Did I get a fake???? (2024)

man0a said:

If you bought it from a booth at the swap meet that only sells good quality ukuleles, it is probably genuine. Used 10 year old Koaloha sopranos in good condition do sometimes sell for $400-$600 at pawn shops and music stores in Honolulu. On the other hand, if you bought it from a booth that mostly sells T-shirts and just happened to have a Koaloha on the shelf, I would wonder where it came from.

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It was a booth that sold only ukuleles and some of them were cheap but they had a section with nicer ones and had the koaloha I got and then some Kala’s.

merlin666 said:

This looks like a great find of a genuine classic KoAloha with old style neck and koa fretboard, possibly from the early 2010s. The inside label identifies it as a factory special that was sold directly from the Honolulu factory at a reduced price as their QC had detected a minor blemish. If the condition is excellent then you also paid a more than fair price, as I find these classic KoAlohas a lot more appealing than what they are producing now. Congrats!

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See Also

How long is too long?Did I get a fake????

The date is 2015!

I bought my first KoAloha in 2015, and it has a similar headstock - without the fancy inlay. That looks legit to me, and the price is good. I paid $715 for a soprano in 2015.

UkuleleNoob18 said:

The ukulele says made in Hawaii and it’s a factory special it says which I think means it’s “defective” but it only has 3 tiny dimples on the back.

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Not defective when first sold just little blemishes that most people won't be able to find. However you never know what happened in 10 or so years since it was sold first. There may be a stamp on the neck block that shows year and month of production.

UkuleleNoob18 said:

It was a booth that sold only ukuleles and some of them were cheap but they had a section with nicer ones and had the koaloha I got and then some Kala’s.

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I doubt that a shop like that would intentionally sell you a fake ukulele. $400 isn't a shocking low price for an Koaloha of that age. I would try to carefully check the ukulele for cracks, warps, and intonation before buying since they probably do not take returns on used ukuleles. A few minor surface blemishes are common for a 10 year old instrument.

UkuleleNoob18 said:

The fact that it seemed like a good deal and I didn’t know a ton about them.

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I was looking for a KoAloha Opio and found a used one in like-new condition listed on the Flea Market Music site. It sat there for weeks and then the seller dropped the price. I made a counter-offer and ended up getting it for $225! I was pretty pumped at such a great deal! When I received the Opio it was indeed in like-new condition and I didn't question it's authenticity BUT in two places along the top and bottom the wood extended beyond the sides creating a discernable ridge like it hadn't been sanded down properly so the joining pieces would be flush. The seller (intentionally?) failed to disclose the construction issue and that's probably why he let it go for such a low price. The uke sounded great and the issue didn't affect or interfere with play so I decided to keep it because I'd never find a deal like that again. I subsequently switched the tuners to Gotoh UPTs and it was a great uke but that build issue kind of bugged me. Just to satisfy my curiosity I contacted KoAloha to see if maybe this was a B-stock because the top and bottom overlap and provided them with pictures. They said that they wouldn't have let something like that out of the shop and most likely it was a result of wood shift. They very kindly and generously offered to replace it despite my having enlarged the headstock holes to accommodate the UPTs and telling them that I wanted to keep the tuners but no longer had the original tuners. The uke I bought was a long neck soprano but they didn't have any in stock at the time so they replaced it with a concert once I sent the original uke back to them. My experience with KoAloha customer service was excellent and I'm especially appreciative because technically it was a warranty issue they didn't have to honor because I wasn't the original owner. They are a class act and they have a great product. It looks to me like your uke is the real deal. Enjoy it!

mjh42 said:

The bridge is a little different but I haven't seen every KoAloha ever made.....

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Keith5523 said:

My Opio has the word Koaloha carved on the bridge….did other Koaloha’s have that same bridge?

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This bridge is one of the reasons I almost got an Opio (and still may in the future.) I have a pineapple soprano made Oct 2014 with this style bridge and I really love it. So it makes sense OPs from 2015 would also have this style of bridge.

merlin666 said:

I find these classic KoAlohas a lot more appealing than what they are producing now.

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Me too! I especially love the spiny end of the fretboard on the body and that bridge! Those really set those KoAloahas apart, and I'm sorry that they went back to doing them just like everyone else.

Way to get off on the good foot, @UkuleleNoob18! A lot of people a lot more experienced than you have yet to come across a deal anything like this! Congrats!