXT STEPS!
1) SUBSCRIBE to learn how to improve your ukulele playing!
goo.gl/NYLjUD
2) FREE UKULELE FUNDAMENTALS COURSE:
www.ukelikethepros.com/offers...
3) BECOME A UKE LIKE THE PROS PREMIUM MEMBER FOR 33% OFF www.ukelikethepros.com/offers...
4) READY TO BUY A UKULELE? Check out my store, store.ukelikethepros.com
5) SUPPORT ME ON PATREON / ukelikethepros
6) LET'S CONNECT!
+ Blog: blog.ukelikethepros.com
+ Store: store.ukelikethepros.com
+ Instagram: / ukelikethepros
+ Patreon: / ukelikethepros
+ Facebook: / ukelikethepros
+ Twitter: / ukelikethepros
6) ARE YOU INTERESTED IN GUITAR? Check out Terry's guitar site, www.rocklikethepros.com
Thank you for subscribing.
Terry
#ukelikethepros #terrycarterukulele #ukulele
The Koa is definitely brighter , but not necessarily better . I like both . They are both beautiful . I would think you can change the sound with different strings . That’s the next comparison you should do !!
It may be that my ear is not sophisticated enough, but I could not tell the difference between the two. Both lovely.
Sounds like the Koa has more bass, and the Acacia has a more treble.
The Koa sounds more “rounded” what does that mean, well the way I think of it, is if we were to visually see the sound waves from both instruments, we would see more large mountainous shape waveform from the Koa, but the Acacia would have more of a hill shape waveform. Hope this helps!
Thank you for showcasing my Uke Terry, doesn't quite sound that good when I play it yet but I'm working on it! Hope to see you on the beach playing or in the line up soon... Tony
Anthony Morales surf's up
Thanks for this useful side.by side comparison. While I had difficulty discerning the differences I realized that in your professional hands almost any instrument can sound great. Technique matters and subtle differences in wood can be compensated for with subtle variations in strum picking timing and vibrato. I bow to a uke master.
The comparison is a good in so far as that they are both Koaloha tenors but the construction between the two ukuleles differs. Since late 2019 the Hawaiian made koa models have a slightly narrower waste and the neck now joins at the 14th fret. The acacia Opio models are still constructed in a manner similar to the earlier, pre late 2019 Hawaiian models - i.e., a wider waste with the bridge seated a little further forward because the neck joins at the 15th fret. This is said to give the models, either koa or acacia, a slightly more ‘base’ sound. A more accurate and useful comparison would have been to use your own KTM-00 tenor (older model) which would mirror the Opio so the only difference between them would have been the woods! Nice ukes either way.
Took me a while but then I did notice a big difference that I didn't hear right away though I plugged in my earphones to hear it better. But...how big is the influence from satin and gloss finish...
I watched several german videos on Pono Ukuleles and there the absolutely same wood sounded different when the instrument came in satin or gloss.
What a pitty that Koaloha doesn't have an acacia gloss version.
I actually think I like a satin finish more (from a tonal standpoint) - because of it is similar to mandolins, the satin finish isn't as much as the gloss finish - so the gloss finish takes away more of the sound after you down-strum.
It would have been better if the sound comparison had the same finish. If we didn't miss the fact that the satin-finished instruments sound a little brighter and lighter than the high-gloss instruments, even if they are made of the same wood.
I would be proud to own either one, they both sound great and are both beautiful ukulele's 👍.
Both are great! At first it sounded like the Acacia was a little brighter, but on listening again it's because the Koa sounded generally fuller with a rounder more balanced tone overall and more bottom end, which gave a sense of the Acaia being brighter as the top end stands out a bit more. Love these listening videos!
Great video. Thank you! I had asked about this on your KOA video because I have been looking at the KALA S-AT which is ACACIA. They both sound great. I noticed the difference most during your last comparison when you were playing slowly. Thanks again.
I think you summed it up perfectly! 😊👍
Thanks! I asked for this a few weeks ago and you responded! Koa is, as you said, a variety of acacia. I thought the Thai acacia sounded warmer, which I prefer in a Low G.
Koa is so angelic sound, thank you so much, it’s the first time I am in love with a ukulele sound.
Thank you so much, it’s a revelation for me :)
Both are really pretty, I want both 😭😭😭😭
The 25th anniversary Koa Tenor is roughly $3500 form what I’ve seen online! I’ve watched so many of your videos since I began my quest to play the Ukulele. I really feel like your geared towards a more high end audience who can afford very expensive instruments. And all the bells and whistles that go with them. Most every video I’ve watched your sell, sell, selling one thing or another. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, I’m guessing it’s how you make your living. I’m a novice when it comes to the ukulele. So the chances at this stage in my life of ever purchasing an Ukulele for $3500? Are about the same odds I’ll hit the lottery for big money🤑
Koa is a warmer fuller sound but both are really nice
Still love this video. Great comparison
they both sound great. the difference wasn't very big on my laptop.
Like them both, but would pick Koa. Mahalo!
Me too
I would love to see more concert sized ukes as that seems to be the standard ukulele but I could be wrong
Interesting comparison between 2 comparable instruments, well done ! From what I can hear (without headphones), the koa wood sounds cheerful, bright and warm. The acacia has a darker, more bassy voice. I'd say the koa one is more extravert and the acacia more introvert, lol. I was seriously impressed by the difference because I have ukuleles of both tonewoods and I had never really felt acacia was deeper sounding. On the contrary, I had the feeling that acacia had a bit more projection. But it was difficult for me to really notice : my acacia ukes are a tenor and a baritone, whereas the koa ones are all concerts or sopranos. I love my Kamaka koa pineapple for its amazing cheerfulness and island sound, and my Kala baritone for its sexy male voice, lol.
This is why acacia wood is used so much. The difference in tone is subtle while the cost is quite divergent.
I've been watching a lot of your reviews and have decided I want a koa baritone. Now I guess it's mainly a matter of waiting.
Kanilea makes some amazing koa baritones
Since I’ve never been able to afford a genuine Koa, I prefer the acacia wood sound. (Even though both koa and acacia are the same type tree, just grown in different places.) It’s just so much more familiar.
It seems the koa uke sounds more dynamic and full. But it real life when singing along and having a good time the difference is minute. For recording I would chose the koa though.
Koa sounds better to me like more full with fuller bass . Yet Koa is a lot more expensive to buy when Acacia toped ukulele can be found for a great deal. Especially if you can find someone selling B-stock that does not effect tone.
Hi from Vermont! I really dig them both! When I weigh my skillset on the ukulele against the two types then the Opio with Acacia wood is my choice. The differences are subtle to me at this point of my ukulele journey. Some may think the price difference is unwarranted. I feel like the longer you play and the better you get then the subtle nuances become extremely important. My current ukulele is very beginner "toy" sounding. I'm ready for my next big boy ukulele so I will be swiping one of these (Opio) up in the next week or two. If you want to suggest one that would be optimal :)
What’s new & exciting in your ukulele journey?
I like very much the satin finish of the Opio. I find sound of the acacia « dryer « , less rounded than the koa. Nice sound with the acacia but i prefer the koa sound as well as the wood apparence.
Very interesting comparison, thank You for that Video! In my ear, the Koa has a bit more volume in the reverb at the lower notes, while the Acacia is more defined, especially in the higher notes.
I'd probably prefer the Koa for strumming and the Acacia for picking, but both instruments sound really beautiful and for me surprisingly similar.
I do not own a Koa Ukulele (yet), but I have a soprano in all- Acacia with solid top and bottom (Ortega RUACA-SO) which is my best sounding Ukulele so far. But I also like the voice of my solid spruce top Uke (Casha Premium, got it in soprano and in tenor size) which is clearly more open than laminated Mahagony. Anyway I think that the difference solid/laminated is also a very important factor, (as well as the manufacturing quality) maybe as important as the used kind of wood.
Recently putted an all-solid Bamboo Uke on my wish list, curious how that very hard "wood" (in fact it's a grass) will sound.
Of course there is one more difference, which might be very important for some people: Koa is "original Hawaii" while Acacia and many other Woods (especially Bamboo) are not. But Koa is also a wood which I'd rather see as living tree than as instrument. I see no reason to insist for Koa, there are real good alternatives around.
At the end, it's a matter of individual taste anyway.
Great points. You will love the Koa wood once you get yourself one
@@Ukelikethepros I had opportunity to play a real hawaiian made and all solid Koa Uke once. (I don't remember the brand or model, but she told me that it was custom made and really expensive, above 3k. Was in a hardcase made of mirror polished teak plywood that had brighter inner layers, even that was very impressive.)
That Instrument sounded and looked absolutely beautiful, just perfekt in all ways! But I'd probably never own such a precious Instrument. I'm okay with that, I play my Ukes just for fun - and the Ukes in the prize level of few hundred bucks (or even less) can also sound very beautiful and/or interesting.
Like the Bamboo-Uke I mentioned above. (Meanwhile I have her here)
Her voice is as "cold" as her blue stone washed Bamboo finish. When the voice of a Koa Uke is warm and remembers to a beautiful sunset behind a cozy hammock on a palm draped beach, the voice of this all solid Bamboo Uke remembers to an iceberg floating in the arctic. But she's (loud!) very open-sounding, she has a long sustain with good volume (more than the solid top&bottom acacia) and, dang: she sounds so very precise, clean and defined! Especially picking, but also the strums sound somehow pure. Not lovely or beautiful, but nevertheless very impressive. Love it!
And with that one also came a (very cheap) Harley Benton made of Ashwood. I ordered her more out of curiosity and because I liked the grain of that wood. Didn't expected much, but equipped with good strings, she sound really astonishing.
with my head phones on, it seems the KOA had a clearer voice, clarity and projection, as compared to a fine spruce guitar, the acacia seemed more like a warmer tone similar to a mahogany guitar, with a mellow voice, less clarity but good resonance. However both had beautiful tones, so I would choose one over the other based on song types. Of course holding one and letting it resonate thru your hands and body along with the audio would be the best experience, like taste and smell, its more of the total experience.
nice comparison. what is the name of the song you're playing at @7:08 where you're finger picking? it's lovely.
The Koa. Wood has a mellower sound but only slightly. Not sure the price difference is worth it. But it depends on where you strum.
Almost the same. It is just the price tag that differs.
Both sound great, but the difference I hear is the difference I hear in all ukes and guitars when one is glossed and one has a satin finish. Gloss finished ukes always seem to be a little brighter and the sustain a little longer compared to their satin finish counterparts. But my old ears are just that old. Thank you for the comparison.
Koa = warm cup of coffee. Acacia = warm cup of tea. Both amazing. I'm more of a coffee person.
Not sure if I'm also influenced by the looks. I simply love the colour and iridescence of the koa wood. But every time I hear the acacia after the koa, the acacia sounds kind of dull to me.
So true !
My mom was born on Maui my (Apo) grandmother was 100% Hawaiian my mom's been playing the ukulele throughout the 50s and handed down to me(I am 63 female) how do I know if it is koa) or acacia koa and when did they stop making koa?
Nice
Koa sounds a little bit brighter and slightly more sustain. The acacia is a little more mellow. I like them both.
Anyone know the name of the song he plays at 6:33?
The Acacia sounds clearer t me. But I prefer the fuller, richer sound of the Koa.
Scrolling through I was like Max? Haha I was watching catfish earlier. Love the grey hair
Brightness on the acacia , deeper reverb on the Koa
The Koa sounds fuller. I'm quite disappointed with my Kala KA-GAS Golden Acacia solid top soprano (with Martin M600 strings). Low volume with thin sound.
The Koa KTM-25 is clearer (I think some say brighter) and the bass notes are not muddy. The Acacia KTO-10 has more 'plucky' notes or not as bright (crisp) and the bass notes are muddier. I can clearly hear a difference.
My old ears couldn't hear a difference. I'll stick with my Opio Acacia Concert and forget the koa. Gary Northrop
a trick : watch movies on flixzone. Been using it for watching all kinds of movies recently.
@Jimmy Trenton Definitely, I have been using flixzone for since december myself :D
In you last A/B, you didn't play the same sequence of chords, which made the comparison more difficult for me.
I liked the Koa Aloha
Koa defiantly has open sound and whereas acacia has muted or closed sound.
Koa is a great wood for ukuleles.
Koa definitely has a clearer and richer sound. Acacia sounds a little muddy in comparison.
Acacia vs mahogany pls
I think its a tie
I have a solid neck thru ‘87 Koa wood Peavey Unity bass. It sounds like mud compared to my maple body basses.
Looks nice but sounds like crap.
Interesting point. You don’t see tons of basses in Koa. Maybe the warmth of the Koa and the low end of the bass aren’t a great fit.
@@Ukelikethepros I think would be good for jazz...kind of sounds like an upright bass instead of an electric.
But because large slabs of Koa are extremely hard to find and expensive I keep the bass based totally on its value, not it’s sound.
You said the Acacia model is made in Thailand. Are the Koa's made there too? I really don't think the sound difference justifies the big price difference between the two. I guess if you have plenty of cash and are somewhat of a "Ukulele Snob" then the Koa is the go..ha ha..
The Koa are made in Hawaii
Koa is a softer, more angelic sound than acacia. Acacia sounds more tinny, but still a nice sound.
I think this too : angelic sound.
I never heard something like that, It was a real pleasure !
Isn’t Koa just the Hawaiian name for Acacia wood? In essence are they not the same?
No. Acacia is a genus, koa is a species in that genus that is endemic to Hawaii. There are other species in the Acacia genus, which are typically referred to as Acacia. In other words, Koa is acacia, but not all acacia is koa.
With my headphones on I can hear a bit more clarity of the strings with the koa uke. The acacia sounded like it had a bit more volume at the lowest end. They both sound similar.
l like acacia more because acacia sounds sweet for me.
🤔 Hmm... Koa is an acacia... 'Koa' is the Hawaiian name the variant of the species that grows natively. Acacias that grow elsewhere (Far East, Africa etc) are not called Koa, but both are naturally very similar. In this comparison, both sound great; the 'Koa' does sound a little less middly and sweeter, and the 'Acacia' sounds a little more middly with less top-end - which suggests that it's more heavily-built and less 'open' than the 'Koa' model.
The Acacia sounds tinnier, while the koa rings out better
Acacia is less lively and sparkling when picked. Difference less visible when strummed.
Random, cool fact for those who don't know: termites don't/can't eat koa wood 👍🏾
Koa
Koa sounds better to me, but I'd be happy with either.
Koa is Acacia.
Koa wood. All day, everyday!
Koa sounds deeper
Acacia koa is a species of flowering tree in the family Fabaceae
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Acacia_species
There are hundreds of acacia's...
Koa has better sustain of the sound in my opinion
Not enough difference to accommodate a huge increase in price for the Koa. Save your money and get the Acacia.
The Koa sounds much clearer Acacia sounded muddy I would spend the money on Koa
Acacia sounds more bluesy and warm.
Acacia, for my taste but I play the instrument more like a classical guitar.
Acacia is comparable. At almost half the price.
The Koa one sounds very Koatic and the Acacia one sounds very Acaciatic.
Koa brighter acacia warmer i think the acacia sounded earther I think sometimes koa is over rated
I think I prefer acacia
Koa has a richer well rounded sound
Can’t tell the difference!
Wow. This video made me realize I have no business trying to learn the uke. Just kidding, it's still fun, but I literally can't hear the difference whatsoever. Maaaaaybe the acacia has a deeper sustain on the sustain test. But in all seriousness, I think some people obviously just have more sensitive ears than I.
for me i lke koa better than acacia
Koa warmer, more even tones, koa all the way.
Koa has much richer sound more depth than the Acacia
koa more acurate sound
Both great but if you can afford Koa, go for it.
No offense, but the biggest difference? The price. Via CZcams, the ukuleles sound virtually identical. Take heed: the quality of instruments built in Asia is going to put American builders out of business.
Big difference my friend ! Really
Splittin hairs
I appreciated the video however he repeats himself a lot and regularly goes of on tangents instead of getting to the point, it kinda feels like he’s stalling to get the video to the 10 min monetization mark
YOU TALK TOO MUCH 😭😭😭😭 i just want to hear the sound comparison but you talk too much that's why i have no choice but to speed up the video 😭😭😭😭