Koa wood - native to Hawaii - is the traditional wood from which ukuleles were made. So it's no surprise that many people look to have a koa concert ukulele. But what are the options?

Top End Koa Ukuleles

For a top quality, solid koa concert ukulele, you can expect to pay between $500 and $1,000. In this sort of price range are ukes by the likes of Pono and KoAloha.

Although there is no doubting the quality of these ukuleles, they are beyond the budget of many people. But there are some cheaper alternatives for people who want to buy a koa ukulele but can't afford it.

Wood Related to Koa

Although koa wood only grows in Hawaii and is getting harder and harder to come by (hence the increasing price of koa instruments) it does have a number of close relatives (in the Acacia family of wood) which ukulele makers have started to use. For example, Koa Pili Koko ukuleles are made from Acacia and Cole Clark make some of their ukuleles from Australian Blackwood. Also Cordoba make their ukuleles from what they call 'Portuguese Koa'. As far as I can tell, such a wood doesn't exist. But I believe it is made from a close relative of koa.

All these woods deliver very similar look and tone to koa at a fraction of the price.

Laminated Koa Ukuleles

If you need to go cheaper and still, you can still get the great look of a koa instrument at a very low price if you buy a laminated ukulele. Laminated ukuleles have a thin layer of koa on the top over a much cheaper wood inside. This recreates the look of koa but doesn't give the sound.

If this is what you are looking for, I recommend the Oscar Schmidt OU5. I have one of these and I love playing it. And, at around $150, it's a great buy.

Koa Concert Ukuleles on eBay

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