Koa Guitar Owners...please comment!

[fingerguy]

1. People say that the koa topwood takes about 5 years or so to open up. Did you buy the koa guitar more for its looks than its tone? Did you like its tone when it was new? How has its tone change over the years? More bass? High-end chime still there?

For the look and I did like the sound of the GS Mini but had to go with Koa simply for the look. If it wasn't for Koa I probably would have gone with Spruce due to how bright the sound is.

I haven't owned or played my Koa as much to open it up but in no rush.

For the most part a Koa is much quieter compared to a spruce.

2. When did Taylor make the first batch of Gs mini koa guitars?

Google it!

3. Is it true that Koa trees grow at a height of 500 feet or metres above sea level?

Google it!

[tadol]

I have a few koa guitars, all by Santa Cruz - a Brozman baritone with sitka, a F all koa, and a F with sitka top, 2 Hs all koa, and an H with sitka top. I think the oldest is about 28 years now. I find the spruce topped koa guitars have a tone similar to a good mahogany, but the koa topped ones are definitely more compressed with reduced dynamics, but a very sweet tone. Again, very similar to a good all mahogany guitar. They amplify great. I really don’t believe age alone helps open them - I think that like most guitars, they benefit most from lots of playing. I love koa because it can be a great tonewood, and I think it is also one of the most beautiful woods you’ll find -

[Earl49]

Both of my koa guitars came to me pre-opened - at least two years old when I got them. I bought a used 2006 koa/spruce GS in 2010 or so. It was/is probably the single nicest wood guitar that I own, with incredible flamed koa. The second one is a 2007 all-koa 424-LTD, which is kinda like a poor man's K-24. Although new, I bought it as NOS in early 2009. It will be the last wood guitar that I ever part with. I love koa!

The beauty of the wood is the first thing, but the tone wins you over eventually too. Koa tops have a brighter and more immediate tone than spruce tops, but over time the brightness mellows and the spectrum broadens into a richer sound. Patience, grasshopper. Spruce tops on koa back & sides are more like a walnut or even a maple body. Still bright-ish but warmer because of the spruce top. I tend to use medium gauge strings on mine because they often get tuned into slack-key tunings, and I need more string tension.

Add that I play a lot of Hawaiian music with Hawaiians so having koa guitars and ukulele is.... appropriate. At last night's kanikapila (jam session) both ukulele were solid koa, but none of the guitars were koa - just by chance.

[Fred]

Best guitar I've ever played was a Goodall, spruce over koa. Magnificent instrument.

[jrdavies]

Here are a couple of links that some of you might find interesting.

An article from Hawaiian Airlines in flight magazine on Koa.

I found Aloha Chris's comments in this thread helpful in understanding what to expect from Koa.

Wade has also made several posts over the years on Koa and what to expect, that I also found helpful.

[tippy5]

Sorry to not be struck with the Mini's. I haven't put a new one through its paces. I have tried a couple at GC. Those brief encounters aren't enough time to give any decent opinion.

I have owned 8 Goodall's, and have 3. My plainest one is a keeper. An Aloha GC sitka/koa.

For the time I need gushing mids and a modern piano-palette, I have 2 other Goodall's. They get less time. In fact I just had a 30 minute session with the Beeg Island Koa before writing this.

I also have had an all Koa Taylor 300 series 2003 Fall Lmt that was warm toned. Really nice neck.

[ctvolfan]

First of all, I am a Taylor fan. I bought a 714ce at the end of last year. Very nice expensive guitar for me. I had some extra cash earlier this year and I saw a 324ce-k deluxe on CL for $1300. Retails for about $1600 I think. It was less than a year old. It was listed in excellent shape. I have to admit that the look is what drew me in. Wow what a beautiful guitar! Solid koa top and layered back and sides. For the heck of it I offered the person $1110 and he jumped on it. I met him and strummed it and it sounded so sweet right there in the parking lot. It is now my go to guitar. I am not even sure if I had ever even played a koa guitar before I blindly went to buy this one. I always wanted a K24 but just too expensive so never played one. I do like the sound better than my 714 and my older 214. I just put new strings on it for the first time a couple of nights ago and it sounds better than ever. I can't put it down. I would describe the sound to be warm, balanced, clear, bright and chimey. I can't speak for how it sounds after five years since it is maybe a couple years old but if it gets any better, wow! I am extremely happy with my 324ce-k deluxe. Beauty and sound all in one!

[Rodger]

I always take the opportunity of a Koa thread to post pics...

First up is a Taylor K65.



Goodall Royal Hawaiian.



Taylor K20 (Sitka top)



And a Koa topped electric. Anderson



Not a fan of smaller guitars, so I wouldn't be interested in the Mini.

I've played a lot of Koa guitars and liked them all. I don't subscribe to the opinion that Koa is tricky and some of it is dead. And, I like the tone and the looks.

[CASD57]

Originally Posted by Rodger

I always take the opportunity of a Koa thread to post pics...

First up is a Taylor K65.



Goodall Royal Hawaiian.



Taylor K20 (Sitka top)



And a Koa topped electric. Anderson



Not a fan of smaller guitars, so I wouldn't be interested in the Mini.

I've played a lot of Koa guitars and liked them all. I don't subscribe to the opinion that Koa is tricky and some of it is dead. And, I like the tone and the looks.

I played a Carvin TL60 (Tele-Type) solid Koa for years when I was gigging

Nice guitars.... Now you've got me looking at KOA guitars LOL

[Cool555]

Originally Posted by jrdavies

Here are a couple of links that some of you might find interesting.

An article from Hawaiian Airlines in flight magazine on Koa.

I found Aloha Chris's comments in this thread helpful in understanding what to expect from Koa.

Wade has also made several posts over the years on Koa and what to expect, that I also found helpful.

Thanks Jrdavies for the links! Awesome information on Koa!

Thanks also to the rest of you Koa lovers who have contributed to making this thread interesting!

Yes! I would love to see pictures of your beloved Koa guitars too if possible! 🤗😋

[Cool555]

Originally Posted by Rodger

I always take the opportunity of a Koa thread to post pics...

Goodall Royal Hawaiian.



Not a fan of smaller guitars, so I wouldn't be interested in the Mini.

I've played a lot of Koa guitars and liked them all. I don't subscribe to the opinion that Koa is tricky and some of it is dead. And, I like the tone and the looks.

This Goddall Royal Hawaiian is my favourite! Haha! If I had to vote! 😉😎

[Wade Hampton]

Cool, one more piece of advice that I would offer is that, as visually enticing as all-koa guitars with koa tops unquestionably are, you owe it to yourself to try a few koa guitars with spruce and maybe cedar tops before you commit to an all-koa instrument. In my experience, those folks who love all-koa guitars the most tend to have playing styles that really take full advantage of what these hardwood-topped guitars can offer: their clarity, their sustain, their treble response, their intangible but undeniable sweetness of tone.

Musical generalists like me, who play a wide range of musical styles, are often better served by koa guitars with spruce or cedar tops. Not only are these softwood-topped instruments generally louder and more projective, they're also more musically versatile. You can get more tone colors, a wider range of sounds, out of a spruce top than you can out of a koa top.

To me they're simply more useful for a wider range of musical applications. As I intimated in my earlier post, it's no accident that all of my koa instruments have spruce tops. I can just DO more with them.

So do at least consider that aspect before you commit to any purchases. Koa is one of my favorite tonewoods, and I've been using koa instruments onstage since 1985, so I do have some long term professional experience with koa as a tonewood.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[joeld]

Hawaii is a beautiful place. Definitely go there and hike through a Koa forest. The Maui Airport is trimmed with Koa.

I have owned a Webber OM with Koa B/S, spruce top for about 20 years. I have briefly played a dozen or so SCGC guitars with Koa B/S, some with Koa tops, and also some Goodalls. That's an added perk from living in Santa Cruz, a couple of blocks from Sylvan Music and the SCGC shop. I recall also playing a Taylor built with Koa that I thought was quite nice.

To my ear and from my experience, Koa seems like bright Mahogany. It has a slightly stiff feel, doesn't vibrate in feel and tone as much as Rosewood. So it gives a more crisp and direct sound than Rosewood. Maybe a bit more 'chime' than Mahogany's clear sound, but that is pretty subtle.

I don't dig hardwood topped guitars, Koa or Mahogany. They seem stifled to me. Some of the SCGCs with Koa tops sounded pretty good, as they seemed to have very thin tops. But still not what a Spruce top gives.

Koa is really a beautiful wood. I really wanted to fall in love with a Koa topped guitar because they can look spectacular. But I just couldn't do it.

My Webber has developed in tone of the the time I've had it. In recent years I hear a more woody 'thunk' in the attack that I didn't notice when it was young. This could be the body, the top, the neck of the guitar changing, who could say.

If you like Mahogany, you might also like Koa for the same reasons. And it's a lot prettier.

[Cool555]

Originally Posted by joeld

Hawaii is a beautiful place. Definitely go there and hike through a Koa forest. The Maui Airport is trimmed with Koa.

I have owned a Webber OM with Koa B/S, spruce top for about 20 years. I have briefly played a dozen or so SCGC guitars with Koa B/S, some with Koa tops, and also some Goodalls. That's an added perk from living in Santa Cruz, a couple of blocks from Sylvan Music and the SCGC shop. I recall also playing a Taylor built with Koa that I thought was quite nice.

To my ear and from my experience, Koa seems like bright Mahogany. It has a slightly stiff feel, doesn't vibrate in feel and tone as much as Rosewood. So it gives a more crisp and direct sound than Rosewood. Maybe a bit more 'chime' than Mahogany's clear sound, but that is pretty subtle.

I don't dig hardwood topped guitars, Koa or Mahogany. They seem stifled to me. Some of the SCGCs with Koa tops sounded pretty good, as they seemed to have very thin tops. But still not what a Spruce top gives.

Koa is really a beautiful wood. I really wanted to fall in love with a Koa topped guitar because they can look spectacular. But I just couldn't do it.

My Webber has developed in tone of the the time I've had it. In recent years I hear a more woody 'thunk' in the attack that I didn't notice when it was young. This could be the body, the top, the neck of the guitar changing, who could say.

If you like Mahogany, you might also like Koa for the same reasons. And it's a lot prettier.

Wow! Thanks Joeld! Awesome sharing on what you think and feel about Koa as a topwood. Sometimes I wonder if I am biased toward the Koa due to its look. I’ve done some simple sound recording of my koa guitar and my spruce, just music (either strumming or plucking) and I agree with your views on the tone of koa vs spruce! But I am still “in love” with the koa-sound, haha!😂 I must do more blind test or watch more blind test on YouTube to test if I still feel the same way about the Koa-tone. 😉

[Cool555]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Cool, one more piece of advice that I would offer is that, as visually enticing as all-koa guitars with koa tops unquestionably are, you owe it to yourself to try a few koa guitars with spruce and maybe cedar tops before you commit to an all-koa instrument. In my experience, those folks who love all-koa guitars the most tend to have playing styles that really take full advantage of what these hardwood-topped guitars can offer: their clarity, their sustain, their treble response, their intangible but undeniable sweetness of tone.

Musical generalists like me, who play a wide range of musical styles, are often better served by koa guitars with spruce or cedar tops. Not only are these softwood-topped instruments generally louder and more projective, they're also more musically versatile. You can get more tone colors, a wider range of sounds, out of a spruce top than you can out of a koa top.

To me they're simply more useful for a wider range of musical applications. As I intimated in my earlier post, it's no accident that all of my koa instruments have spruce tops. I can just DO more with them.

So do at least consider that aspect before you commit to any purchases. Koa is one of my favorite tonewoods, and I've been using koa instruments onstage since 1985, so I do have some long term professional experience with koa as a tonewood.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

Thank you very much Wade for your professional advice! Really appreciate it!👍 Hope that one day I’ll be where you are in terms of my guitar-playing skills. For now, I’m just a guitar hobbyist enjoying the small collection of guitars that I have. Certain days I seem to like the tone of one guitar over another! Strange!🤔 Do all guitar players experience this phenomenon?