Kamoa Ukulele
Kamoa Ukuleles are a Hawaii-based ukulele company but only their ‘Kaua’i Built’ range are made there. Their most prominent endorser is Pierce Brosnan.
Komoa Ukulele Review
Aldrine tests out a few Kamoa ukuleles.
On eBay
On eBay UK
On Video
Larrysmusic1952 plays a song using a Kamoa Ukulele.
24 Comments
I have one of the first of these made according to Sam. It’s one of the nicest ukes I have ever played. Mine is a spruce top and has far better resonance than the koas I have played. I picked the instrument up at Larry’s Music while on vacation in Kauai a few years ago. They educated me on the instrument and even showed me a few chords, good times. If your looking for an authentic made in HI uke with great tone, this is it.
I just got back from Maui and I bought a Kamoa E3-T solid wood tenor from Rodney at Bounty Music. I went to Mele and the sound was nice but the finish was rough, and then I went to Bounty and looked at some Made in Hawaii Koa ukes. Everything was more than my mental budget and, working his way down the price ladder, he showed me the Kamoa. Finish was excellent, I loved the shape (fatter lower bout than other tenors I looked at) and the color (reddish brown), and the tone was in the ballpark with everything else. I got out the door for about three hundred bucks for a solid wood uke and a hard case. The Kamoa is made in China, which I thought was an issue for me, but I got over it fast.
Ken i share your experience, and in fact you comment helped me make my decision, because the Kamoa E3 Uke is new i couldn’t find much talk about it online, i believe we have the exact same Uke, and i could not be happier with mine! excellent Ukulele and it looks amazing as well. 😀 i originally set out to buy the Eleuke EAS-T series but i think i made the right final choice 🙂
I love my kamoa uke!! im fourteen and this is the firt insrament i stuck with this is a great uke beacuse it has never fallen out of tune and i keep it in a soft case best sound ever i <3 my uke!
I recently bought a Kamoa E3-T and love it. The sound is top notch for something under $300. It’s hard to put down, I want to play it all day. I bought it at Larry’s Music on Kauai and the service was awesome.
Just picked up a Kamoa 700-T from Sam at Larry’s on Kauai and just love it. It’s beautiful and the sound is great!
I too bought the Kamoa E3T at Bounty in Maui from Rodney and couldnt be happier with the product price and service! I have played Guitars for over 35 yrs. and this is my first Uke.! 4 days later im setting in my Condo and Playing Somewhere over the Rainbow, the only thing missing is IZ’s Voice! feels like I have been playing for years! I Love it!
Just ordered my Kamoa Victor King Signature Series Concert from their website (they don’t sell it in my country). Shipping from China soon, so will tell more when I get the uku…
The Kamoa Victor King Signature Series Concert came by two days ago. Was fitted with Low G premium Aquila Bionylon strings, and this gives a more mellow tone as compared to the Nylgut. However I didn’t like the sound of the low G so I’m going to get it changed at Ukulele Movement. The sound is great, it’s loud and clear, wonderful playability and great intonation. It’s a great uku overall!
I’m in Kuaui and have just bought a 500T. It was from Larry’s shop down in Koloa. The lady in the store, Gigi, was a gem of a woman. She had so much patience for me and 2 other customers.
I have been playing the Duke for the past 3 days and love the sound more every time I pick it up.
Hello friends, I also have a concert Kamoa E3 Red and I am very happy with it.
I had to buy it in the U.S. because it was impossible to find it in Spain, and shipping and customs cost me a lot of money, but it was worth it.
Originally it came with Aquila Bionylon strings with wounded Low G, which I replaced it right away with Red Aquila Low G(unwounded, significantly improving the sound quality. Satisfied with result of this experiment, I changed the Bionylon by Nylgut Aquila and keeping the Low G Red Series and got fantastic sound. If you want to achieve even better sound, I strongly recommend you do it. I reckon it´s a very good combination.
THE KAMOA VIDEO DOESN’T SEEM TOO THRILLED WITH THE CONCERT E KAMOA, LIKES THE S, T AND B BETTER. ANYBODY HAVE A KAMOA E-C OUT THERE? WHAT DO YOU THINK? NOT MUCH ON INTERNET. TY I WOULD LIKE TO GET A CONCERT UKE NEXT. I HAVE A LITTLE LANAIKAI, LU11 AND I THINK IT SOULD GREAT FOR AN INEXPENSIVE LITTLE UKE. I HAVE TRIED OTHERS THAT DIDN’T NEARLY SOUND AS GOOD
I agree with your observation Susan however, I have an E3 C which is solid spruce and solid maple.
I love the tone and it has great volume.
I replaced the Aquila strings with Kooalu Mahana’s. Everyone who hears this uke loves the tone.
As far as the workmanship, the finish is somewhat plain but still very nice.
The assembly quality I think is A- as there are some flaws. The tuners I plan on replacing as a matter of preference. I do really love playing this uke and hope to get another some day.
I can never understand why customers will buy a uke by name, wood type or cost without playing. My Kamora 500T tenor has robust, rich warm tones, good sustain, wonderful sound balance, good fret action and beautiful bell tones. Purchased my uke in April 2013, at Hawaiian Ukulele & Guitar in Waikoloa from Bob Yates.
I’ve played other ukes costing way much more and was always disappointed. Now, my only limitation is my lack of talent…..But in the mean time, am enjoying my new found treasure. Aloha.
I have ten ukuleles in all sizes, most of them have solid wood tops and backs and sizes. The most expensive one I have was in the $1,200.00 range. One of mine is a Kamoa E3-T. The first time I just strummed a chord on the Kamoa, I couldn’t believe it! They talk about the “BELL TONE” with Kamoa ukes….well, believe me, it’s there! The tone is just beautiful and the sustain is awesome. Do yourself a favor! If your looking for a uke try a Kamoa and compare it to anything…even ones more expensive! I think you will really be pleased!
I bought my first ukulele 9 months ago. I have to say I love the joy and happiness they give. I have a Kala, Lanaki and a Cordoba and looking at purchasing me next one. The information and comments on this site are so very helpful, thank you all.
I just bought a ‘pineapple’ from him. I swooned at his mastery, musicianship, and his great love that pours through any instrument he touches, even the least expensive. I bought it with a broken wrist and have never played before (still broken, can’t yet) but I couldn’t in a million years believe my great good fortune to find these gorgeous instruments (their store in Kauai), the pure grace to be able to watch and hear him, and to witness the divine love for the music that emanates when he plays. Anyone who can visit their store or just acquire one of their ukeleles is super lucky.
I researched ukuleles online before buying and liked the features and price of the E3-T. I found that my favorite music store, Joe’s Island Music on Whidbey Island, WA carried them, went there, played it, bought it and love it. I’ve played guitar for years and the move to the ukulele was pretty easy. It’s so fun to play.
I purchased an E3 Pineapple in 2013 at Larry’s Music in Kauai and could not be happier with the rich tone and craftsmanship of the uke. I just purchased an E5-C at Kamoa Ukes (formerly Larry’s Music) and was impressed with the rich tone and resonance of the uke. Sam and Joe of Kamoa Ukes are so cool and knowledgeable. I lucked out that Sam was at the store playing one of the ukes for a customer – as a previous post mentioned, Sam’s passion for music shows when he plays the instruments. Before the purchase, I was trying out the E5 the feel and action of the uke was very nice. As I was just playing some various chords, Sam walked over and started playing along with me and it ended up being a mini jam session. Wow!!! It was an honor to jam with him and the highlight of my trip. If you’re shopping for an uke, look no further and buy a Kamoa, you will not be sorry.
I wanted to get an ukulele for some time now. While visiting Kauai, my wife was brave enough to let me visit Larry’s shop in kapa’a. The guy working there was amazing and helpful. He showed me several models and what each one offered tone wise. We never even talked price until he found out what I wanted. Then he picked a few different price ranges and let me try them out as long as I wanted. When I set out, I thought I would want an all mohagony uku. He sent me over to his store in Koloa. Gigi was there, and she spent lots of time with me too. I ended up purchasing an E3-GC. Solid maple back and sides with a spruce top. It really just had a beautiful tone to my ears. They even took the time to re-set it as a lefty for me before I took it home. I feel very good about my purchase, and I am really looking forward to diving in to the use world after playing guitar for the last few years. I would highly recommend anyone to visit this shop if you want to buy one. They had models retailing for five time what I paid, but they were more interested in fitting me with what MY wants and needs were. That goes a long way with me.
I have an E3-P Pineapple ukulele that I purchased directly from their shop in Kapa’a on Kaua’i. I tried many different ukes while in the shop and I couldn’t get over how great of an instrument it was for the budget price. It was about $200 for an all-solid wood instrument. The neck, back and sides are solid maple and the top is solid spruce. On the website, this model is shown with friction tuners, but mine has geared machine heads. The neck and body are a golden yellow colour (they call it natural) that feels bright and sunny and nicely suits the pineapple shape. Although Kamoa is a Kaua’i company, this uke was made in China. It’s well-made, it’s finished nicely, and it stays in tune. Zero playability issues and it sounds fantastic. Easily the best $200 ukulele I have tried. I’d recommend it to the serious beginner or a novice who needs a great instrument at a budget price. I’d also suggest it to the pro who’s looking for a good travel companion or beach buddy.
I bought a E3-S second hand a year ago and play it daily. The sound is bright, sweet tone and it feels good to play. I paid $125 Canadian- good price and it is my favorite over my Islander, Ibanez and Epiphone.
It was my first soprano, all others are concert size so the sound is really great for the size.
I did add a pick guard as I really wore off the red finish while I adjusted to the smaller playing surface which actually looks good. Red tortoise shell guard bought online.
Highly recommend ukulele.
Hello I bought a E5 T from Larry’s music on Kauai. I love the sound, I broke a c string so I changed out the strings with the Aquila red series. I loved the sound. I’m have now broken 2 strings and just busted the tuning nut. Anyone having problems similar to this
I bought an E5-T from Ukerepublic and had a wonderful experience with them. When my uke arrived I didn’t like the strings on it. They were kinda tacky on my fingers and there was a lot of string sound from my fingers when I played. So I wrote Kamoa and Sam sent me some aquilas for free which was super nice, so props there again. However as I’ve been playing it more and comparing to my Kala ASAC-T I find that the string tension is bit uncomfortable, and the action a little high. I’m going to try some SouthCoast LL-NW strings which should have low tension, and possibly lower the action. Anyway that’s experience uke sounds great, hopefully I can get it more comfortable to play.
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