Kiwaya Ukulele
RatingsKiwaya ukuleles are based, and made in Japan. Over there, they are known as 'Famous ukuleles'.
You'll find them proudly declaring 'Ukuleles since 1919', which isn't exactly true. Kiwaya were established then, but they were a gramophone maintenance company. It wasn't until Kitaroh Okamoto (the man now most associated with the company) joined in 1957 that they began producing ukuleles - just in time for ukuleles completely going out of fashion in Japan.
In more recent years, they have gone from strength to strength and recently launched Kiwaya USA.
There are two ranges of Kiwaya ukuleles that are particularly popular. First is the K-Wave 'Rock Uke' series. These ukes imitate the looks of classic guitars such as the Fender Telecaster and the Gibson Les Paul.
The other series is Kiwaya's reproductions of Martin ukuleles. These ukuleles are highly regarded and have been described as being almost as good as the real thing. They are certainly very closely modeled on the originals.
Kiwaya Ukulele Review
Ken Middleton reviews his Kiwaya KTS-4.
And here's a pdf with Karen Wagner's review of her Kiwaya KTS
On eBay
 Kiwaya KTC 3 Solid Mahongany Uke  US $965.00
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 Kiwaya Solid Mahogany Concert Ukulele US $652.50
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 Kiwaya Genuine Leather Ukulele Pick 3 packs US $12.00
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3 Comments
I actually bought a K-Wave ukulele in Japan and it plays amazing. The pick up sounds great in it except it has a little high sound but that can be easily fixed by just turning the mids and lows up a bit and turning the highs down. The neck has a very smooth feel and I guess the playing action would be similar to a fender electric guitar. The only thing I’m not too crazy about is the bridge. It gets difficult to change strings, but it’s more of an inconvenience than anything. Overall- great sound, great playing action, and great look.
I’ve had my Kiwaya KTS-4 for about… 8 months now. I. Love. It. So far, every other uke has left me underwhelmed. Before this I had a Mahalo.
Sound – With the Fremont strings it sounds just right to me. Solid mahogany, a lovely mixture of warmth and brightness.
Playability – This lovely thing is so light. It surprises everyone. I don’t like holding other ukes as much as they’re so heavy in comparison. I’m used to the Kiwaya’s feather-light weight!
Playability – The action is low, so little effort is required. When I play Schmidts, Mahalos, Kalas, etc. they feel mechanical in comparison.
Value – I’ve given it 4/5 because they’re not cheap, and this is my second uke. Let’s just say that if something happens to my KTS-4, with my budget, I’ll not be able to buy another one for quite some time.
Looks – To me it’s perfect. Satin finish, nothing flashy, simple, humble.
Construction – It’s perfect. Handmade in Japan.
To see me (try to) pay, I’ve a couple of vids up on Youtube (Laouik).
I have the KS-1 Kiwaya Laminate its very comfortable to play, loud and has an almost ringing tone, sounds great. Construction is very high quality, but I do have a few niggles:
1. The fretboard is a very thin slice of heavily dyed walnut. As a result there are no edge markers and I’d have preferred a natural look rather than the odd looking black felt-tip finish.
2. Action at the first fret is a tiny bit high.
(Intonation seems pretty much perfect)
3. The Gotoh standard tuners are a bit irritating very easy to pinch sharp and a bit gritty feeling. This is actually in my opinion the only real annoyance with this instrument because an extra fiver spent on tuning pegs would have sorted this out the point of manufacture.
I actually love this uke and I am a bit hyper-critical. Can’t see how anyone who wants a quality
and robust instrument could do better.
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