Wood vs. alternative materials

...So I ask myself all the time what the Makala is really made of?

Taking the role of "Mr. Literal" I quote Kala themselves:

Makala Concert MK-C $ 99.99 MSRP


The Makala Classic line is simply the best entry-level ukulele on the market. Sound and playability usually suffer when offered at these affordable prices, but not with the Makala. With a fantastic sound and vintage look, the Makala Classic line won’t break the bank.

SPECS


Size: Concert
Top: Mahogany
Back & Sides: Mahogany
Binding: NA
Finish: Satin
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard: Rosewood* OR Walnut
Nut & Saddle: Plastic
Headstock: Standard
Strings: Aquila Super Nylgut®
Electronics: NA

MEASUREMENTS

Scale Length: 14.875 inches, Overall Instrument Length: 24.125 inches, Body Length: 11.125 inches, Number of frets: 18, Width at upper bout: 6 inches, Width at lower bout: 8.25 inches, Width at waist: 4.875 inches, Body Depth: 2.75 inches, Fingerboard width at nut: 1.38 inches, Fingerboard width at neck/body joint: 1.73 inches

more info: https://kalabrand.com/collections/makala-classic/products/mk-c
 
Taking the role of "Mr. Literal" I quote Kala themselves:

Makala Concert MK-C $ 99.99 MSRP


The Makala Classic line is simply the best entry-level ukulele on the market. Sound and playability usually suffer when offered at these affordable prices, but not with the Makala. With a fantastic sound and vintage look, the Makala Classic line won’t break the bank.

SPECS


Size: Concert
Top: Mahogany
Back & Sides: Mahogany
Binding: NA
Finish: Satin
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard: Rosewood* OR Walnut
Nut & Saddle: Plastic
Headstock: Standard
Strings: Aquila Super Nylgut®
Electronics: NA

MEASUREMENTS

Scale Length: 14.875 inches, Overall Instrument Length: 24.125 inches, Body Length: 11.125 inches, Number of frets: 18, Width at upper bout: 6 inches, Width at lower bout: 8.25 inches, Width at waist: 4.875 inches, Body Depth: 2.75 inches, Fingerboard width at nut: 1.38 inches, Fingerboard width at neck/body joint: 1.73 inches

more info: https://kalabrand.com/collections/makala-classic/products/mk-c
Yes, those are the specs, and it says mahogany. I wonder if the mahogany veneer is so thin that they put some sort of indestructible finish over it to protect it?
 
To my eyes the Satin finish on the Makala doesn't shown up marks whereas a gloss finish does.

I had a Makala SN which worked nicely for me - I wish I'd spent just a little more on got a KA-15S instead but that's another issue - it's hard to fault them at the price and a decent set-up plus some Martin strings transformed mine for the better.
 
Yes, those are the specs, and it says mahogany. I wonder if the mahogany veneer is so thin that they put some sort of indestructible finish over it to protect it?

Shhhh, dont tell anyone, but I heard that the magical elves in the forests where the wood is harvested have imbued Makala and Kala instruments with such a resistance to harm as you've described...i.e., they have 'ahem' blessed it with a magic spell...

But you did not hear this from me......:)
 
Intereting post. I have to ask you to clarify laminate, do you mean "wood laminate". If so I am going to play devils advocate and say your statement is contradictory. A wood laminate is subject to all the same "variables" as a solid piece when it comes to sound, wood is wood. So one laminate uke can sound very different from the other even being the same make and model, as can all solid wood ukes. No doubt a laminate can withstand humidity swings better, but they will not have a more consistent sound from one instrument to the other.

Ukes I own are all solid wood, solid top with laminate back and sides, all laminate and a Black bird Farallon made from ekoa, a non-wood material. I dont own any HPL (formica, Wilsonart, etc) ukes but that is about to change. I've been looking at Bonanza and Enya X1. I enjoy them all, they can sound good no matter the material.

I am not a luthier, so I cannot say anything specifically about the sound.
But from a structural engineers viewpoint, plywood does in general have more consistent properties than solid wood.
I assume that a "laminate" has plies of some kind.
The naturally occurring weak points along some grains in the wood has a lot of influence on its behavior. When glueing together a few plies of wood, the weak spots are not likely to be directly above each other through the plies. This makes the weak spot of combined plywood stronger than that of a solid piece of wood.

How that affects sound I am not sure, but strength and stiffness and density are related for wood. And the distribution of stiffness and density over the plate must definitely have an impact on the sound.
 
Last edited:
I am not a luthier, so I cannot say anything specifically about the sound.
But from a structural engineers viewpoint, plywood does in general have more consistent properties than solid wood.
I assume that a "laminate" has plies of some kind.
The naturally occurring weak points along some grains in the wood has a lot of influence on its behavior. When glueing together a few plies of wood, the weak spots are not likely to be directly above each other through the plies. This makes the weak spot of combined plywood stronger than that of a solid piece of wood.

How that affects sound I am not sure, but strength and stiffness and density are related for wood. And the distribution of stiffness and density over the plate must definitely have an impact on the sound.

I come from a woodworking background, so I do enjoy wood but I am open minded to synthetics. The commonly voiced opinion that each piece of wood is different from one to the next is as true for a solid one piece top as a multiple layered plywood top. So if spruce top A sounds different than spruce top B image taking three pieces of wood and gluing them up. Statically you have much more variables from one plywood top to the next when it comes to tone. I have played 3 idential laminate Kala sopranos in a music store and they all varied in sound, just as a solid wood top can. That was the only point I was making. I agree Laminate or plywood is stronger and more stable, Kiwaya uses it and their instruments sound great
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom