phanzo
Well-known member
Ok so I got 2 new ukes in the mail yesterday. The first is the new Kala "Reggae" Tenor. I got it strung with Low G Kala Reds but it had some issues in the setup process. Apparently the Low G's are too thick to use without adjusting the saddle. So Mike (UkeRepublic) put in a piece of metal under the saddle to sit it up for the Low G and C strings. It works decently well but after the shipping, it seems the saddle has settled a bit and I am getting some buzzing on the 2nd fret G string. I'm going to keep the strings the way they are for a few days and see if it gets any better. If it doesn't, I think the first thing I will try is getting a High G Kala Red from a local dealer and try that, without the sheath under the saddle. Right now, Mike has an Aquila G string on there bc it is a little less thick and buzzes less.
Anyway, I will have to update on the string thing later. For the record though, I REALLY like the sound of the Kala Reds, the buzz is the ONLY issue.
As for the rest of the uke, it's pretty nice. There are various MINOR flaws (which I would be much more upset about had this uke been more expensive and not colored the way it is). Speaking of paint...Kala really needs to produce bottles of touch up paint for their ukes, bc the paint chips VERY easily. The color of the uke is awesome looking. The bronze frets look really nice. Mike setup is awesome, no sharp frets and the intonation is pretty spot on. There are some dings and scratches, which is pretty lame since it's BRAND NEW. Besides that, it's awesome! I'll have to make a video with it sometime soon. It has a nice FULL tone and has a nice mellow tone. Not quite as mellow as my Mainland Mahoganies but more mellow than many other ukes I've played.
As for the Dolphin, this is my 1st one. Everything I have read and heard is CORRECT. It's awesome. Sounds awesome, feels awesome, looks amazing (I got the Orange Burst). The only issue AGAIN is the paint. It came with a small chip in the paint and I would love to be buy some of the orange paint to touch it up. It is strung with Aquilas and is a blasty blast to play.
Videos will have to follow. Work is CRAZY busy nowadays though, so it may take a while...
Anyway, I will have to update on the string thing later. For the record though, I REALLY like the sound of the Kala Reds, the buzz is the ONLY issue.
As for the rest of the uke, it's pretty nice. There are various MINOR flaws (which I would be much more upset about had this uke been more expensive and not colored the way it is). Speaking of paint...Kala really needs to produce bottles of touch up paint for their ukes, bc the paint chips VERY easily. The color of the uke is awesome looking. The bronze frets look really nice. Mike setup is awesome, no sharp frets and the intonation is pretty spot on. There are some dings and scratches, which is pretty lame since it's BRAND NEW. Besides that, it's awesome! I'll have to make a video with it sometime soon. It has a nice FULL tone and has a nice mellow tone. Not quite as mellow as my Mainland Mahoganies but more mellow than many other ukes I've played.
As for the Dolphin, this is my 1st one. Everything I have read and heard is CORRECT. It's awesome. Sounds awesome, feels awesome, looks amazing (I got the Orange Burst). The only issue AGAIN is the paint. It came with a small chip in the paint and I would love to be buy some of the orange paint to touch it up. It is strung with Aquilas and is a blasty blast to play.
Videos will have to follow. Work is CRAZY busy nowadays though, so it may take a while...