NUD - Kala KA-SLNG Mahogany Long Neck Soprano

TQuest

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Had a really good result buying a "used" Kala ABS case from Amazon Warehouse a few weeks ago, so when I saw this pop-up in an Amazon Warehouse search, I decided "Why Not?" It also helped that I had a small courtesy credit from Amazon for a problem I experienced on a previous order so, for less than $50, I could not say no.

The only issue I have found is a small 2mm spot near the bridge where something obviously touched the gloss finish before it was dry. This must be why it was returned to Amazon and marked "Used - Very Good". The previous buyer also installed one strap button on the bottom before noticing this defect. Still, I find it a worthy purchase as the defect in the gloss doesn't bother me one bit.

It arrived yesterday and after only one day I'm ready to install Martin M600 strings on it. I don't like the sound of the stock Aquila strings on this ukulele. Action 2.75 mm at the 12th fret and it plays better than I expected.

I find this long neck much more comfortable to play than my Ohana SK-10 soprano and my kid's Kala KA-S - I really like the extra room in the first 5 frets. This is my first Gloss instrument and the glossy neck is bothering me a bit - I definitely prefer a satin neck. And everything that has been said about the chunky neck is true - it is much thicker than my kid's KA-S. However, I love how this ukulele has extra space along the edges of the fingerboard so I don't feel the frets! What's that called, a bound fretboard? I love this feature.



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Congrats on your latest acquisition. I have the same model and consider it to be a great little ukulele for the money. Lots of fun to play. If the glossy neck continues to bother you, give it a light sanding with a very fine grit sandpaper.
 
Great little uke, I bought mine soon after starting out, still use it now, it's my go to uke, even though I have much more expensive ones these days...... :music:
 
Had a really good result buying a "used" Kala ABS case from Amazon Warehouse a few weeks ago, so when I saw this pop-up in an Amazon Warehouse search, I decided "Why Not?" It also helped that I had a small courtesy credit from Amazon for a problem I experienced on a previous order so, for less than $50, I could not say no.

The only issue I have found is a small 2mm spot near the bridge where something obviously touched the gloss finish before it was dry. This must be why it was returned to Amazon and marked "Used - Very Good". The previous buyer also installed one strap button on the bottom before noticing this defect. Still, I find it a worthy purchase as the defect in the gloss doesn't bother me one bit.

It arrived yesterday and after only one day I'm ready to install Martin M600 strings on it. I don't like the sound of the stock Aquila strings on this ukulele. Action 2.75 mm at the 12th fret and it plays better than I expected.

I find this long neck much more comfortable to play than my Ohana SK-10 soprano and my kid's Kala KA-S - I really like the extra room in the first 5 frets. This is my first Gloss instrument and the glossy neck is bothering me a bit - I definitely prefer a satin neck. And everything that has been said about the chunky neck is true - it is much thicker than my kid's KA-S. However, I love how this ukulele has extra space along the edges of the fingerboard so I don't feel the frets! What's that called, a bound fretboard? I love this feature.

That's a beauty! I have the cedar-top Kala.
 
Had a really good result buying a "used" Kala ABS case from Amazon Warehouse a few weeks ago, so when I saw this pop-up in an Amazon Warehouse search, I decided "Why Not?" It also helped that I had a small courtesy credit from Amazon for a problem I experienced on a previous order so, for less than $50, I could not say no.

The only issue I have found is a small 2mm spot near the bridge where something obviously touched the gloss finish before it was dry. This must be why it was returned to Amazon and marked "Used - Very Good". The previous buyer also installed one strap button on the bottom before noticing this defect. Still, I find it a worthy purchase as the defect in the gloss doesn't bother me one bit.

It arrived yesterday and after only one day I'm ready to install Martin M600 strings on it. I don't like the sound of the stock Aquila strings on this ukulele. Action 2.75 mm at the 12th fret and it plays better than I expected.

I find this long neck much more comfortable to play than my Ohana SK-10 soprano and my kid's Kala KA-S - I really like the extra room in the first 5 frets. This is my first Gloss instrument and the glossy neck is bothering me a bit - I definitely prefer a satin neck. And everything that has been said about the chunky neck is true - it is much thicker than my kid's KA-S. However, I love how this ukulele has extra space along the edges of the fingerboard so I don't feel the frets! What's that called, a bound fretboard? I love this feature.

That's a beauty! I have the cedar-top Kala.
 
Kala seems to be putting strap buttons on some models now, esp at the lower end. while the pics on their website are not updated, the specs are, and that one shows it coming with

That's got to be a tough call for them. I like having them, but I know that some people don't.
 
Congrats on your latest acquisition. I have the same model and consider it to be a great little ukulele for the money. Lots of fun to play. If the glossy neck continues to bother you, give it a light sanding with a very fine grit sandpaper.

Thanks for the tip, Jan D. I'm going to take your advice and give the neck a light sanding... but what would you categorize as very fine grit sand paper? 2000 grit?
 
Ukecaster - The KA-SSLNG was also at the top of my list for long neck sopranos due to all the great reviews on UU and at HMS. I just could not resist buying this KA-SLNG at this price. It's been positive thus far, and just makes me want a KA-SSLNG even more...

I had an SLNG a while back, it was a nice uke, and went to a friend. I've always wanted to try the solid spruce top version, the KA-SSLNG, I assume it would sound a bit better.
 
Congrats!
Yes, gloss on most ukuleles sucks. It can be gently sanded off, though, then wax the bare wood. It'll be slicker than snot on a glass doorknob!
 
Thanks for the tip, Jan D. I'm going to take your advice and give the neck a light sanding... but what would you categorize as very fine grit sand paper? 2000 grit?

To be honest, I’ve never done it to any of my ukes. I just remembered reading about it on the UU Forum in an older thread. Hopefully, someone with actual experience will chime and let us both know what grit would be best. :)
 
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That's got to be a tough call for them. I like having them, but I know that some people don't.

I hate them on sopranos. They are easy to add so I would prefer they be left off. That said my guess is that most people a) want them and b) aren't comfortable drilling into their ukes, so I get why they would do that.
 
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This is my first Gloss instrument and the glossy neck is bothering me a bit - I definitely prefer a satin neck.

You can rub the neck out with 0000 steel wool or the scotch pad equivalent. Make sure it is 0000. You're not removing the finish you are just putting lots of tiny scratches in it to make it satin. I usually do this with a little mineral oil. Then just rub any oil off with an old piece of t-shirt. If you were to do this to the whole uke you would technically probably be able to make out the tiny scratches if you held it under raking light and REALLY looked for them, so if that bothers you just do the neck and rub with the grain down its length. This is a standard woodworking technique for bringing down the sheen of a finish. It's not as common in instrument making from what I can tell, but it works well on necks. You could also put some wax on the steel wool tool and then rub the wax off with a t-shirt at the end. You may need to repeat this process at some point since your hand may buff it back out over time, but it should do the trick.
 
I hate them on sopranos. They are easy to add so I would prefer they be left off. That said my guess is that most people a) want them and b) aren't comfortable drilling into their ukes, so I get why they would do that them

I went to a uke fest that had a luthier installing strap pins. There was a long line at the table. I'm comfortable installing them myself. I like finding the perfect button to match the uke.
 
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