Ka-lae ukulele info...

Any info on this? Looks like koa to me. Value?

From the Kamaka website:
From 1940 to 1946, Johnny Lai was given permission by Sam Kamaka Sr. to use the Kamaka factory on evenings and weekends when business was closed. Lai used the name "Ka-Lai" on the ukes he made, a combination of "Kamaka" and "Lai." The name was later changed to "Ka-Lae" because it sounded more Hawaiian. Lai's ukuleles were made of monkeypod wood, a less expensive alternative to Kamaka koa ukuleles.

I don’t have any personal experience with the brand.

Thanks, Jim...:shaka:

Guess I could have googled, ;-D I'd never heard of Ka-lae...

If it was made during the war years, might explain the wood tuning pegs.

I have a Ka-Lae Pineapple and the neck and sides were carved from a single piece of wood. It sounds a lot like an old Kamaka Pineapple.

I bought a Ka-Lai at a garage sale in June. It's in pretty rough shape: crack in the headstock that was poorly repaired, two cracks in the back, and missing the 12th fret and 3 of the 4 tuning pegs. Mine looks like the one you've pictured, but has a 2-ring rosette & the label inside is different. I've seen pictures of others on the web showing some variations in the design.

Value? Mine was $8.