Kala Tenor Acacia Review
- Thread starter thejumpingflea
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Uncle-Taco
Well-known member
Slotted headstock! Aw, man! :shaka:
Very nice instrument!
Very nice instrument!
HaileISela
Retired Moderator
Really good review, I wanted to write something as a comment, but YT had the comment function temporarily desabled...
good job dude!
good job dude!
bluesuke
Well-known member
Great review
chris
Member
Oh, I like the Kala Tenor Acacia~! Especially the slotted head, oh it is stated that the top masterial is solid striped Acacia, can I say that it is real solid wood ?
ukeskywalker79
Well-known member
Loved the review and awesome playing. This will be my next uke for sure.
BTW what kind of tuning did you do? Also since the review have you tried other strings? I've been hearing the worth browns are mellow but based on your review they are far from mellow. Nice and bright and punchy just the way I like it. :shaka:
BTW what kind of tuning did you do? Also since the review have you tried other strings? I've been hearing the worth browns are mellow but based on your review they are far from mellow. Nice and bright and punchy just the way I like it. :shaka:
Mouthy1
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New Acacia Tenor
I just got my acacia Kala tenor about a week ago and I have some awesome ukes like Kiwaya, Pono koa, etc...I LOVE THE KALA ACACIA. The best sounding uke I own. I would replace it at twice the cost...honestly. That good. Just my opinion but based on me getting 3 great ukes all within 3 days, I think it is a valid opinion. Hope that helps anyone on the fence. Thanks MGM!
I just got my acacia Kala tenor about a week ago and I have some awesome ukes like Kiwaya, Pono koa, etc...I LOVE THE KALA ACACIA. The best sounding uke I own. I would replace it at twice the cost...honestly. That good. Just my opinion but based on me getting 3 great ukes all within 3 days, I think it is a valid opinion. Hope that helps anyone on the fence. Thanks MGM!
paw123los
Well-known member
I must agree with you .. the only one better sounding ukulele for me is my Makapili. Kala Acacia sound much better than my Pono PKT (even strung with Worth strings) and both Lanikais.
Uketopia
Member
Great review, and that uke sounds awesome. Which brings me to what may be my dilemma or a cheaper solution to my problem. I am a newbie on the ukulele and looking to get my first "real" uke (I bought a cheapie on vacation in Maui). You say it sounds "like" koa, and I have been looking at the Big Island Ukuleles, Honu Tenor, which MGM just got in stock without frills and it is gorgeous. Any experience with those, or is this Kala a better sounding uke for $150 less?
The koa wins the looks category, but I really just want the best sounding instrument possible for not more than about $500 right now. Any thoughts?
The koa wins the looks category, but I really just want the best sounding instrument possible for not more than about $500 right now. Any thoughts?
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vahn
Well-known member
for $500 you could get one of the lower end models from a k manufacturer.
MGM has a koaloha pineapple soprano
and a standard koaloha soprano
And Heres a canadian seller who ships US who has a soprano kamaka under 450canadian
For a tenor I would say you might as well stay under 400 and get a solid chinese import uke. Kala makes a good uke, I love my solid lace wood with spruce top, solidly built and they have a rep for good QC couple that with getting something from MGM and you can't go wrong, other than the wait time on a new one of these but preorder now if you want one.
Maybe also check out that Lanikai solid koa top
Heres one at Elderly
they have a great rep for setup and customer service I wouldnt be hesistant to buy from them.
And MGM also has some solid mango lanikai concerts
here
I like the tone in them a lot and picked the tenor version as my favorite in the blind test.
MGM has a koaloha pineapple soprano
and a standard koaloha soprano
And Heres a canadian seller who ships US who has a soprano kamaka under 450canadian
For a tenor I would say you might as well stay under 400 and get a solid chinese import uke. Kala makes a good uke, I love my solid lace wood with spruce top, solidly built and they have a rep for good QC couple that with getting something from MGM and you can't go wrong, other than the wait time on a new one of these but preorder now if you want one.
Maybe also check out that Lanikai solid koa top
Heres one at Elderly
they have a great rep for setup and customer service I wouldnt be hesistant to buy from them.
And MGM also has some solid mango lanikai concerts
here
I like the tone in them a lot and picked the tenor version as my favorite in the blind test.
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chris
Member
I just wonder, is the Kala Tenor Acacia tone warmer, compares to the Kala Solid lace wood with spruce top...
Are both KALA solid wood top ?
Are both KALA solid wood top ?
Hi there,
i received mine on thursday and i must say: Great!
The slotted head... okay nothing really impressing, the ukulele looks more like a guitar ;-)
but the importing thing for me: the sound is great and playing clean high notes was never that easy.
A 5 of 5 stars ukulele for a nice price.
i received mine on thursday and i must say: Great!
The slotted head... okay nothing really impressing, the ukulele looks more like a guitar ;-)
but the importing thing for me: the sound is great and playing clean high notes was never that easy.
A 5 of 5 stars ukulele for a nice price.
cletus
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I'd like to start the thread going again>>>> Anybody have other reviews or opinions of these ukuleles? Or, has anyone changed their minds after playing theirs for a while?
I sure like the way they look, and I'd like a different sound/tone from my lacewood and spruce Kala.
Cheers!
I sure like the way they look, and I'd like a different sound/tone from my lacewood and spruce Kala.
Cheers!
Paul December
Well-known member
I still love mine... very warm and loud
IMO a true giant-killer in the Uke world.
IMO a true giant-killer in the Uke world.
Chris Tarman
Well-known member
I like mine. It sounds great, although it isn't as loud as I would have expected a tenor to be (this being my first tenor). It has a nice tone, and the grain is really interesting. It is my most "WOODY-looking" uke, probably, if that makes any sense at all. It also has an interesting smell! Again, it is my only tenor, so I don't have a lot to compare it to as far as playability. The strings have more tension than a soprano, due to their length. But the action and intonation are great, and I think the neck is very comfortable. Mine did develop a very tight split where the two halves of the top join, from the "south end" of the soundhole to the bridge. I need to get that repaired, but I've been watching it and it hasn't gotten any longer or wider. It is conceivable that it was there when I got it, but I don't remember noticing it. It doesn't seem to affect the sound at all. At first I thought the top was rattling, but I have since figured out that it was the strap button I added, which needed to be tightened! One of these days I will run it down to the acoustic guitar builder about 30 miles south of here and see if he can fix it.
But, yes, overall I am very pleased with it. I don't play it all that often, but that is because I have decided that I prefer sopranos over the other sizes. But that's just me.
But, yes, overall I am very pleased with it. I don't play it all that often, but that is because I have decided that I prefer sopranos over the other sizes. But that's just me.
I've had mine a couple months now and love it. It gets played a lot. I play 'uke in a quartet and it's my sole 'uke with the band. I installed a Mi-Si pickup system and like the sound both plugged and unplugged. I'd buy this 'uke again in a heartbeat.
I've noticed from looking at pictures of the same model that my fret markers are different at the 10/12/15 frets. My vine inlays are symmetrical where others I've seen are asymmetrical. What do you guys have on yours?
I've noticed from looking at pictures of the same model that my fret markers are different at the 10/12/15 frets. My vine inlays are symmetrical where others I've seen are asymmetrical. What do you guys have on yours?
Chris Tarman
Well-known member
Hey Kevin.. what's that arm-rest thingy on the bottom of yours? Is it permanently attached? I was also thinking of getting the Mi-Si pickup put into mine. Glad to hear you like it. I'd actually almost rather have one put into my Kala soprano though. Maybe someday I can do both!
Hi Chris,
It's a John Pearse Armrest. I use one on my acoustic guitar and figured it would do just as well on a 'uke. They don't make one for the 'uke so I ordered a Jumbo for the larger radius, and then cut and shaped it to fit my 'ukulele. It's held on by an adhesive only on the edge where not much tone is generated because of the kerfing inside. The rest of it hovers over the top so that your arm doesn't inhibit the top vibrations at all. It really does make a difference.
It can be removed, but it's not a pop on/off type thing. You'd have adhesive to deal with and would need a new adhesive strip to remount it.
I'm having a Tone-Gard made for it right now. I find muffling the back with clothes/body makes a difference too. It will also double as a safety net so my 'uke doesn't bang against my mic stand from the String Swing when it's hanging there and I'm moving about my position.
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