Looks like Kala stepped up its game -- neat --

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I recently bought 2 Kala ukuleles; and, while unpacking, I noticed this slip of paper in each:

IMG_1502.jpg

I don't remember ever seeing something like this (and I've bought many Kalas); so it appears to be something new.


So, I measured the 2 easy-to-verify action and nut slot height:

IMG_1505.jpg

IMG_1508.jpg

Action is less then 3mm and above 2.75mm; nut slot from 1st fret is 1mm. Just like the inspection sheet promised.


I'm happy to see that Kala is doing this extra quality check on the USA side of the border. This can only be good for the customers!
 
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I can tolerate 3mm at the 12th fret, but isn't 1mm at the nut very high?
 
man0a said:
I can tolerate 3mm at the 12th fret, but isn't 1mm at the nut very high?
Click to expand...

It would be for me. It would be playable but a bit too stiff up at the first and second fret. After playing it a for a while my wrist and finger tips would start to hurt and some chords start to suffer. I have a slight weakness in my left hand so it would definitely be noticeable to me. If I were buying one from a source that didn't do action adjustments on request I'd have to plan on the additional cost of having it done for me to play it comfortably.
 
While 1mm and 3mm may be on the higher side, we should keep in mind that these are the worst settings you'll get from Kala with this USA QC (i.e. you can return a uke if it is out of spec because of that slip of paper they put in there).

Playability is very individualistic; IMHO I think these numbers are very playable, especially with Kala's Aquila strings (low tension). I've played many ukes with numbers similar to these without issues for hours.

I have no affiliation with Kala besides being a very satisfied customer with all their ukuleles so far (maybe I just got lucky, like 10 times out of ten). They offer excellent value for the money; and they use Aquila strings, Nubone nut/saddle, Kala open gear tuners (which I think are Grovers because their older ukes used Grover branded, which look just like these), USA tech support.
 
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I just brought one of my (non-Kala) ukes into the music store to have the action lowered. I measured the best I could with a ruler and it was 1mm at the first fret and 3mm at the 12th fret. It was certainly playable but after an hour or so I could really feel it in my wrist and first two fingers. I could feel my hand getting a bit tired so quick changes to barre chords or 4 finger chords would get a bit sloppy and harder to hit cleanly. The uke was "OK" to play but I wanted it to be a joy to play so I took it in to get the action lowered.

Kala has been good to me too. I've purchased two and I still own one of them and it would be very hard to let it go. The other I bought on a whim and never really bonded with it. It was one of those "it's not you it's me" situations. Nice uke, but too similar to others I already had and I was playing my others all the time and it started gathering dust. I sold it to someone who was making it their 2nd uke and they were thrilled with it.
 
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It looks like they are stepping up their game to compete more with their dealers. This should have some positive results for quality control and good PR, but it is not a true service like some of the sellers that do complete set ups.

Interestingly, The Ukulele Site has now placed a $40 price tag for a full set up on ukes costing up to $399. $400 gets it as part of the purchase. This seems like a fair pricing that will help balance their business needs but I would guess that others will not follow suit. Kala will not offer a set up as part of its service and you can guess that most ukes will be 3.0 mm at the 12th, a little higher than most players might prefer.
 
I hope Kala is doing this inspection on all its ukuleles whether it is a direct end-user Internet sale from them or shipped to their dealers. If so, then I don't see how it can be competition with their dealers. If anything, overall Kala ukulele quality will increase, which is good news for their dealers.

The 30-point QC checklist offers a new level quality that their competitors don't currently have... and hopefully it'll trigger all their competitors to do the same. Having a signed piece of paper with your ukulele at Kala's price point shows the buyer that an individual has taken the time to look over this instrument (and if out of spec, the buyer can refer to the paper).
 
The higher-end Kalas typically have a moderately high action. Some like it that way, others can easily adjust it down with sandpaper. ymmv.

The KA-15s which I use to teach are routlnely better quality than the competitors entry ukes I've used. . . but there WAS a period with occasional sharp fret ends. These are pretty good little boxes; a few I thought about keeping just for the big volume's sake. But again, ymmv.
 
I was thinking this might push buyers to the big box, non-specialty stores...since the work they (the specialty shops) typically do will have already been done. Or it might just be kala ensuring that their product is at a minimum level of quality, i.e., eliminating the lemons.
 
badhabits said:
I was thinking this might push buyers to the big box, non-specialty stores...since the work they (the specialty shops) typically do will have already been done. Or it might just be kala ensuring that their product is at a minimum level of quality, i.e., eliminating the lemons.
Click to expand...

I went back to the original photos and noticed that the inspector does not check the boxes: They all are already checked as part of the printing of the QC checklist. It is a checklist without any indication that set up might be done on any uke that might be slightly out of spec. So it is distinctly possible that nothing is actually done (including checking intonation at all 12 frets on every string) and that this is PR and marketing and not a playability phenomenon.
 
Just to play devil's advocate. When discussing "setup" in reference to the instrument's original manufacturer, what counts as "setup" versus "manufacture"? And if the end result is an instrument that meets certain specs, or can be returned if it doesn't, does the answer to that really matter?

To continue the implied comparison between a manufacturer and a vendor, when you pay for (or get for free) a "normal" setup from a vendor, how do you know that any specific things have been done?
 
dwizum said:
Just to play devil's advocate. When discussing "setup" in reference to the instrument's original manufacturer, what counts as "setup" versus "manufacture"? And if the end result is an instrument that meets certain specs, or can be returned if it doesn't, does the answer to that really matter?

To continue the implied comparison between a manufacturer and a vendor, when you pay for (or get for free) a "normal" setup from a vendor, how do you know that any specific things have been done?
Click to expand...

Here is a good place to start to understand the "full" set up process.

https://theukulelesite.com/ukulele-setup
 
It is nice that they sent that piece of paper, but does it mean that they upped their game? That would assume they were sending out ukuleles that didn't meet those standards before and that there was no quality control. My first uke was a $65 Makala that came with no setup. Later, when I learned more about ukes I checked that Makala and it was right there within those specs.
 
Rllink said:
It is nice that they sent that piece of paper, but does it mean that they upped their game? That would assume they were sending out ukuleles that didn't meet those standards before and that there was no quality control. My first uke was a $65 Makala that came with no setup. Later, when I learned more about ukes I checked that Makala and it was right there within those specs.
Click to expand...

Without the paper, there's really no specs listed for the ukuleles. With this paper, each check item is clearly spelled out so we know if we've received anything out of spec (and we can do something about it).

Like you, my previous Kalas (the pre-30-point-QC-paper) all fall inside these specs, except 1 (with +10 cents error, but then maybe I can get it down to +7 if I had super thin finger. Really, +10 vs +7, I don't see any real difference, but it was +10). With this paper (i.e. extra QC) , perhaps, the QC person would have rejected that +10 ukulele.

For new players, Kala brings good value to the table before; and now it brings some guaranteed minimum setup specs too. The +/-7 cent intonation error is great for any beginner uke.

What I wonder is that Kala also sells many very cheap ukuleles like $30 cheap... I wonder if they also include the 30-point QC with those ukes. Maybe somebody wo bought one of those can post.
 
rainbow21 said:
Here is a good place to start to understand the "full" set up process.

https://theukulelesite.com/ukulele-setup
Click to expand...

I understand setups pretty well - I've been building and working on instruments for about two decades. I asked those questions because someone else commented, "since the work they (the specialty shops) typically do will have already been done" and you seemed to imply that Kala's checklist is somehow less than a full setup, or that a setup would include things that they didn't check. I found that strange, because other than a customer asking for a specific action, I didn't really see any obvious gaps in their list. Ukuleles are pretty simple, there isn't really much to actually set up.

So - let me try rewording my question because I can see upon re-reading it that I worded it a little strangely - other than (potentially) specifying a desired action, and/or a change to specific strings, what do you think the difference is between a newly built instrument that meets the qualifications Kala list on the paper, and an instrument you've paid for a normal setup on? What would you expect to get out of a setup that's not on that list?

If anything, the list at the link you posted provides less detail/specifics than Kala's list.
 
I love it how everything is already pre-ticked. Its the kind of checklist you find stapled into a pair of cheap jeans. Legs - check. Pockets - check :D

I seriously wonder if they even meant for this to be included.
 
Is this new Kala documentation supplied for all of their ukuleles or just the Elite ukuleles?
 
I got it on a non-elite bought direct from Kala’s site. It’s printed on one page of the owners manual, so unclear if it’s on all new Kalas or if they have a different paper. I don’t recall getting a similar insert (with or without the checklist) on previous Kalas, but I’ve never given much thought to case candy.
 
It sounds like the Kala marketing department is shifting up to a higher gear.
 
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