I had to turn the gain on my mic down when I was recording this video and it still was over-driving. These skinny ukes have tons of volume! The back on these instruments has a accentuated arch that pushes the sound right back out of the sound hole. This gives a quick response and a nice clarity. The cedar just sparkles on the highs, a really beautiful tone for a lot of styles.
So with these two models the main difference is that one has a solid cedar top and one has a solid spruce top. Now keep in mind that each instrument and model is unique in how it sounds with different woods. One thing I have learned is not to assume the same woods will have the same sound in different brands and shapes. Still, I was suprised at how bright the cedar tops are. A little scooped in the mids and a wider range than we have heard in the travel tenor. Very dynamic!
The Cedar top model is a limited run from Kala. It comes equipped with a passive pickup with volume and tone control mounted on the side. It comes with a deluxe gig bag and is still under $300. The Spruce model will keep you under the $200 mark. I really like this solid spruce model, solid top with a deluxe bag for under 200, whats not to like. I just think the cedar is super amazing. It really has a nice voice. I would put Ko’olau Gold’s or Alohi’s on it to tame it a bit though. The Aquila can be a little too crispy on some models. For me.
Thanks for checking out the review. Aloha!
Comments 2
Just purchased the travel tenor cedar top Kala..with the Alohi string set as you recommended…thanks.
I have a Tenor travel Uke – spruce top. I love it. Saw it on the Frankfurter messe and just had to pre-order it 🙂 Great value for money and super light.