Any play one of those spalted maple Kalas?

Faricelli

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• Feb 4, 2009

• #1

I am a sucker for good looks and I love the spalted maple uke. I was wondering how it sounded. I live in Northwest Indiana so I don't get a chance to try anything before I buy it. I usually rely on MGM's word. He just hooked me up with a Ohana Sk-50 MG cedar top and it sounds awesome.

 

haolejohn

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• Feb 4, 2009

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I have played one of these and it sounds good. The top wood is what makes the most difference and the spalted maple that I played had a solid spruce top. Take that into consideration.

 

Uke Republic

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• Feb 4, 2009

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Nice....Very Nice

Yes I sell them so maybe I'm biased. First they are beautiful, 2nd they sound great and have loads o volume. Third It is a balanced well put together instrument thats unique. That Ohana cedar top is beautiful, I will be selling those as well. I think you have an wonderful ukulele.ld:

 

russ_buss

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• Feb 4, 2009

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my wife has the kala spalted maple soprano with spruce top. it's beautiful to look at but it so thickly varnished, it doesn't give off much volume. does look good though.

 

Pippin

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• Feb 4, 2009

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Tone is great. Volume is nice, not too loud. The sound is silky and sweet. I'd love to throw in a Shadow pickup or LR Baggs, but the one I have here in my den is one of the instruments that we will be giving away in a future issue of Ukulele Player.

Kala did a beautiful job with this series.

 

ichadwick

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• Feb 4, 2009

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Spalted maple is very beautiful, but it will always be a laminate because the spalting is really a flaw (actually it's the result of a fungus infection, usually in dead wood) that causes soft spots in the wood. Spalted wood is okay on sides and back, but for the top you should consider a solid wood.

Overall laminates don't have the same sound reproduction abilities of soild woods, but I suspect spalted wood has additional acoustic issues because of those soft spots.

 

deach

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• Feb 4, 2009

• #7

I have a soft spot for spalted wood.