At the beginning of 2016 we visited their workshop and made this video-
3KOA Custom Tenor
These are “raw” sound samples with no compression of mastering. Use quality headphones or monitors for most accurate sound.
Kala uses the same UV cured gloss finish as Taylor Guitars, and Kanile’a Ukulele. It gives a clean glassy finish that shows of the beautiful woods and protects it, while still being thin enough to let the wood speak.
Hawaiian Style 4CUSTOM
Mango 4CUSTOM
This, like most Elite USA Kalas has the 1.5″ inch width at the nut. Kala Elite’s now are also offered as a slim neck “SN” at 1 3/8″, but they are normally slightly wider than the average ukulele at one and a half.
3-Cord Koa
3-Cord Cedar Top Walnut
It features a cedar top, walnut sides and back, a bound Florentine cutaway, koa bindings, a koa and maple wood rosette, and custom koa-maple-walnut “3 cord” wood marquetry inlays on the koa faceplate and walnut end graft. These are all outlined with perfectly mitered wood purflings and shown of with a glassy smooth finish for a well protected and exquisite looking custom ukulele.
The tone on this ukulele shows the continuity of a custom made ukulele voiced for maximum projection and warmth.
3-Cord Maple
This is one of the custom Kala models that Corey plays and gigs with. Even though a maple top can sometimes lack depth and warmth this all Maple tenor has an extremely round, and resonant tone.
Poi Pounder Tenor
“Inspired by the traditional Hawaiian pestle used to pound taro root into poi, the Poi Pounder is made from the finest Hawaiian Koa. The koa features the fullest and widest curling of any model we offer, hand selected by our passionate luthiers. The binding and inlay are African Padauk, while the rosette is a Padauk/ Koa swirl. The striking Poi Pounder shaped end graft highlights the beautiful, reserved padauk trim.”
Mahogany Concert MHG-C
The Elite MHG series offers a US made all solid mahogany wood in an affordable package. Most impressive with this model line is the tone. It features an updated version of the classic all mahogany warmth with more punch and clarity.
The elite line now comes in two different nut widths. 1 1/2″ is the width commonly given to Elite models and is best for those that prefer more space when chording or picking. 1 3/8″ is the classic width, and what you get with their import line, but now you can get that on these as well with the “SN” models, like the one you see in the videos.
Mahogany Tenor MHG-T-SN
This new offering from Kala’s USA factory in Petaluma. It’s a modest, classic look, and a mid rich voice with plenty of body and sustaining warm tone.
This is a UV-cured acrylic urethane semi-gloss finish with a very smooth feel and transparent look. Kala used the dark filler for a cool look sort of like a reverse “doghair” pore-fill finish that Collings offers. The result is quite a handsome instrument in it’s own unassuming, non-flashy way. The sound, the feel, and the look make this tenor an excellent choice in this price range.
Doghair Mahogany Tenor
This finish is done in a unique process. It’s basically finished in the same way as there regular gloss but with a black sealer coat and white pore filler. The result is quite a unique and handsome instrument. The tone is pure classic mahogany tenor. The sound, the feel, and the look make it one of our favorites.
Mahogany Baritone MHG-B
This baritone has an incredible huge round tone with a ton of projection and a smooth wonderful feel.
Made in Petaluma, California, this uke has a Honduran mahogany body and neck. Like all Elite models, it has a bone saddle, graphtech nut, and oval mother-of-pearl fret markers and logo. And like all custom Kala’s it features a hand tuned top, bracing for optimal tone and volume, and includes the Kala hardshell wood case and Nomad humidifier.
Cedar Top Ziricote Tenor ZTP-CTG
This is a new tenor that that we had Kala make exclusively for us. We have been serious fans of the solid cedar top models in Kala’s line. We asked them to combine that with the striking beauty of their Ziricote line. This exotic hardwood is a three piece laminate but carries all the look of a super high end custom instrument and the sound of this tenor is absolutely fantastic! The volume is exceptional and it has that “open” or “broken in” quality you can get from a high quality solid western red cedar top.
This new offering comes in both the regular tenor you see in the pictures and cutaway version with a pickup like you can see in the video.
Cedar Top Acacia Concert ACP-CTG
This was the the first Kala concert with a slotted headstock. It is light weight with excellent balance. Aside from being absolutely gorgeous, this is quite possibly the biggest sounding concert Kala has ever made. We need to do a new sound sample for this model because this one is years old, but we love this new model and think you will also.
I am mostly featuring these models here without talking about what we offer our customers that buy through us, but just in case you weren’t aware, we set up each instrument to ensure you get the absolute best for your money! This includes Saddle and Nut heights, fret work and intonation checks, and a thorough inspection for cosmetic flaw. And always, we are dedicated to giving you honest and expert service and advice!
Cedar Top Acacia Tenor ATP-CTG-CE
This is a gloss tenor slothead with cutaway body and a pickup system including onboard tuner & eq. It has a solid cedar top and beautiful acacia sides and back. What really sets it off is the paduuk wood binding on the top, back and fretboard. Just a beautiful design and a beautiful tone to match. On top of that it’s quite affordable. Check it out at our website and you’ll be surprised at the value Kala is offering.
Cedar Top Acacia Tenor 5 String ATP-CTG-5
A lot of people are confused with the 5 string ukulele. Some think it plays differently, or would be harder to play. It’s not, especially after we set it up. But basically there is a low and high G played together so you get the best of both world’s in one uke. The bright classic sounds of high G and the depth and range of low G.If you’re looking for something a little different, something that you’ll feel right at home playing but will give a unique sound, then this might be a perfect choice for you.
Cedar Top Acacia Baritone ABP-CTG
On top of sounding fantastic, the woods are beautiful! Warm tones of western red cedar and acacia are framed of with the seductive Padauk binding and shown off with a thin, glassy finish. The padauk bound fretboard and slotted headstock add to the classy, yet natural style this model has.
If you were considering baritones in the $300 range then this is an excellent choice.
Cedar Top Acacia Baritone 8 String ABP-CTG-8
A baritone scale 8 string is a rare find, but it’s such a great model. The baritone tuning has a much more relaxed tension and this is an 8 string that’s easy to chord with a great feel after setup, and the sound is awesome! One thing to note about 8 strings, while it does take longer to tune and more accuracy to fingerpick, it’s actually easier to strum, and allows for triplet, fan, and other fancy strums much easier. This instrument is a joy to play and a joy to hear.
STG Spruce Top Gloss Tenor
Take a listen to the concert and baritone versions from this line as well. Super wonderful ukes at a bargain price.
Solid Spruce Top Figured Maple Sides and Back
Travel Series Soprano
Solid Spruce/Rosewood w/ Scoop Cutaway
Of course we couldn’t feature all of the Kala models we carry here, but this was to highlight some of them. See more at our web store HERE.
Comments 14
Kala ukes are a great value, and a quality instrument. I have the “travel soprano” and the solid spruce/ovangkol tenor, with of which are superb instruments at their pricepoint. The travel soprano is, as its name suggests, a great little travel companion (and one with spot-on intonation!). The spruce/ovangkol tenor is a bright and jangly tenor, with just the right amount of bass to balance things out. Beautifully crafted, and a pleasure to play…
I love my spruce too, rosewood back and sides Kala. It’s the first uke I got and sings like a dream.. About a year ago, I A/B’d it next to a well-known custom uke and preferred the sound of my Kala, producing a louder, sweeter tone. Of course, the more expensive custom played like butter, but for the price pint I don’t think you can go wrong with a Kala. It a great daily player.!
I bought a Kala from you guys a year ago. It still looks great and plays beautifully.
Thank you so much!
I love, love, love Kala instruments. My very first use was a spruce top tenor cutaway. I put brown Worths on it, and it is still my very favorite instrument. The sound is crisp and clean, the action is perfect, and it stays in tune all the way up the neck. Since that first purchase, I’ve bought four more Kalas (a Marcy Marxer, an eight string, a six string, and a tenor resonator), a five string Ohana, a custom Mya Moe resonator, and a Gold Tone banjolele. I probably play the Mya Moe most often, but the one I love the most, and the one that I think has the best action and tone is still that first spruce top Kala. It’s the one I always go to when I’m sitting around the house playing. And it was probably the least expensive one I bought! Kalas are not the cheapest brand out there, but they are, I think, absolutely the best value uke you can buy. One of these days, I’m going to have to get one of the travel models…
There are so many different styles and colors that are very appealing that a customer is able to pick and choose their style. The consistent sound across the board enables a player to express their style without giving up quality.
Love my spruce top, just wish I could play it like they do in the demo video. Guess I just need a bunch more practice. Great company to deal with. They missed a minor accessory and had it sent out the next day.
I am the proud owner of 2 Kala Ukes and a Kala UBass. I think that they offer the most bang for the buck as well as offering an incredible variety of beautiful sounding and looking Ukuleles. My Spruce Top Tenor was my first purchase and continues to get better with age. It has a full, rich sound and is a joy to look at and play. My Koa Concert with Slothead, Cutaway and Pickup is incredibly beautiful, so fun to play and I always have a hard time choosing between the two.
Oh my goodness! I am super excited to see the cedar top ziricote! I have a cedar top acacia and I was going to get my sister the ziricote for her birthday. Now that I see that they’ve combined the two, I may have to go that route instead! It’s so pretty!
A friend at work highly recommended your store and website. I finally decided to upgrade from my entry level Cordoba, so I visited the site. I was immedaitely pleased at the wonderful selection and I purchased a KALA KA-ASAC-S ALL SOLID ACACIA SOPRANO on a Blowout price.
I highly recommend the Kala line and I am saving up to purchase another. Kalas are well built and wonderful instruments. If I had to do it all over, I would have started my journey with a Kala ukulele.
I purchased a Kala-KA-ASAC-T-Solid Acacia Tenor-Oasis OH-18- w/Canvas Hard Case March 2015. The selling point was the process of inspecting and tuning my new ukulele before shipping. I had it tuned with a low G string. It sounds beautiful. I am very proud of my Kala uke and play at several Uke Jams around the St. Petersburg, FL area. Thanks so much!
I recently purchased a Kala Zircote Concert (KA-ZCT-C) from The Ukulele Site. I was a little skeptical of the quality of ukulele I could get for $200ish dollars, but I am pleasantly surprised. The craftsmanship and gloss finish of this Kala ukulele is exceptional. The ukulele is light but feels solidly constructed. Most importantly, the ukulele is easy to play and sounds great. The nylon strings are easy on my fingers and the tone is brighter than I expected. The ukulele stays in tune very well. Overall, I am impressed with what Kala has produced in the lower $200 range. This ukulele feels and plays like a much more expensive instrument than it is.
I bought a Kala SMHT from the Ukulele Site last year. It was a great value for the $$$. I added a hard case and a MiSi pickup. The install on the pickup and the setup of the ukulele were both perfect. The Kala plays and sounds like an instrument that costs twice as much.
Kala makes nice Ukes, but the company is terrible when it comes to dealing and talking with them.
There are a lot of companies out there making nice Ukes, better then Kala, do yourself a favor and stay away!
Kala makes mistakes, then makes excuses about their mistakes, then runs you around in circles for a long time, and then blames you and tells you to go away, I am not joking!
Their customer help and support is the worst in the industry! If you went through what I did, trust me, you’d never deal with Kala again!
So for those looking to buy Kala, well, you are taking a chance if you have problems!
You’ve been warned!
I’ve purchased 3 Kala’s from HMS. Great ukuleles all! I highly recommend Kala for quality, sound, and affordability. MY ziricote soprano is bright and punchy. My ziricote concert has a low-g which I just love. I can’t say enough about the HMS special Kala cedar top ziricote tenor which I chose the low-g set up. Thank you Kala, Andrew and the HMS crew!