KALA UTAR Christmas!

mikeg0232 · Dec 21, 2010

I picked up one of these discontinued models from Mim last week. It is a guitalele configuration with six strings, 20 fret neck and a tenor body.

Kala Utar (KA-UTAR)

I was a bit perplexed with it at first, as the uke came with standard Savarez classical strings. I tuned it up to ADGCEA and found it way to high a tension. Tuned down to GCFA#DG it was playable but pretty soft around the edges. When I tried to take it back up to ADGCEA, I broke the first and sixth almost immediately.

The scale is 20.125" or 511mm, which makes it unable to hold standard gauge strings at ADGCEA tuning. I would guess they were at 20+ pounds of tension when the strings were rated to be played at 10-15.

I contacted D'addario and gave them the specs of what I had, thinking I might be able to get a custom set configured. They were very helpful and pointed me in the direction of their D'addario J94 set of Requinto strings.

I got a set of J94's on it today and am totally amazed at how it has opened up. Tone and playability are outstanding. For anyone that has a UTAR and has not tried it yet, get the J94's! I think KALA missed the boat by not setting up this spec when they marketed these.

I think Mim has a couple more of these if you are interested in feeding that UAS.

DAPuke · Dec 21, 2010

Congratulations, I'm glad you worked past the string problem. Pics and sound samples next?
DAP

Skitzic · Dec 21, 2010

I have Martin requinto strings. Just after I bought it the G string snapped, I've yet to change the others but I may just have to now...

SailingUke · Dec 22, 2010

LaBella makes a Requinto set I have used on my D-VI.

mikeg0232 · Dec 23, 2010

I would love to have a D-VI. Those look and sound awesome.

Edit: I am blissed out happy with my UTAR, but UAS and all...

maikii · Feb 21, 2011

SailingUke said:
LaBella makes a Requinto set I have used on my D-VI.

What is the scale of the D-VI?

I would think that using requinto strings on a guitalele would be too loose? Requintos are larger than guitaleles (I forget the scale, I think more than 21"), and their standard tuning is the same as the guitalele. Being made for the same tuning on a larger instrument, one would think they would be too loose on the smaller scale.

Regular cg strings are supposed to work well on the Yamaha GL-1, but that is about a 17" scale, like a tenor uke. Perhaps too tight on a 19" scale? But wouldn't requinto strings be too loose?

maikii · May 19, 2011

Who is Mim? Does he still have any U-tars?

You write that it has a tenor body. Other guitaleles, like the Yamaha G1, I understand have a tenor body. But I heard the U-tar is a little larger, more of a baritone body.

mikeg0232 said:
I picked up one of these discontinued models from Mim last week. It is a guitalele configuration with six strings, 20 fret neck and a tenor body.

View attachment 18686
Kala Utar (KA-UTAR)

I was a bit perplexed with it at first, as the uke came with standard Savarez classical strings. I tuned it up to ADGCEA and found it way to high a tension. Tuned down to GCFA#DG it was playable but pretty soft around the edges. When I tried to take it back up to ADGCEA, I broke the first and sixth almost immediately.

The scale is 20.125" or 511mm, which makes it unable to hold standard gauge strings at ADGCEA tuning. I would guess they were at 20+ pounds of tension when the strings were rated to be played at 10-15.

I contacted D'addario and gave them the specs of what I had, thinking I might be able to get a custom set configured. They were very helpful and pointed me in the direction of their D'addario J94 set of Requinto strings.

I got a set of J94's on it today and am totally amazed at how it has opened up. Tone and playability are outstanding. For anyone that has a UTAR and has not tried it yet, get the J94's! I think KALA missed the boat by not setting up this spec when they marketed these.

I think Mim has a couple more of these if you are interested in feeding that UAS.

Skitzic · May 19, 2011

maikii said:
Who is Mim? Does he still have any U-tars?

You write that it has a tenor body. Other guitaleles, like the Yamaha G1, I understand have a tenor body. But I heard the U-tar is a little larger, more of a baritone body.

When I had my Utar it felt like a tenor body to me. It may have been slightly larger...don't know the specs off hand but it felt like a tenor body.

Mim is a member here.

KALA UTAR Christmas!

mikeg0232

Well-known member

DAPuke

Well-known member

Skitzic

Well-known member

SailingUke

Uke legend in my own mind

mikeg0232

Well-known member

maikii

Well-known member

maikii

Well-known member

Skitzic

Well-known member

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