Solid Koa Guitars

Mark E · #1 10-04-2002, 03:46 PM

What solid Koa guitars do some of you have besides Taylors ? How do you like them ? Just wondering what some of the members have. Thanks.

buddiesorg · #2 10-04-2002, 05:43 PM

Goodall jumbo

I've also played the Steve Miller small bodied Martin (I think it was a 00)

TaylorKid · #3 10-05-2002, 07:56 AM

saw an awsomely flamed tacoma, about the size of an L larivee. The guy said it sounded terrible and brittle. It has been there ever since i can remember.

buddiesorg · #4 10-05-2002, 08:12 AM

TaylorKid ... now you went and did it ... you reminded me of that awful all Koa Tacoma (I think it might have been a dreadnought) I tried out a few years ago.

Oh, I also had a Larrivee all Koa OM ... I liked the way it sounded much more than my K-22 ... but I ended up with a Goodall jumbo, which I think is pure koa heaven.

Mark E · #5 10-05-2002, 01:34 PM

buddiesorg,

I think I'd like the Goodall koa jumbo, too !! All I'd have to do is sell my car, and then I could get one. But that's not going to happen.
I read where you played a koa Tacoma, but didn't like it. Do you remember what model it was ? Could it have been a PKK40, it's one of there parlor models.
I'm not going to be able to afford a Taylor koa, so I was looking for suggestions from other companies, that aren't as expensive.
That's one reason I was asking about the Yairi WY-1K.

buddiesorg · #6 10-05-2002, 05:12 PM

Well, the Tacoma all koa was somewhere in the $4000-5000 range on the tag, so that's alot more than your up to spending ... it had lots of glitz and glamour in the abalone realm, but soundwise it was dead as a doornail. It wasn't a small guitar ... it was at least GA sized ... and for some reason I have the feeling it was a dreadnought ... but it's been awhile. I never looked to see the model ... I had no interest in it after I played a single arpeggio.

rubberdog · #7 10-05-2002, 05:22 PM

The Tacoma Koa Parlor is the only koa I've played - sounded brittle to me also. I figured since their other parlor models sound so good, it must have been the wood. What does a GOOD all koa guitar sound like?

buddiesorg · #8 10-05-2002, 05:36 PM

Pick up a Goodall and you'll find out.

Or, if you like a more muted, but full sound, see if you can find a Steve Miller Signature Model (Martin) ... I would have bought that guitar if it weren't already spoken for.

Mark E · #9 10-06-2002, 03:13 PM

I wish I had the available funds that you have, buddiesorg. That way I could enjoy a koa, as well as some of the other great guitars.
Maybe tonight before you go to bed, you could strum a chord for me on your Goodall Koa. (Ha!Ha!)

Mike Carter · #10 10-07-2002, 01:36 PM

About 2 years ago I order a Martin D-41K2 I think it was,

Anyway It was one of the most gorgeous guitars I have ever seen, But it was easily the worst sounding guitar I have ever owned. This includes the ovations and every other trash box I had happened to pick up through the years. I was amazed that a guitar like that could be so thin sounding. Complete lack of tone is all I can say. I ended up taking a huge loss on it when I sold it a few months later. I would have taken it back the day it came but I could not do that to the small store that custom ordered it just for me. It would have seriously hurt them as they are a very small mom and pop operation. So I just sucked it up and learned a lesson, NEVER buy a guitar you can't take back unless you have played it and love it.

This experience totally put me off on all Koa (Meaning Koa top )guitars but I would love to have a Taylor K14c or a Olson Koa.

Mike

#11 10-07-2002, 02:34 PM

Mike, that was an expensive lesson. Did you contact martin to let them know you were dissatisfied with your special order? If you did I guess their response was not satisfactory as you wound up taking the big loss.

Jim · #12 10-07-2002, 03:02 PM

As you have likely found by now, an all solid koa acoustic will not be cheap, no matter which brand you go with. As you likely have found with the Yairi WY-1K you can get an acoustic that looks like it's made from koa for a modest amount of cash, but it is really only koa veneer on top of plywood and will not sound much like a real koa acoustic.

For a real koa guitar you might find slightly lower prices with the Larrivees such as a D-09KK or L-09KK, but they won't be much lower priced than the Taylors and in some cases Larrivees will be higher priced if they have inlays on them or are made with Larrivee's super premium koa. People have discovered Larrivees as finely made, great sounding, all solid wood acoustics and they are not cheap. My advice is to save your pennies and buy which ever brand and model sounds and looks best to you. Think of it as storing your money in a beautiful bank where if you need it back one day, you will be able to sell it after a few years for a bit more than you paid for it.

buddiesorg · #13 10-07-2002, 04:43 PM

I have certainly played all-koa guitars that have been dead ... but I've also found ones that have sounded heavenly ... and I've even found a few that have been gorgeous looking as well as awesome sounding ... though that doesn't happen very often ... but I did get to bring two of them home ... and now that I got the courage up to tweak the Goodall's truss rod, it's the giant of sound it was earlier this year ... almost 3 years old and sounding better every day ... I still can't believe James can make this sound with light gauge strings on a jumbo!

Still, unless I get to talk with the luthier and discuss the sound I'm looking for, I will never buy a koa (whether koa topped or not) without playing it first.

Tahitijack · #14 10-13-2002, 07:26 AM

I have a K22ce but during my search for the perfect all Koa I played some Goodall's they are very niiiiiiiice. But, they are very $$$$. I played a 1-year old used Tacoma all Koa. The sound was not right for me and for some reason the white plastic binding had already started to yellow. My little Taylor all Koa is perfect. I usually look at the wood for awhile before I play. Its magic.