Kala KA-TEME or Islander AT-4-EQ (and why)?

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Trex88

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Hi! I'm new here and looking for some direction for my first tenor purchase. I've narrowed it down to these two ukes - Islander AT-4-EQ and Kala KA-TEME. I want a laminate for my first tenor so I won't have the humidity concerns of a solid wood uke. (If I love it I'm sure they'll be more ukes in my future and I'll consider a better solid wood model then). I like the electric option as I'm used to plugging in my electric guitars - I've always played electric. I don't have the option of seeing either of these ukes in person so I'm hoping for some input and pro/cons of each of these models. Anyone have any experience or insights with these ukes? Sound? Playability? Quality/Build? Features? What would you buy? Thanks for any and all assistance and direction you can provide!

Mahalo
 
Neck profile should be quite different - Kala is one of the narrower necks and Islander has one of the widest.
 
I have both the soprano & concert sizes of the Kala - definately a good starter uke, more heavily built than some, but both have a nice tone, to my ears. :)
 
I have no experience about the 2 models you chose, so it is better wait for other users though about it.
But I can talk about both Islander and Kala as a brand.
I had a Islander tenor that I really did not like. The quality build was not good (even glue spots visible by the soundhole... what a sloppy work) and the setup was a nightmare.
I did not like even the pin bridge. But the sound was good to be honest.
On the other hand, I have a couple of Kala and they are a GREAT value for price.
As PTOEGuy said, the neck profile is really different, and I have to say that despite I have big and clumsy hands, I prefer Kala neck over Islander. Islander caused me cramps after 10 minutes of playing.
I have no experience on electronics, so I can't say which is better on that.

I would definetly go for the Kala, but as I said I had a really bad experience on Islander and really good ones with Kala, so my judgement is not super-partes.
Anyway if you go for Islander, I strongly advice to buy from someone who can do a proper setup.
Hope it helps
 
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Quality issues can occur with either model, so I'd a) make it dependent on whether you want a narrow neck (Kala) or a wide one (Islander) and b) either try it out before you buy it or get it from an online vendor that includes free setups, unless you can do it yourself (Europe: Southern Ukulele Store, Omega Music: US: TheUkuleleSite and others).

I'd also consider an instrument with a solid top and laminate back and sides to one that is completely laminated, unless you go for quality laminates (Kiwaya/Famous). You'll not pay much more, it's still durable, and you get a better sound.

Most e-guitars have slim necks with narrow string spacing, so you may find the Kala closer to what you are used to (if you came from classical guitars, the Islander would feel more familiar). I'm not the biggest fan of Kala, but I think their cedar-topped models are definitely worth a look.
 
I have the At -4 , and it plays and sounds fine. I think i bought it on amazon and don,t recall it needing any set up. I like the wider fretboard, but I am also a Koaloha fan, similar neck.
 
The necks also differ in depth: Islander is thinner than Kala. My Islander laminate tenor (MT-4) is great, but I bought it from The Ukulele Site several years ago, so they checked it out/set it up. I haven't seen them selling Islanders lately. As others have said, where you buy it can matter. I suggest checking out uke-fan.com -- I've bought from them twice, although at the moment the AT-4-EQ is out of stock (but the MT-4 is listed as available -- without the included pickup, however).
 
Thanks all for your valuable input and thoughts! I really appreciate you taking the time to help me with this decision. Happy holidays to all!
 
Trex88 said:
Thanks all for your valuable input and thoughts! I really appreciate you taking the time to help me with this decision. Happy holidays to all!
Click to expand...

Just out of curiosity : what you've chosen in the end ?
 
mrStones said:
Just out of curiosity : what you've chosen in the end ?
Click to expand...

Sorry, I should have included that info. I've decided on the Kala. Taking everyone's input into consideration it seemed like the better choice for me. The info about the neck and how it might suit me better coming from electric, the concerns about build quality (I'm pretty picky and know how disappointed I was to receive a travel guitar with glue on the fret board), and a review that suggested the Kala might have better note clarity all helped steer me that direction. Not to mention lots of happy Kala owners in general (and less feedback on Islanders).
Now I try to patiently await its arrival.
 
Trex88 said:
Sorry, I should have included that info. I've decided on the Kala. Taking everyone's input into consideration it seemed like the better choice for me. The info about the neck and how it might suit me better coming from electric, the concerns about build quality (I'm pretty picky and know how disappointed I was to receive a travel guitar with glue on the fret board), and a review that suggested the Kala might have better note clarity all helped steer me that direction. Not to mention lots of happy Kala owners in general (and less feedback on Islanders).
Now I try to patiently await its arrival.
Click to expand...

I hope you'll be satisfied. I am with all my Kala.
Could I know where (I guess it is an online buy) you bought it ?
 
mrStones said:
I hope you'll be satisfied. I am with all my Kala.
Could I know where (I guess it is an online buy) you bought it ?
Click to expand...

Thanks! Sorry, meant to answer this sooner! Bought it from Mike at Uke Republic.
 
Then I am sure he will deliver your Kala with a nice setup.
I never bought from Mike (buying from US to EU is quite expensive) but I hear a lot of good things from people who bought from Uke Republic.
 
I think you made the right choice. I recently ordered an Islander from Amazon, as I can do basic setup myself, but the one I received was way out of my league in regard to that. It's a shame. That's many people's first experience with Kanilea and it makes them appear to be very slapdash about quality control.
 
Ziret said:
I think you made the right choice. I recently ordered an Islander from Amazon, as I can do basic setup myself, but the one I received was way out of my league in regard to that. It's a shame. That's many people's first experience with Kanilea and it makes them appear to be very slapdash about quality control.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that additional info!! That would be disappointing. Sounds like I did make the right choice!
 
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