My Kala Tenor uke has a pick-up and there is a 3V circular battery inside. I need to know how to get to it and change the battery. I have loosened the strings, but it is difficult to get my hand through the soundhole and inside. Is there a tool or something? Thanks!
Changing battery on Kala tenor
- Thread starter UkeTX
- Start date
lfoo6952
Well-known member
Was the pick-up factory installed? If so, there is a "trap door" near the end pin to access the battery. At least that is what I have on my Kala.
Which Kala uke is it? (model number)
Most factory installed pickups have the CR2032 3v lithium battery either at the endpin jack area or at the area for the preamp controls - usually there are little clips that you have to press in to release the tension of the battery holder door, and then pry it right out...
if there's nothing like this, I'd be suspect if it has a powered preamp at all, or if there is a 9-volt battery instead, but other than the LR Baggs Five.0, which 99% of the time is an aftermarket install, all other ukes with active preamps have the battery compartment accessible from the outside and do not require you to loosen or remove the strings...
...typically this procedure should take less than a minute to replace the battery....otherwise...hmmm
can you post a photo?
Most factory installed pickups have the CR2032 3v lithium battery either at the endpin jack area or at the area for the preamp controls - usually there are little clips that you have to press in to release the tension of the battery holder door, and then pry it right out...
if there's nothing like this, I'd be suspect if it has a powered preamp at all, or if there is a 9-volt battery instead, but other than the LR Baggs Five.0, which 99% of the time is an aftermarket install, all other ukes with active preamps have the battery compartment accessible from the outside and do not require you to loosen or remove the strings...
...typically this procedure should take less than a minute to replace the battery....otherwise...hmmm
can you post a photo?
You are right about everything, including the 5.0 LR Baggs. I don't know if it is an after market as you mentioned. I ordered the uke from the Hawaiian Uke place which has a different name now. But while I was reaching out for answers, my hubby simply got the flashlight and looked inside the sound hole and saw that the battery case clip thingy was stuck in there with Velcro! So he pulled it out and changed it. So thanks so much for your reply.
Ok, glad you got it resolved, and thanks for reporting back.
Do you mean 'Hawaii Music Supply' == 'The Ukulele Site'? (in either case https://www.theukulelesite.com is their web page)
With a 9v battery in a little pouch held in by velcro, the preamp you have sounds like it might be an older one, and either made by Fishman or one of the clones of the Fishman, in either case if there are no preamp controls on the side of the uke, it might be one of those where all the electronics are on a sort of stalk, which protrudes a few inches from the INSIDE of the endpin jack into the body cavity and then has some wires coming out for the battery, pickup element, and/or volume/tone controls that might sit on a little board that gets stuck near the opening of the sound-hole....
Most preamp makers have left the 9volt systems with the velcro pouch for guitar, since for an average adult, it's near impossible to get your hand inside the sound-hole of a uke (even a baritone), and thus have opted for the battery holder to be accessible from the outside, whether/both for 9v or CR2032 3v lithium batteries.
Being older (if it is) does not make it bad in any way, just sort of a telltale sign of when it might have been the current model preamp at the time when you bought your Kala. Every few yrs the technology changes little by little...
Thanks for the info brother. I'll keep this in mind for the future. I've seen so many pickup systems over the years that sometimes the details get blurred, and it's good to know that we can all benefit from sharing the info here.
