Kamaka HF-38 Tenor 8-String Ukulele – New

The Kamka HF-38 is an 8-string tenor ukulele that was designed by Sam Kamaka Jr. in 1976 to commemorate the Bicentennial of the United States. It’s sometimes called “the Lili’u VIII,” and it’s a variation on the popular 6-string model. Since each string on the HF-38 is doubled, with the third and fourth pairs tuned in octaves, this is the ukulele equivalent of a 12-string guitar, and serves a similar function. These 8-string tenor models deliver a full rich sound that’s great for backing vocals, for instance, and you really don’t have to play anything fancy to sound impressive.

If you are adventurous, there are other ways to tune them to get a different sound. For instance you can tune it “low to high” with each pair tuned in unison, or you can double the traditional high-strung 4th string to really emphasize that high drone-string sound. The ways you can utilize the extra string capacity of the 8-string Kamaka uke is only limited by your imagination. Schaller tuners with a high gear ratio allow precise tuning.

Like all new Kamaka instruments, the HF-38 is impeccably crafted. The top, back and sides are solid Hawaiian koa and they have thin satin-sheen finish. This shows the koa grain and color to advantage and is yet another example of how the Kamaka crew keeps raising the bar and making their ukuleles even better. Includes a Kamaka hardshell case.