Kala Brand Music Company, headquartered in Petaluma, California, is ubiquitous in the 'ukulele world: peer into an 'ukulele class and Kala is often all you see! Indeed, Kala earned their fortune by marketing inexpensive Asian made 'ukuleles. Eventually Kala expanded into high end instruments, butting heads with highly regarded brands such as Kamaka, KoAloha and Kanile'a. Kala's premium 'ukuleles, Kala Elite USA, are designed and built in Petaluma, California.
While shopping for a Kanile'a tenor, I compared a K-1 to a Kala Honduran Mahogany Doghair Tenor and my socks were dutifully knocked off. I put the K-1 back on the wall and that Doghair followed me home. Here's the lowdown:
After the soundboard settled in for a month, I brought the Doghair into my studio and recorded a few tracks. In the first track, I played all the notes with my fingernails (classical finger style):
The Sound of Silence | Paul Simon | Kala Honduran Mahogany Doghair Tenor recorded with Neumann KM 184 mics, Tascam US 4x4 and Logic Pro X
For Haydn's Minuet, I used arm vibrato and thumb flesh strokes over the soundhole (no fingernails).
Minuet | Joseph Haydn | Kala Honduran Mahogany Doghair Tenor recorded with Neumann KM 184 mics, Tascam US 4x4 and Logic Pro X
Finally, I play Johnny Smith's "Walk, Don't Run," originally a jazz instrumental, but made famous in a surf rock version by the Ventures. It's a good test of Doghair's response across a wide range of pitches and techniques: fingernail plucked melody, flesh strums and rasgueado (nail strums).
Walk, Don't Run | Johnny Smith | Kala Honduran Mahogany Doghair Tenor recorded with Neumann KM 184 mics, Tascam US 2x2 and Logic Pro X
If you're looking for traditional ukulele tone, this is it: rich and fat midrange, but with a touch of bright edginess. In fewer words—a sweet bright tone. Plus, she boasts a serious bark, besting my mahogany Pono MT-E and Kremona Mari in volume and dynamic range. Although rich in midrange timbres, individual notes and chords exhibit excellent clarity and definition, allowing Doghair to pop in an ensemble.
Sustain is shorter than my Pono MT-E and Kremona Mari. However, the lower register is robust and responsive to arm vibrato technique in all registers. Plus, the lower register sounds equally good, albeit different, played with flesh or nail technique. The upper register is strong, clear and responsive to vibrato, but is most dynamic when plucked with fingernails (hopefully, smooth and well-polished). Volume is consistent from note to note—no wolf tones or dropouts—with a wee bit of roll-off as you inch beyond the 12th fret.
I'm impressed with the Doghair's dynamic range: I can pluck increasingly harder, to the point of nearly tearing off my nail, and she just keeps getting louder. Most 'ukuleles quickly bottom-out and snap.
Kala Doghair Tenor Ukulele | Attractive book-matched hairy back
Design and Construction
Why the Doghair moniker? The grain pattern and slightly raised texture of Honduran mahogany are reminiscent of the fur of a short haired dog. In other words, the wood pores are pronounced both in a visual and tactile sense. When I draw my fingers across this 'ukulele can feel the grain of the wood!
This is a simply appointed but beautifully crafted instrument: no inlays, binding or rosette. Nevertheless, handsome and unassuming. The design vibe is traditional, harkening back to vintage mahogany Martins of the early 20th century, but with hints of the modern era in the bridge and position markers. Besides the doghair patterned Honduran mahogany body and neck, this Kala Elite features Pau Ferro fingerboard and bridge, oval acrylic fingerboard position markers, Graph Tech NuBone nut, bone saddle, chrome plated open gear heads and matte finish. The edges of the body are beveled to a smooth round contour.
Finish
I love matte finishes: they feel silky smooth in the hands, don't show fingerprints and nix stage and video light reflections. The gotcha with matte finishes is they emit a "sanding sound" when rubbed against clothing, especially shirt sleeves, so you must be still while recording. On the other hand, glossy finishes are quieter against my shirt but squeak during thumb movements on the neck! The ultimate recording instrument would sport a glossy body and matte neck.
Bracing
I took a peek inside Doghair's sound-hole and was pleased to find large guitar-like x-bracing within its light as a feather build (604g). Braces were sanded smooth with rounded contours. This instrument should last a long time. Plus, not a messy glue joint, finish defect or sharp fret to be found on this Doghair.
Tuning Heads
Finally, while the Kala branded open gear tuning heads are reasonably smooth and hold pitch fine, they look like cheap Grover knockoffs: thin plates and rust spots breaking through plating. They're screaming please upgrade me to Waverly heads with snakewood buttons! Gotoh UPTs would be nice as well if you don't mind having to fill the old screw holes.
Open Gear Tuning Heads | Smooth and holds pitch but not handsome
Playability
Like most tenor ukuleles, this Kala has a scale length of about 17 inches—429mm or 16.875" to be exact. Her neck is on the beefy side with a flattened C contour. I'm used to classical guitar necks and Kala's thicker than average neck is one of the reasons I immediately loved the feel of the Doghair. Indeed, I found Doghair's neck more comfortable than the broomstick-like necks of Pono and Kremona or the ultra thin necks of Romero Creation Replica tenors.
String Spacing
Kala's specifications indicate a 38mm (1.5") nut. By the 12th fret, the fingerboard widens to 51mm (2"), enhancing fingering ease for the diminishing fret space of upper positions. I love the extra room over a typical 36mm nut but, for players preferring a smaller width, Kala sometimes stocks them or builds to order.
The string spread at the saddle is a roomy 45mm, about 5mm wider than my Kremona tenors and similar to Romero Creations and Kanile'a tenors. The extra spread makes Doghair comfortable for finger-style playing.
Action
I set up new instruments myself, but there wasn't much to adjust. Frets were polished and level and intonation was true up the neck. Action was set to a comfortable 3mm on the low G at the 12th fret, allowing full dynamic range playing. Yes, you could set it lower—I tried 2.5mm with another saddle—and it worked okay if you don't need to play fortissimo on single strings.
Thrust Rod
One Kala design oddity is the presence of an adjustable thrust rod. Neck relief was set perfectly so I didn't play with it but none of my Allen wrenches are long enough to reach the hex screw (base of the neck).
Nut
There was only one minor tweak needed: strings were set deep in the nut groove, slightly impeding vibration and reducing volume. With that said, these types of adjustments are normal for new instrument setup. The nut fix was a 20 minute job: shave off just enough nut so the string protrudes partially above the slot.
Doghair Headstock | Rustic headstock with inlaid acrylic logo and Humboldt hemp leaf accents
One characteristic of Kala's Doghair design is a stiff soundboard, probably due to their massive x-bracing. A stiff soundboard allows increased dynamic range but requires more force than a lightly braced soundboard to set the string in motion. I have to pluck the string more forcefully than my other 'ukuleles. If you're craving a soft touch instrument, the Doghair isn't for you. But if you can handle the extra string resistance, you'll be rewarded with loads of tone and dynamic range.
Strap Button
My technique requires both hands to move freely without the burden of supporting the instrument. Thus, I need a strap and installed a Waverly Snakewood strap button on the lower bout. The brown color of Snakewood complements the Doghair perfectly and looks great with the Levy's Leathers strap (MP23UKE-007). I flinched at the thought of drilling a hole in my Doghair but, after fumbling around for a couple weeks without a strap, I was happy to put her under the drill.
Waverly Button | Waverly snakewood strap button looks like a cropped tail!
Strings and More
This Doghair shipped with Worth Browns with a silver wound Aquila low G. I love the feel and warm tone of the Browns but found the C string too thick and tubby sounding. I measured the strings with calibers:
These strings appear to be a custom set using the normal first two strings of a Worth BF-LG set for A and E but with the low G (unwound) used for the C string. The actual low G is an Aquila silver wound string. Nice sounding set but too high tension for my finger picking style.
String Through Bridge
If you've never owned a string-through bridge design (STB), you're in for a treat. Or maybe not. This design is reported to provide better string vibration transfer to the soundboard than a tie block. Plus, it eliminates the possibility of strings slipping off the tie block and damaging the top. Finally, appearance is neat and uncluttered. On the downside, string changes are fiddly, taking me about three times longer than a tie block. I often need chopsticks to grab the string through the soundhole! And, sadly, you can't remove a string for an adjustment and reinstall it.
STB Bridge | Comely doghair figure with string-through-bridge
Seaguar Custom String Set
I replaced the stock strings with a custom low G set of my choosing:
The result was a sweet tone similar to Worth Browns, but slightly longer sustain, and customized tension to fit my playing style! The thinner C string (.032") really sings compared to the dull extra heavy string (.91mm/.036") the Doghair shipped with.
Kala Transit Gig Bag | Single sling strap, stash pocket and thick padding
Carrying Case
I'm a working musician and hump two or more instruments across the island every day, so I'm a fan of lightweight gig bags. Hard cases never leave my house and are piled up in my closet. Fortunately, this puppy ships with the Kala Transit Gig Bag (TSUB-T).
The Transit appears well made and features black luggage grade exterior with diagonal stitching patterns, dense padding, plush cloth interior, removable neck support, comfy padded handle, sling strap and a large exterior stash pocket. I own a Gator Transit Tenor case and the Kala Transit appears to be a stripped down variant of the Gator case. The Gator original has an extra pocket, protective fabric over the bridge and headstock, and backpack style hideaway straps.
The thick padding makes this bag nearly as protective as a polyfoam hard case but with less bulk. After an hour in my car trunk on a sunny day this case is still cool inside from my office AC, so excellent protection from heat and cold.
Doghair at Rest | Doghair fits nicely in the Transit case and is well protected
The diagonal stitching pattern imparts a quilted ski jacket vibe and is effective at catching assorted debris like cookie crumbs. I'm not a fan of quilted exteriors on cases or jackets but the looks don't interfere with function. The plush interior lining is removable via zipper and makes a great hiding place for your emergency stash or a bundle of Benjamins. The Doghair fits reasonably snug but with room enough to leave a strap and small tuner installed.
Kala claims the Transit is water-resistant. Indeed, the interior remained dry after a dash from the parking lot to my office in a tropical downpour.
The only omissions are the lack of an interior stash pocket and a second strap for backpack style carry.
Last Blurb
Does the Doghair have any gotchas? Maybe a few tiny ones. Real mother-of-pearl, rather than acrylic, for the logo and position markers would complement the traditional doghair look better. And, considering the price point, Kala should spring for better quality tuners. But I'm nitpicking. If you crave traditional 'ukulele tone, the Kala Honduran Mahogany Doghair Tenor just may hit the spot for you. It dishes up sweet fat tone, big dynamics, wonderful playability, handsome looks, precision construction and a little aloha from our friends in the land of the Redwoods.
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Doghair Sound
Design and Construction
Playability
Strings and More
Carrying Case
Last Blurb
Kala Doghair Specs