Double NUD! New Kala Concert and Amahi Tenor

Chinn

Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2017
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Had a couple great mail days this week. (Ok, so really a couple NUD's!)

I posted in the beginner's forum earlier today that my wife had asked for a ukulele for Christmas. I have spent the past month or more researching brands/models and looking over what I think she'd like. At the same time, I'm going to have to learn to play in order to teach her, so I was looking for my own. I'm new to the ukulele, but have 30 years of guitar and mandolin behind me, including building my own instruments, so I have an idea what makes an instrument well made and what is no good.

I elected to purchase a new concert sized Kala KA-ACP-CTG with the beautiful cedar top, paduak rosette and bindings, and acacia sides and back.

For myself, I purchased a used Tenor Amahi with a spruce top with pau abalone purfling and mahogany binding, and some form of rosewood sides and back.

The Kala is just a wonderfully built instrument. Fit and finish is excellent. I purchased from TheUkuleleSite, and had them do a full setup, and the action is very good - nice compromise for most styles of playing. Sound is very warm and full. It seems very well suited for strumming and playing the kind of music she is going to be playing to the children's groups she'll be playing to.

The Amahi is an unusual story. When I received it, I could not identify it against anything in their catalog. I emailed the company and received a response that this is actually a pre-production prototype and in their words 'quite special'. The fit and finish on it is very good as well but the satin finish on the uke does not show quite as much of the beauty of the wood as the finish on the Kala does (not a huge fan of satin finishes). The spruce top seems very bright in its sound, almost 'sparkly' in its tone at times. Its setup is very well setup for picking, but it strums well too.

I really love both instruments. Great players both. Love making music with my wife even more (we both play guitar, but never really played 'together' prior) and these two little instruments should bring a lot of fun in the future.

Pictures of the Kala below.

20171215_151653.jpg20171215_151557.jpg20171215_151712.jpg20171215_151629.jpg
 
Last edited:
Congrats Chinn! That's a cool story. I hope you and your wife wear those ukes out!
 
Top Bottom