Nice New Kalas

Kala makes some beautiful ukes. One of my favorites is the cedar-top with the slotted headstock. It comes in 4, 5, 6, and 8-string versions. The new ones with the colorful graphics - like Elvis - are novelty ukes. You've probably seen the series of Alvarez Grateful Dead ukes with colorful graphics. I'm sure lots of people will love owning them, and Kala is trying to appeal to a wide audience.
 
The ziricote ukes I've seen look just great, beautiful.

But at the end of the day, it's a high-quality veneer. . . so in these cases, I go by sound quality, and some would have decent sound, some less so. With laminates, things seem to vary.

The Kala Elite, though, are in a whole galaxy far, far away from that stuff: just superb in every respect. Underknown, under appreciated, and undervalued.
 
I sent a message to the seller on eBay, just got a reply that tracking shows the Aklot was delivered Jan. 17, which I never received, but that had a different tracking number then I was given so I couldn't have known no matter what. This is the second time in a couple of weeks I was given an incorrect tracking number from China. Too bad many of these items are not available in US, what a pain having to deal with the incompetence of some of these dealers. Now I have to go through my post office and do some kind of search process, but they can be incompetent too.

Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean is a container ship loaded with a thousand containers. One of those containers is full of Aklot ukuleles. One of them belongs to me, and someday it will arrive. If it doesn't, eBay/PayPal will give me a refund. I don't expect too much from tracking numbers from China. As for Aklot itself, my Aklot acoustic/electric concert sounds great, and I expect the bamboo to be similar. EDIT: I just emailed the seller and asked if he had any info. Although I'd like this uke, I'd be okay accepting a refund. I have a Cordoba bamboo concert - without a cutout.

I discovered the tracking number my seller showed is for another item I did receive, when he checked the correct tracking number, he said he will have to ship another, which will take another 30 days or more. I probably should have ordered the Kala bamboo from a US dealer, but the cutaway version is only available direct from China.
 
I discovered the tracking number my seller showed is for another item I did receive, when he checked the correct tracking number, he said he will have to ship another, which will take another 30 days or more. I probably should have ordered the Kala bamboo from a US dealer, but the cutaway version is only available direct from China.

When I sent a message through eBay, it always showed a picture of the uke without a cutout, but the one I ordered has the cutout. I have the Cordoba bamboo, so I'll be satisfied with that.

EDIT: I got a refund for my Aklot already.
 
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Cordoba used to have a bamboo uke which was discontinued a while ago. Now I see that Kala has one, Aklot too, and probably others (Luna?). I wonder if Cordoba lost the chance to dominate the bamboo (ecological? sustainable?) uke market, or did they know something that they decided to drop it?

I admit that I have one Cordoba soprano (with a useless cutaway) just for the wood novelty (I collect ukes of different "solid" wood)

Eugenio
 
I'm looking forward to the new Kala models that are of a higher end premier exotics with the comfort arm rest and graphtec tuners.
 
I think these ukes: (1) add fuel to the misconception that ukes are toys and not real musical instruments, and (b) cheapen the value & reputation of the "Kala" logo. It's like Mercedes bought out the Yugo company & sold Yugos as "entry level Mercedes." Goood grief!
 
When I sent a message through eBay, it always showed a picture of the uke without a cutout, but the one I ordered has the cutout. I have the Cordoba bamboo, so I'll be satisfied with that. EDIT: I got a refund for my Aklot already.

Just another reason why buying direct from China lately is hit and miss, I'm finding they do a poor job of communicating and showing proper details. They have a business model where individuals are middleman sellers but the product is sent by the distributor/manufacturer, so you don't know who is ultimately responsible. My seller sent a reply that they are sending another, but they haven't sent the tracking number yet.
 
This thread has two themes - a shipment that will hopefully arrive from China and the quality or lack there of the new graphic Kalas. I’m going to comment on the latter.

I think the ukulele community is big enough to include kitsch fun piece ukuleles such as those shown by Kala. One of the things I love about ukuleles has been the sense of humor, live and let live, and not necessarily taking everything so seriously. I love that the uke can be combined with a banjo- banjolele, be a guitarlele, have 4 strings , 5 strings, 6 strings, 8 strings and even be a harp ukulele. It can be itsy bitsy and smaller than a sopranisimo, be a short neck, long neck soprano and so on through tenor and baritone. And of course can be ultra high end Grimes or fill in the name of your favorite luthier. Yippee for the ukulele :)
 
Most of the wacky ones are in the entry level line that already has a bunch of graphics. These look like some great additions for the target market. They remind me of the Magic Fluke graphics, but the figure eight body makes them look very different. I like Kala’s surf design, but not MF’s, and I love MF’s tie dye, but not the similarish Kalas.

The higher end ones look a lot better to more traditional eyes.

The elite looks fantastic and I’m intrigued by the bamboo. The high gloss ziricote is interesting but not my thing, and the fingerprints really jumped out in the video. The sparkle would look better on a solid body (I think they have it in a CA ubass) or for Taylor Swift songs.

Of course my opinion’s pretty irrelevant since none of these target a market I’m shopping in.

They look cute, but the musician in me looks at the glittery ones and wonders just how thick the paint has to be to do that.
 
the musician in me looks at the glittery ones and wonders just how thick the paint has to be to do that.
Wouldn't matter on a solid body! And: very thick, if it's good sparkle. I doubt it'll matter. Anybody who cares isn't in the target market.
 
This thread has two themes - a shipment that will hopefully arrive from China and the quality or lack there of the new graphic Kalas. I’m going to comment on the latter.

I think the ukulele community is big enough to include kitsch fun piece ukuleles such as those shown by Kala. One of the things I love about ukuleles has been the sense of humor, live and let live, and not necessarily taking everything so seriously. I love that the uke can be combined with a banjo- banjolele, be a guitarlele, have 4 strings , 5 strings, 6 strings, 8 strings and even be a harp ukulele. It can be itsy bitsy and smaller than a sopranisimo, be a short neck, long neck soprano and so on through tenor and baritone. And of course can be ultra high end Grimes or fill in the name of your favorite luthier. Yippee for the ukulele :)

Yes!........
 
Soundwise?

I'm with Keith on these!

Baz you had said in lots of your reviews that you don't like the looks of some ukes. But still you had tried them to check for playability and sound. Why should these be different. I agree that those elvis and glittery ones look terrible and cheap (and they are USD 100 +) But has anyone try them. I personally don't dislike the looks of a couple of the surf series.I personally would prefer a clean spruce top but they are not horrific to my eyes. And according to Kalas website they have a little wider nut than the Kala 15-C, then count me in to try them. So the question is whether they sound fine, and whether the finish is good for the price. Has anybody actually try them? No serious reviews of them so far.
 
The ziricote ukes I've seen look just great, beautiful.

But at the end of the day, it's a high-quality veneer. . . so in these cases, I go by sound quality, and some would have decent sound, some less so. With laminates, things seem to vary.

The Kala Elite, though, are in a whole galaxy far, far away from that stuff: just superb in every respect. Underknown, under appreciated, and undervalued.


The Kala laminates are more or less similar in sound, tone and quality, despite having different veneers. Though I would think more experienced players tend to move on from them, looking for more advanced solid wood options.

I think the biggest problem with the Kala Elite is that the brand is yet to develop some distinctive and unique built and sound. Like KoAloha's brightness with their unibrace and soundhole, Kanilea's sophisticated darkness with their bridge and TRU bracing, LfDM's musicality with its vintage body shape and lattice bracing, etc.
 
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I think the biggest problem with the Kala Elite is that the brand is yet to develop some distinctive and unique built and sound. Like KoAloha's brightness with their unibrace and soundhole, Kanilea's sophisticated darkness with their bridge and TRU bracing, LfDM's musicality with its vintage body shape and lattice bracing, etc.

Yes, I agree. The Elites seem like very high quality instruments designed and built by committee.
 
Yes, I agree. The Elites seem like very high quality instruments designed and built by committee.

If you need a reliable utilitarian tool -- as I mainly am -- this need is perfectly met by the Kala Elite range. That's why I'm refreshing this website so frequently in search of a Kala Elite spruce and rosewood on the marketplace!

The K-brands and perhaps Romero Creations meet a slightly different need.
 
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