Kala Elite: No More Sopranos

[richntacoma]

Yes....not using spell check and WAY too much working on right now..sorry

 

[richntacoma]

sopranos don't go out of favour.
i guess my point is, and not made w/ subtlety,
that, at that price, there are at least 15 +
builders, luthiers who i would seek out first.
i don't believe soprano players in the worldwide
ukulele community will be particularly concerned.

Of course there are many, many ukes that we can still buy and play--this was just a post providing a bit of information--move on if it does not interest you.

 

[bbkobabe]

Hmmm... Well, lots of people took the Kala tour pre-pandemic. Elite Ukuleles were being made then, right here in Petaluma. I doubt anything has changed since then...

I recently bought 2 overstock KA-15Cs from eBay... and they sound pretty fantastic, actually. One a bit nicer that the other, but honestly... Really sweet sounding. I also own a good number of "better" all plywood KALAs... a dog hair, a glossy, etc... all concert sized...

What I'm seeing is that none of them sounds substantially better than these two fresh KA-15Cs.

(I also have a KALA solid spruce top tenor... that IS quite a bit better sounding... bought used from Craig's list for $60... SCORE!)

But from what I can see and hear, just play a model KA-15 UNLESS you can afford an Elite. There isn't that much middle ground in the KALA line up. The entry level ukes sound pretty much the same as the more upscale models.

I've never played an Elite... but from all reports they are pretty awesome. Someday... I'm too busy teaching and playing with my middle school students for that sort of thing, and my KALA SSTU-T is perfect for that. And I don't even flinch when handing it to a kid who wants to show me something.

BTW: The two KA-15Cs I bought are actually branded KA-15BNDL... meaning they came bundled with a tuner, extra set of Aquila bio strings, a nice case, a strap and preinstalled strap button... Totally new in all original packaging... for $50 each... S/H included free. I search eBay constantly for this sort of deal and have bought about 10 of them this past year at this price (and sometimes even cheaper).

My advice? Buy a Kala KA-15 series, in whatever size you like, and play it until you get proficient. You simply can't get a better uke for the money!

 

[Mister X]

Thank you. I don't think your descriptions of sound were that bad.

Thanks for the clarification - I was wondering what the hog referred to. I'm slightly still confused about "gangly" though. I'm not familiar with your use of the term - here it means lanky and a bit floppy.

Sorry - I see you already clarified. As you were.

 

[Cluze]

a glorified Kala production model

And therein is the issue, as brought up by several other folks. The Kala Elite line is a *totally different beast* from their regular made-in-a-factory-in-the-far-east production models. But people can't seem to get past the name on the head stock. It is a total shame because every Elite I have ever had the pleasure of playing was delightful.

Elites are made by hand by luthiers in California. Kala production models are made in mass quantities in factories somewhere in the far east. These are two totally different ends of the spectrum.

 

[Mister X]

And therein is the issue, as brought up by several other folks. The Kala Elite line is a *totally different beast* from their regular made-in-a-factory-in-the-far-east production models. But people can't seem to get past the name on the head stock. It is a total shame because every Elite I have ever had the pleasure of playing was delightful.

Elites are made by hand by luthiers in California. Kala production models are made in mass quantities in factories somewhere in the far east. These are two totally different ends of the spectrum.

Yes a similar thought came to my mind too.

I once worked for a large multinational confectionery company - (and not that far from the R&D lab). A later colleague of mine scoffed at the thought they might know anything about making "proper" chocolate but in fact of course they knew everything - they employed the best of the best and they understood chocolate inside out and backwards. They were totally capable of hand-making chocolates of the highest quality - I know because I often wandered in to R&D to "test" them. It just wasn't their main business.

Can't see any reason why Kala couldn't make stupendously high quality instruments if they wanted to but in the market they operate in I can see how their brand would definitely dilute perceived value.

 

[Mister X]

Maybe you mean jangly? Gangly is like gangly limbs. Now the words are mixing up in my mind. But I think you mean jangly, like the coins in your pocket or a tambourine.

Easy thing to do. I often see people writing "Geez" instead of "Jeez" which I thought was an error until I realised it must refer to Jesus' older brother....... Gesus

 

[Cadia]

Well I satisfied my curiosity and the questions in my mind about Kala Elite with the myrtle tenor I bought recently. It is honestly one of the nicest sounding ukes I have, it's well-made and beautiful to look at, and I'm so happy to own it. It definitely sounds as good as any of my Hawaiians, or the Moonbird. These are handmade in CA - not factory-made, mass produced ukes. Hence the high price tag. But the quality and sound of the uke is deserving of its price. Perhaps if Kala gave them a different name these WOULD garner more respect from those who haven't heard or played them, and are under the impression that it's just another Kala. But the company has made it clear what these instruments are, and playing one yourself would make you a believer in this line, I think.

I would imagine soprano owners are just as happy with their Elite sopranos as I am with my tenor, as I would surmise that their sopranos sound just as wonderful as my uke. The Elites have been a little scarce over the last year. It seems like CA might have limited their production in general. Maybe this due to covid, as so many other uke makers, like Romero, have said. I hope using the Kala name isn't what hurt them, as these are really nice ukes.

 

[EDW]

Although, I will say that I hate the "ears" on those sopranos.

 

[Joelh]

I picked up a dog hair elite tenor last year, off of this forum. I’ve been super pleased with it. My sample size is small, but it has a really great tone. The fit and finish are top notch

 

[Kenn2018]

Interesting. When I started to play five years ago, it was widely reported that the most popular ukulele size was the soprano. More sops were sold then than any other size. I wonder if that preference has changed in favor of the tenor?

I was skeptical about paying that much for a "Kala" tenor. But when I saw a Kala Elite spruce/myrtle tenor came up for sale I decided to try it. It's an excellent sounding uke. Easy to play and lovely to look at. Very well made.

I have to downsize and other tenors I have sounded very similar. As a result, I didn't play it much. So I let it go. But I don't regret having the experience of owning one. It was well worth the money.

 

[man0a]

Interesting. When I started to play five years ago, it was widely reported that the most popular ukulele size was the soprano. More sops were sold then than any other size. I wonder if that preference has changed in favor of the tenor?

I was skeptical about paying that much for a "Kala" tenor. But when I saw a Kala Elite spruce/myrtle tenor came up for sale I decided to try it. It's an excellent sounding uke. Easy to play and lovely to look at. Very well made.

I have to downsize and other tenors I have sounded very similar. As a result, I didn't play it much. So I let it go. But I don't regret having the experience of owning one. It was well worth the money.

I think this is a cultural thing. Sopranos have always been the most popular size in Japan. In the USA, the tenor has been the most popular size for a while, especially in the more expensive price ranges. Would not surprise me if Kala just had a hard time breaking in to the Japanese market where local brands like Kiwaya are very popular and very high quality for relatively reasonable prices.