two kala asac-c ukes different sound

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luckyluca

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Hi, i tried two identical kala asac-c at my local shop and they have different sounds.

the one i like most in look, darker, has a slightly sharper sound but dimmer in volume, almost less resonant.

the brighter in color has a louder slightly sweeter sound, but i noticed some discolouration and when wiping the fretboard some brown color appeared on the cloth. this didn't happen with the former.

could it be that the sound changes with time? and if so do ukuleles become louder/sweeter or the other way around?

any thing to look out for/avoid?

I'm going back tomorrow and getting one of these, just need a little advice :)

thanks
 
Not sure that fretboard color is significant. Ask the dealer to clean the fretboard and take it from there. I'd go with the louder, sweeter sound myself. Check the setup. That could make a difference.

http://www.theukulelesite.com/ukulele-setup
 
In the end you'll probably enjoy the one that sounds and feels better to you when you play it more than the one that looks marginally better. Perhaps the brown that came off the fretboard was simply some lemon oil, or a dirty fretboard? Not too sure. And I very much second Phil's advice to check the setup. Makes a world of difference! Enjoy the uke!
 
Production ukes, like Kalas, are notorious for not all sounding the same. While playing and listening to one Kala asac-c uke will give you a general idea of what they all sound like, there will be variances in sound based on the pieces of wood used, assembly, and other variables. You can also alter the sound of an ukulele somewhat depending on which set of strings you put on them, and age can affect the sound of a given string set. Do both ukes have the same strings? If the ukes are not the same age, then the older uke is going to have older strings, which tend to be duller.
 
Any acoustic instrument can produce different sounds depending on how it is strung and tuned, and how it is kept and handled, and its age. (And whether anyone stuffed cotton or paper or boogers inside it. ;)) Any two instruments from the same production line, whether luthier or factory, will sound different unless they're molded plastic or stamped metal -- and after a week they may differ, depending on the factors I mentioned.

Non-robotic crafters are not precisely consistent and neither are their materials. Woods vary, even laminates. Supplies of nuts and bridges may run out and others substituted -- and if those bits are horn or bone, they can vary as much as woods. And some axes seem to have good or bad mojo, just as not all Leica or Takumar lenses are equally sprinkled with pixie dust. (Do not even HOPE for consistency in Russian camera lenses or Andean pan-pipes.)

Pick the 'uke that sings to you.
 
Thanks for your replies! It's nice to hear your opinions and advice.

The darker with slightly dimmer/compressed sound has a slightly higher serial number but it feels as if it had been playing longer, I think it must have been the one used as demo in the shop. Also if I can remember the darker one had almost lost its wood smell as it had been kept in the open for a while.

Regarding the lighter one with louder and sweeter tones: All it was I simply enquired about what it seemed to be dust on the fret board (the exterior of the case was quite dusty too) and the sales assistant wiped the dust from the fretboard with a slightly wet microfiber cloth and I just noticed a strong brown stain on the microfiber cloth. We repeated it on another part of the fretboard producing a second stain, but no discoloration on the fretboard could be seen.
The case where it was must have been stored for months in a rather dusty place indeed. Perhaps it was a combination of treatment at the factory and dust.
We then tried doing the same on the other darker kala and the stain on the cloth was almost visible. Honestly it doesn't bother me too much.

I'll go back later today and choose one, will just take a look at the setup videos first, but I'll probably go for the one which sounds better to me.
The question is whether what I feel like sound better is actually recognized as a better sound by 'real' ukulele players, I'm in fact still a beginner.

Thanks
L
 
The question is whether what I feel like sound better is actually recognized as a better sound by 'real' ukulele players, I'm in fact still a beginner.

There's no such thing as an objectively better sound, I feel. People have different preferences and different ears, and a lot depends on the player anyway. The strings also figure into the sound. If you hear a difference and have a clear preference, I think that is fortunate and you should get the uke that sounds better to you. If you can get a discount for the blemished ukulele, that would be even better. :) Personally, I'd always go with better sound over better looks.

Different ukuleles sound different, even if they are from the same maker, made of the same wood, and have the same strings. It's one of the few advantages of buying one in a store, though: the opportunity to try them out.
 
Two identical ukes , one that has been played alot and one that hasnt been played could sound different. Some ukes sound better the more they are played, they get broken in,
and they open up .:eek:ld:
 
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ok I went ahead and bought the lighter wood one, with "better" sound. I measured the distance between the string and the fret board at the 12th fret and it is a little higher, around 4-4.5mm.
I'm tempted to sand the bridge slightly in order to lower the strings just a little bit.

Regarding the fretboard I'm just a little OCD regarding the brown stains left on a wet cloth when wiping the fretboard. I can't see anything on my fingers after playing of course and they weren't very helpful at the shop.
Would you leave it or clean the freboard and apply lemon-oil, it sounds a bit excessive to a brand new instrument :)
 
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Regarding the fretboard I'm just a little OCD regarding the brown stains left on a wet cloth when wiping the fretboard. I can't see anything on my fingers after playing of course and they weren't very helpful at the shop.
Would you leave it or clean the freboard and apply lemon-oil, it sounds a bit excessive to a brand new instrument :)

I'd hit it light with some 00 steel wool, then wet wipe, then lemon oil.
I do that when I change strings anyway.

The brown, could be left over from a fret leveling? Anyway, I don't see how wiping something down can be considered excessive. It's just wiping. And oiling.. might not be necessary, but it doesn't hurt, and it looks nice, and smells nice.
 
Congratulations on your new uke! The ebony available for fingerboards is not always black, so many makers use a black dye to darken it. What you are likely seeing on the damp cloth is exactly that -- dye. Just do as Spookelele suggests above -- although I'd use 0000 steel wool. The lemon oil will help seal the dye and keep it from coming off. Enjoy!
 
thanks!
in hindsight the look of the one i went for is actually nice. action is actually good, i was wrong, it is 3mm at the 12th fret, i can live with it :) intonation is good at the 12th fret altough the e string ( or the a i can't remember ) tend to increase 2-3 lines of the snark tuner in pitch from the first few frets, i suppose it's acceptable for a made in China kala but please let me know if it shouldn't.

regarding cleaning it can i do it by loosening instead of removing the strings? what should ii do regarding the nice ornaments on the fretboard? ( see kala asac ). i suppose i should avoid using the steel wool on then, but what about the Lennon oil?
thanks, anyway I'm loving it
 
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thanks!
in hindsight the look of the own i went for is actually nice. action is actually good, i was wrong, it is 3mm at the 12th fret, i can live with it :) intonation is good at the 12th fret altough the e string ( or the a i can't remember ) tend to increase 2-3 lines of the snark tuner in pitch from the first few frets, i suppose it's acceptable for a made in China kala but please let me know if it shouldn't.

regarding cleaning it can i do it by loosening instead of removing the strings? what should ii do regarding the nice ornaments on the fretboard? ( see kala asac ). i suppose i should avoid using the steel wool on then, but what about the Lennon oil?
thanks, anyway I'm loving it

No need to avoid the steel wool. You're not like.. grinding the crap out of it. I might have been wrong on the number. Just use a very fine steel wool, and go light. It'll polish up the frets and work any bits stuck on the wood loose so it wipes off. The fret markers are not stickers/paint. They're inlays, so even if you had to grind it down you wont remove them. Lemon oil is not expensive and a bottle will last you for a very very very long time. Besides lifting any oil/grime, it polishes and seals the wood somewhat against humidity, and makes the wood look nice. People debate if its necessary. Im not convinced one way or another, but it doesn't hurt, looks nice, and brings back that new car feel, so why not?
 
I'll leave it as it is for now, afterall it's a new instrument, will probably clean it with Lemon oil when i get around changing the strings in maybe 6 months time.
i do love the sound, thanks for the advices of choosing it over the marginally better look
 
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