a3hourtour
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Narrowing down my choices... Not sure how important it is to stay with all wood (SMHT) vs that Cedar top.
Any thoughts?
Any thoughts?
comparison of Kala ATP-CTG and KA-SMHT
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captain-janeway
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Depends on the sound you like. I have the cedar top and love it, but I like the deeper tone it gives. It seems more "guitar-ish" to me. I play with and enjoy low g on my ukes. It's my favorite uke (though I don't have a ton). I like the tone better than my solid Mainland Mahogany.
bacchettadavid
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Welcome to UU, a3hourtour!
These two models belong to two slightly different styles of 'ukulele. The selection between them should be a reflection of your own playing style and musical goals.
The ATP-CTG is a loud, versatile model with decent punch, good sustain, and a wide sound (edit: some may call it boomy). It responds well to most styles of play and is amenable to many different types of strings and tunings. The only issues of note are sporadic flaws in the appointments and a lack of brilliance above the 7th fret. Fair warning: it's very orange and quite loud; you'll stand out if you take it to the average uke group.
The SMHT is punchy and sweet, with a strong midrange and a slight dip in low-end response. While slightly less versatile than the ATP-CTG, it is often superior for rhythm parts (especially fast strumming) and generally preserves more brilliance in the upper register. It also draws less attention to itself with its more muted visual design and appointments.
FWIW, I think a KA-ATP-CTG strung with Aquila Reds (re-entrant or linear) is one of the best-sounding sub-$700 ukes on the market, but it's a bold instrument. Whichever model you choose, expect the instrument to require setup to play at its best. If you aren't capable of doing the setup work yourself,, know that some online retailers (The Ukulele Site, Mim's Ukes, etc.) include this service in the sale price.
These two models belong to two slightly different styles of 'ukulele. The selection between them should be a reflection of your own playing style and musical goals.
The ATP-CTG is a loud, versatile model with decent punch, good sustain, and a wide sound (edit: some may call it boomy). It responds well to most styles of play and is amenable to many different types of strings and tunings. The only issues of note are sporadic flaws in the appointments and a lack of brilliance above the 7th fret. Fair warning: it's very orange and quite loud; you'll stand out if you take it to the average uke group.
The SMHT is punchy and sweet, with a strong midrange and a slight dip in low-end response. While slightly less versatile than the ATP-CTG, it is often superior for rhythm parts (especially fast strumming) and generally preserves more brilliance in the upper register. It also draws less attention to itself with its more muted visual design and appointments.
FWIW, I think a KA-ATP-CTG strung with Aquila Reds (re-entrant or linear) is one of the best-sounding sub-$700 ukes on the market, but it's a bold instrument. Whichever model you choose, expect the instrument to require setup to play at its best. If you aren't capable of doing the setup work yourself,, know that some online retailers (The Ukulele Site, Mim's Ukes, etc.) include this service in the sale price.
Last edited:
emarcano
Well-known member
get them both! I have both of them (tenors) and they're both great, I couldn't tell you which one I like more. The cedar with Aquila red, as it was said, is amazing. The mahogany with worth browns is superb. It's a matter of bright vs warm sound.
Sorry, not very helpful.
Eugenio
Sorry, not very helpful.
Eugenio
I have the Kala mahagony in soprano and the cedar top in concert size. Both sound very nice for this price level. I can't compare the two to each other because of the different sizes. They do look a lot different, though. The cedar uke is much more glossy, while the satin mahagony finish is very understated.
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