My Introduction to Kala Brand Ukulele's

vcs700s

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I just finished a post on my blog about my experience with Kala and their ukuleles.

You can click the link in my signature if you are interested.
 
I couldn't agree more. I purchased a KA SRMT TRI from HMS and with their set up it plays like a dream. Great sustain and very responsive hard to beat at that price. I wanted a second tenor with a warm sound and this is just what I wanted.
 
Their service is excellent. . . as good as it gets.

I am a long-time fan. I admire what the company's doing. I see Kala as offering "price-worthy" ukuleles----in other words, ukes that provide strong value for the price. In 2015, not all products do this.

And when I think about jumping up a level in price, buying a Pono, for instance, I keep thinking, "It's a UKULELE! It's a fun instrument meant to be passed around casually, joyfully, perhaps even left out overnight on the grass. . . and not a Precious Relic."
 
For the money, I think Kala's are a really good value. Of the few that I've seen and played at stores though, they generally need the action lowered a bit, which is usually done by any good recommended seller here.
 
I currently own and love one Kala, a KA6 6-string tenor strung g-cC-E-Aa. Beautiful tone, great finish, but weird to play -- I had to flip the top course from aA to Aa to keep that low octave from totally drowning the higher note, and I find myself picking bass-lines with my forefinger. I've touched a couple of Kala sopranos but that was long ago. I did try a Kala 8-string tenor and was quite unimpressed by the ho-hum tone but it may have been setup wrong -- I was ignorant about setup then. I'll probably be fondling a number of sopranos and concerts in the next couple of weeks (we just bought our 4th tenor so we're fully-stocked there) and Kala will definitely be in the running, but we'll see, we'll see...
 
I'm also a Kala fan. I like what Cap said up above about them being "price-worthy." Are there better ukes? Sure, but Kala gives you high value for the price you pay. My gf plays a KA-SLNG (long-neck soprano), and for a sub-$100 uke, it plays well and sounds pretty decent.
 
The Kala instruments are top notch, for the money!
 
I couldn't agree more. I purchased a KA SRMT TRI from HMS and with their set up it plays like a dream. Great sustain and very responsive hard to beat at that price. I wanted a second tenor with a warm sound and this is just what I wanted.

I tried one of those last week at the local music shop and it was pretty nice.
Very pleasant tone, and excellent build quality.
If the neck was just a little wider.. I'da brought it home cuz besides sounding good, it was an easy player.
Nice uke.

The cedar top acacia is also excellent and above the curve for the price. I just sold my concert.. and have been eyeing the tenor as a replacement, as the only reason I sold it was the scale, since Im a tenor guy.

I like Kala...

I think it's strange choice of name though.
Translated it means "Money"
 
Kala puts out some really nice ukuleles period. The secret to them as with any mass produced stringed instrument is a good setup and inspection. I got my Kala KA-TG from HMS and it is a real player. So much so that I am having a devil of a time convincing my wife I "need" a certain Mya Moe tenor to add to the Kala and Pono tenors I already have. Seen quite a few videos and live performances of awesome players using a Kala ukulele. I'm liking a few of the long neck sopranos they offer and might have to try one out someday.
 
I've been playing the same Kala from MIM for over 3 years, and it's the best uke I own. I doubt if I'll ever part with it. It's been modified anyway. Yep, Kala means money, for the company! Kala's the largest of the uke companies. So far.
 
Got a barely used Kala Cedar Acacia Baritone last week to go with my Kala Cedar Acacia Tenor. They are the ones I play most often.
 
Gotta jump on the thread and agree with everyone here. My first Kala KA-ATP-CTG-CE ended up going back to them because of a defect, but they were probably the nicest dealer I've worked with. I'm waiting for a Kala Thinline Tenor from HMS, and also own a the Longneck Mahogany Soprano (because I need two travel ukes...need?).
 
Another Kala recommendation from someone who is about to buy is third Kala. This one is a KA-C from a local store, the same store that sold me a U-Bass last December.

The KA-C on their wall has a nice low action, no buzzes, and seems to play in tune. Sound has a nice resonance, which was unexpected on a plywood instrument.

This will be a gift for my cousin who is not currently a ukulele player. She tried my soprano and concert last month and declared the concert to be just right. Then she tried my U-Bass and loved it. For now I'll get her playing on the concert, and the U-Bass will be for when she's ready to spend her own money. And if I get the KA-C back I won't be sad - it's a nice little ukulele for the money.
 
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