Looking for opinions on the Kala acoustic-only archtop tenor ukulele

Propagandalf · Nov 30, 2016

Hey,

After a long journey of searching for a nice tenor as my second uke, I found the really cool Kala archtop series, but the particular model I'm interested is only in a few shops and isn't mentioned by far as often as it's electroacoustic brethren. It has an extra pick guard and a floating bridge, but lacks the pickup. That isn't much of a downside, since I don't plan on playing any gigs that would need it.

Has anyone owned this particular uke or one from the kala archtop family? Is this a good tenor to go with?

Here's a link to one of the few sites that have it:https://www.thomann.de/cz/kala_jazz_tenor_ukulele_hb.htm

Thanks so much ^^

KohanMike · Nov 30, 2016

I tried the standard one without the pickguard or tailpiece at Sam Ash a few weeks ago and I found it to lack projection and sustain.

spookelele · Nov 30, 2016

kohanmike said:
I tried the standard one without the pickguard or tailpiece at Sam Ash a few weeks ago and I found it to lack projection and sustain.

I tried the electric and acoustic at last years milwaukee festival, and had a very similar impression. Acoustically, dull and quiet.

Ukulenny plays them, and quite a few of his vids are mic'd instead of amped, so you can get a feel for the sound and make your own impression.

https://www.youtube.com/user/ukulenny/videos

Mattyukaholic · Nov 30, 2016

I completely agree with that he comments so far. Unplugged I've found they're not great. That's not to knock Kala because I've found their cedar topped and spruce topped standard ukuleles to be really nice.

besley · Nov 30, 2016

I tried one last week at a local music store. I loved the looks and feel, and it was fun to play. But while it might have been the stock strings, it did sound muted and not that loud, pretty much what you'd expect for an all laminate instrument. I agree about the lack of sustain, but then that's what archtops are supposed to sound like (at least with guitars).

DownUpDave · Nov 30, 2016

A friend has one which I have played and I agree with everyone else.......acoustically dull, quiet and muted. It looks cool but lacks the sound to go with those looks.

manfromtexas · Dec 1, 2016

Well if you haven't already been convinced by now - I too owned one and found it to be very quiet. I used it for some time as my quiet uke, which was for those 5am sessions when everybody else is asleep. Sitting in bed playing on it in the wee hours I could hear a taste of that archtop jazz tone - that plucky tone - that was real pleasing. But that's because it was in my lap just inches from my ear and no other creature was stirring all through the house. In any other setting it just came off too quiet and I think "dull" is not too harsh a description - pretty accurate. I ended up selling it

UkeStuff · Dec 1, 2016

Agree with all the statements above...but still love the looks of the black one.

zztush · Dec 1, 2016

Acoustic only archtop guitar is very rare now a days. As far as I know, only a couple of models are available as brand new. It was used as rhythm guitar in jazz or old standard songs. The usage is limited for us. But very interesting to me.

ukulelekarcsi · Dec 1, 2016

First, check if it's the fixed or the floating bridge design (do the strings end on the saddle, or extend to the end of the body). Kala makes both, and there's a big difference between them. In one, the strings pull the top upwards and forward, in the other, the strings push the top downwards.

Second, don't dish laminate archtops ('pressed archtops'). They can be as loud as solid ('carved') archtops.

Third, it takes a bit of a different approach of the right hand to playing a floating bridge archtop, guitar players call it the 'crooked' or bent hand.

And finally, an archtop design inevitably leads to a different sound: much more mids, more projection, less sustain than a flattop.

Pick the floating bridge one, but some strong and thick strings on it and play it hard!

Propagandalf · Dec 1, 2016

Yeah, I'm getting the floating bridge and considering putting worth browns or Hilo low gs on it. It's gonna be used mostly for Czech Country (really interesting genre btw) and blues so I'll hit it hard.

Cornfield · Dec 1, 2016

I have one of these. I won it at the Milwaukee Uke fest last year. I agree that it is not very loud but it looks really cool.
Mine is available if anyone is interested, send me a PM.

Cubicinches · Jun 4, 2019

I agree with Ukulelekarcsi. The archtop sounds like it is meant to sound which is somewhat softer but with a depth of sound. I hate it when I hear a Uke being hammered ruins the whole sound of the instrument. It comes with a pre amp installed so when you want loud and long use an amp. I have a Peavey modelling amp. I only use the archtop on it and it's fantastic amped.

For unplugged I use this
https://maton.com.au/product/tenor-ukulele

70sSanO · Jun 4, 2019

I think you will be hard pressed to find any archtop ukulele that will match the acoustic sound of flat top. I know there are a few very high end ones out there that really sound nice, but their sound is a bit different. Most archtop guitars, and ukuleles, are pressed laminates vs a hand carved top. The dome shape and thickness supports the downward pressure, which I believe is unsupported with braces.

I have a mid-60’s Guild archtop guitar and I have a 90’s Guild Songbird. The size and construction is similar with a routed out back and sides. The main difference is the top. Even though the Songbird does not have a lot of volume is blows away the archtop acoustically.

John

Looking for opinions on the Kala acoustic-only archtop tenor ukulele

Propagandalf

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