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Thread: Kala Tenor due in September

  1. #51

    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    Here's one for the sake of info humor Bruce..

    I've an instrument I bought some time back from a well respected company that I purchased under the assumption from direct information from them, that it was a solid/solid build. I got to browsing their website the other day and their site showed the instrument as being solid top and laminate back and sides.

    WELL. I knew I had paid surely the price for solid/solid, and well looked it over and was most sure it was solid/solid. But as curiosities are, I called them and inquired about the laminate thing on their site. OOPS ! They were embarrassed that the site reflected incorrectly that in fact they were solid/solid. And of course, they remarked that maybe why that model wasn't selling as well as it should. lol

    But then again, the whole laminate vs solid cat gets outta the bag with folks and it's surely a never ending debate. lol
    I personally pursue some laminates in some cases. All of my National customs are laminate and wouldn't have it any other way. In fact, National only makes one wood instrument that isn't a laminate. But then that opens up the heated topic of the differences between instrument quality laminates being used on instruments, and cheap grade laminated being used and folks not being aware of the difference.

    Digging for info is a passion and past time of mine for sure. But I love my "solid/laminate" KA-GTR. lol

    Then again, Kala's accessories page says J66, which is an 80/20, then the product page for the KA-GTR says Phos/Bro for strings. lol

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  2. #52
    Registered User bruce.b's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    Yeah, you can never be sure what you're getting unless you check it yourself. I have no idea if the strings are what they say on the site, and it took me a while to find where I had read that. I'm excited to get mine back. I think it sounds really good tuned CGDA and once the set up is right it should be an excellent guitar. I was also having a lot of fun playing the higher tuning, it gives a very different feel to tunes than GDAE. I think theres a good chance my brother will have one soon, tuned DGBE. Mine looks like it's #21. I wonder how many they made in the first run?

  3. #53

    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    Quote Originally Posted by bruce.b View Post
    Yeah, you can never be sure what you're getting unless you check it yourself. I have no idea if the strings are what they say on the site, and it took me a while to find where I had read that. I'm excited to get mine back. I think it sounds really good tuned CGDA and once the set up is right it should be an excellent guitar. I was also having a lot of fun playing the higher tuning, it gives a very different feel to tunes than GDAE. I think theres a good chance my brother will have one soon, tuned DGBE. Mine looks like it's #21. I wonder how many they made in the first run?
    Hadn't even considered looking at the serial number. Looks like I've 22. lol. I'd be curious as to how many on the first run myself. But I could find out next time I'm on the phone to the left coast. But a bunch of them for sure came to the east coast here.

    I'm not smart enough to have multiple tunings in my head, which is why I did DGBE. But I really like the sound a lot. It still has that what I call "airy" sound tone that leans towards the more open chord sound of a TG. However, I did take a run at it with the GCEA tuning just to see because so many people ask about that tuning.

    The result of the GCEA tuning was successful as fat as tension goes, but my best description of the sound was it just sounded like a cheap tenor ukulele. Didn't sound all that great. But I'm sure some will do it anyway. lol.

    All in all, a quite versatile instrument. I tend to like the sound of the standard tuning best, but again, I'm to lazy and to un-smart to carry around all the other chord shapes in my head. lol
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  4. #54
    Registered User fox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    I am sure it sounds great in DGBE but I have plenty of six strings & we are talking tenor guitars here
    CGDA, if you like to strum, is about as easy as it gets with lots of two finger chords like G D C F & lots more.....
    It is just such a cool sound that most folk have not heard before.
    I have been playing six string & the Irish tenor banjo for a bit! but the tenor guitar is very new to me (about 9 months) I have found it really good fun to lean with & an easy ride.

  5. #55

    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    Quote Originally Posted by dmcginnis View Post
    Regarding GDAE tuning, here is a note I received from the folks at Kala:

    David,
    I don't think anything would stop you from crafting a set that works for the tenor guitar. But there doesn't seem to be an alternate tuning set for GDAE at this time available.
    My recommendation would be single strings (EADG) .013 plain, .020 PB, .030 PB, and .045PB

    You would only have to re size the nut slots and possible the bridge string holes, but most likely just the nut would need to be altered a little bit to accomodate the thicker strings.

    Thanks,
    Dan Van



    Dan Van Heuklom Ext. 2831
    Inside Sales
    Kala Brand Music Company



    Anyone want to try those string gauges and give us a report?

    Thanks,
    Dave
    DING ! ! ! What Dan said !
    Basic "BACK PORCH" picker. ( They don't allow me on the front porch).

  6. #56

    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    Quote Originally Posted by fox View Post
    I am sure it sounds great in DGBE but I have plenty of six strings & we are talking tenor guitars here
    CGDA, if you like to strum, is about as easy as it gets with lots of two finger chords like G D C F & lots more.....
    It is just such a cool sound that most folk have not heard before.
    I have been playing six string & the Irish tenor banjo for a bit! but the tenor guitar is very new to me (about 9 months) I have found it really good fun to lean with & an easy ride.
    Yupper. I'll likely play with some other tunings in time, but the chord shapes and scales are all exactly the tuning I play on all my ukes at current, just a transpose to the 4th and you in the same key. I don't have to completely relearn the songs. I'm not all that smart for such. lol
    Basic "BACK PORCH" picker. ( They don't allow me on the front porch).

  7. #57
    Bark first, Bite later Steve Zawacki's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    Quote Originally Posted by dmcginnis View Post
    Regarding GDAE tuning, here is a note I received from the folks at Kala:

    David,
    I don't think anything would stop you from crafting a set that works for the tenor guitar. But there doesn't seem to be an alternate tuning set for GDAE at this time available.
    My recommendation would be single strings (EADG) .013 plain, .020 PB, .030 PB, and .045PB

    You would only have to re size the nut slots and possible the bridge string holes, but most likely just the nut would need to be altered a little bit to accomodate the thicker strings.

    Thanks,
    Dan Van



    Dan Van Heuklom Ext. 2831
    Inside Sales
    Kala Brand Music Company



    Anyone want to try those string gauges and give us a report?

    Thanks,
    Dave
    Elderly was selling a GDAE tenor guitar string set for the Breedlove tenor. I used it on my Blueridge 40T and found it worked great.
    ...Steve

    Current Stable: Two Tenor Guitars (Martin 515, Blueridge BR-40T), a Tenor Banjo (Deering GoodTime 17-Fret), a Mandolin (Burgess #7). two Banjo-Ukes and five Ukuleles..

    The inventory is always in some flux, but that's part of the fun.

  8. #58
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    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    Here is the info from Elderly on the Custom set for Breedlove tenor guitars (http://elderly.com/accessories/names...et--BTGS.htm):

    TENOR GUITAR SET
    BREEDLOVE - Custom set put together here at Elderly, intended for recent models of Breedlove tenor guitars tuned to GDAE. Strings are plain steel and EXP coated phosphor bronze round wound (from D'Addario) 013 023w 035w 45w. This is exactly the set Breedlove currently uses (as of November 2012).

    Availability: In Stock Now Why Elderly?
    sku: BTGS .. $7.70 buy


    Note that the gauges are different from what Dan at Kala mentioned. It might be worthwhile to run these sets through a tension calculator and see what the actual differences are on the full set.
    Keith Newell "Roger Landes" model mandolin
    1917 Gibson A-1 mandolin
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  9. #59
    Registered User fox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    Quote Originally Posted by RAGZDADDY View Post
    Yupper. I'll likely play with some other tunings in time, but the chord shapes and scales are all exactly the tuning I play on all my ukes at current, just a transpose to the 4th and you in the same key. I don't have to completely relearn the songs. I'm not all that smart for such. lol
    Of course I quite understand that although some folk are unbelievable talented .. I am not one of those myself.
    Over the last few months several of my mates (six stringers) have just astounded me by picking up one of my CGDA tenors & within minutes have sussed out a few chords & bust into song quite contently playing!!!
    One guy who plays bass guitar, was rocking all over the world (Status Quo) almost instantly but my friend Clem who plays Tenor banjo in GDAE (as I do) was just amazing!
    He managed to make my old Harmony sound really good but had never played CGDA or tenor guitar before.
    He just picked it up & went for it..... you can see he is struggling with the 23" scale compared to his 17 fret banjo but still manages ....
    PS how do you imbed YouTube?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gbe1-lGMBw

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  11. #60
    Registered User Seonachan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    Just to add to the range of possibilities, here are the gauges used for Fletcher tenors (which also have a 21" scale):
    .052 / .036 / .024 / .016

    Of course Fletchers are purpose-built for that tuning and tension load, so I wouldn't take them as recommendations for GDAE tuning on the Kala. On the other hand, the gauges suggested by the Kala rep strike me as at the loosey-goosey end of the spectrum (notice the Breedlove, with a 3" longer scale, uses the same gauges for the G and E strings, and heavier gauges for the 2 middle strings). But if I was being careful I might start with the lightest gauges and see how they feel, then go heavier as necessary.

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  13. #61

    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    For what it's worth, and I wasn't unhappy at all with the way my Kala -KA-GTR sounded as it was. But I just canned the plastic bridge pins and replaced them with ebony bridge pins and the difference is astounding at the very least.
    Basic "BACK PORCH" picker. ( They don't allow me on the front porch).

  14. #62

    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    Embedding YT is just a matter of copying the url from the address bar of that video from your browser. Then clicking on the little film strip hickey in your reply thingy of the forum and paste it there. Then just "away we go".

    Ends up looking like this.

    (oh, and I did watch the vid of your pal playing the arch top. I hate those kinda guys. j/k. lol


    Basic "BACK PORCH" picker. ( They don't allow me on the front porch).

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  16. #63

    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    Basic "BACK PORCH" picker. ( They don't allow me on the front porch).

  17. #64

    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    For some reason, things seem to be trying to double post. Hrrrrmmm?
    Basic "BACK PORCH" picker. ( They don't allow me on the front porch).

  18. #65
    Registered User bruce.b's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    I got my Kala back yesterday after a complete set up and wow, what a difference. The action is really low and the guitar is effortless to play. What a fun little guitar. I'm glad I left it CGDA mostly because it sounds so sweet. It's not that loud playing a single string, but chords are surprisingly loud. I'm pleased with how it sounds brand new.

  19. #66

    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    QUOTE=bruce.b;1337512]I got my Kala back yesterday after a complete set up and wow, what a difference. The action is really low and the guitar is effortless to play. What a fun little guitar. I'm glad I left it CGDA mostly because it sounds so sweet. It's not that loud playing a single string, but chords are surprisingly loud. I'm pleased with how it sounds brand new.[/QUOTE]

    Go Bruce GO !



    You wouldn't happen to have gotten the string height measurements at the 1st and 12th fret from your setup guy did you? I'm curious how low one can go. lol. I'm pretty low though. lol
    Basic "BACK PORCH" picker. ( They don't allow me on the front porch).

  20. #67
    Registered User bruce.b's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    Sorry, no idea what the numbers are.

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  22. #68

    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    Quote Originally Posted by bruce.b View Post
    Sorry, no idea what the numbers are.

    Basic "BACK PORCH" picker. ( They don't allow me on the front porch).

  23. #69
    Registered User fox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    I notice our friend has a video



  24. #70

    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    Will be installing a passive pickup in my KA-GTR this weekend. WOOT WOOT ! cant wait.
    Basic "BACK PORCH" picker. ( They don't allow me on the front porch).

  25. #71
    Registered User fox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    So, does anyone actually know what gauges the supplied string are?

  26. #72
    Chief Moderator/Shepherd Ted Eschliman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    Just measured mine with calipers. Looks like 010, 014, 022w, 032w. I don't know why they wouldn't be anything other than D'Addario J66 (80/20 bronze). Of course, these are ball- instead of loop-end, so you really couldn't swap our a really light gg mandolin set.
    Ted Eschliman

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  28. #73

    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    Quote Originally Posted by fox View Post
    So, does anyone actually know what gauges the supplied string are?

    The gauges were on Kala's website last I looked.
    Basic "BACK PORCH" picker. ( They don't allow me on the front porch).

  29. #74

    Default Re: Kala Tenor due in September

    Installed a K and K Pure Mini passive pickup on the Kala KA-GTR a couple of weeks ago. Hugely happy and impressed.

    A little on the tricky side to install though....
    Basic "BACK PORCH" picker. ( They don't allow me on the front porch).

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