merlin666
Well-known member
I am interested in getting a 6-string uke (lili'u) and the Kala ASAC-T6 just seems to have some very appealing features. However, I have played two of the four string models in stores and was not at all impressed by the sound. One thing about them I found confusing is that they are made of "acacia" which encompasses 100s of different plants. The acacia family includes two notable tonewoods: Acacia KOA and Acacia melanoxylon (Tasmanian Blackwood), but the Kala site is not specific about what they are using.
So I emailed Kala and asked them and after a few days I got a detailed response that stated it was Acacia confusa ("Formosan Koa") and included a link to the Wikipedia article. Now this article only refers to uses as a tea and a rough lumber but does not mention tonewood use at all. However, some threads on here suggest that several makers such as Pono and Kala use this for their budget ukes. It sure looks pretty, but I wonder why it is not used more often for other instruments as wel,l as it seems to be very common and even invasive in Hawaii. How does it compare to the more common ukulele tonewoods such as Koa and Mahogany?
So I emailed Kala and asked them and after a few days I got a detailed response that stated it was Acacia confusa ("Formosan Koa") and included a link to the Wikipedia article. Now this article only refers to uses as a tea and a rough lumber but does not mention tonewood use at all. However, some threads on here suggest that several makers such as Pono and Kala use this for their budget ukes. It sure looks pretty, but I wonder why it is not used more often for other instruments as wel,l as it seems to be very common and even invasive in Hawaii. How does it compare to the more common ukulele tonewoods such as Koa and Mahogany?