About Kala Ukulele
KALA BRAND UKULELE: OUR PAST, OUR UKES, OUR PASSION
Hi, I’m Mike Upton, founder of Kala Brand. I became acquainted with the charm of the ukulele at an early age. My Dad would strum the “uke” and sing old standards as he entertained our family and neighbors, and while worshipping in church. The sweet, soothing sound was the best pacifier for a fidgety child like yours truly. As I grew up, you guessed it, I started playing the bass. Four strings like the uke, only much larger and able to rattle your teeth with the proper amplification i.e. Ampeg SVT 300 Watt Tube Head through an 8x10 cabinet. Anyway, back to the ukulele, in 1991 I re-engaged with the uke while living in Hawaii with my lovely wife, Wendy. You were just starting to hear and see more and more people playing ukulele back then. My interest continued to grow as I became the Hawaii Sales Representative for a large wholesale Musical company in 1997. I found out very quickly that there were very few quality, affordable ukulele available in the Islands. So with that in mind, I set out and with some help developed a popular ukulele line. In July of 2005 I went out on my own to start Kala Ukulele where I could continue to expand what is possible in the realm of quality, affordable instruments for the Ukulele Enthusiast and Novice alike.
SO LET ME INTRODUCE TO YOU, KALA BRAND UKULELE
Kala currently offers over 120 different models made from a variety of woods including: Lacewood, Acacia, Koa, Mango, Mahogany, Flame/Spalted Maple, Spruce, Bocote, and many others. We have all of the traditional sizes and models of ukulele and SO MUCH MORE! Our most unconventional offering is the new U-BASS. This instrument is turning the collective Bass community’s head. When people hear the sound and then see that it is coming from this little bass they are blown away. It sounds amazing, is fun to play and is easy to transport. We also have the incredible, pint-sized mini-uke dubbed the “Pocket Ukulele”. It is only 17” long, fits in your pocket and yet has a full and rich voice all of its own. There is also the amazing thin-bodied “Travel Ukulele” that defies acoustic reasoning by producing the most volume of any uke its size. We are all about uke. As a result of our focus we are constantly coming up with new ideas and ever-growing innovations in ukulele design. This is why so many players are looking to Kala for their first or their next ukulele. There are more ideas percolating, more proto-types being tested, more crazy ukes to build, and more music to be made. We are passionate about what we do. We love the people and customers we serve and the music that they make. Welcome to Kala!
