Kala Ukulele Maintenance Guide

 

How do I clean my Kala ukulele?

The best way to keep your ukulele clean is to take a proactive approach. After each playing session (practice, performing, recording, etc.), be sure to wipe off your strings with a soft, 100% cotton cloth. This helps keep your strings and fretboard clean. Everyone has oils in their fingers that over a period of time will corrode frets and loosen the glue that holds them in. This will eventually lead to poor playability. If your fretboard has gotten a little dirty, remove your strings and lightly clean your fretboard with “0000” steel wool. Once your frets resume their shine, wipe off the surface of the fretboard with either mineral oil or lemon oil. If your fretboard is really dirty, you may need to repeat this process again.

If you own a satin finish instrument, clean your ukulele with a soft, 100% cotton cloth. Please don’t use guitar polish on a satin finish instrument. Guitar polish has the potential to create glossy areas that contrast the rest of the satin finish.

For gloss finish instruments, use a 100% cotton cloth and quality guitar polish. Follow the instructions provided on your polish bottle and you will be quite pleased with the look of a clean Kala uke. Avoid using polish too frequently. Over time it may create a cloudy, murky look on the gloss finish.

Where should I store my Kala instrument?

The absolute best place to store your instrument is in your hands, making music. Of course, when duty calls, we must put our ukuleles down and resume our regular lives. At this point, it’s best to place your ukulele in its case. If you live in a very dry area or if you run your home heating system in the winter, purchase a quality humidifier that will fit in your ukulele case. This will keep your instrument from developing cracks and optimize playability. If you choose to leave you ukulele out of its case when not in use, place it on a stand or wall mount.

Should I use a hardshell case or a gig bag for my Kala ukulele?

Evaluate your needs and choose your case accordingly. Kala offers three very practical types of cases or bag: gig bag, hard foam case, and hardshell cases. For general use, our gig bags provide excellent protection.  If you gig or travel often, it is wise to invest in a hard foam or hardshell case. If you travel by air frequently, we do not recommend checking your instrument with the rest of your luggage. The ukulele’s diminutive size lends itself to easy travel and is acceptable for carry on. Your uke may even come in handy for entertaining your fellow travelers during long flights!

Restringing your uke

The ukulele uses nylon strings that have no ball end. So, it’s important to know how to tie a proper knot at the bridge. The strings we use are designed to be stretched properly before playing. Stretching your strings will ensure good tuning and playability.
Check out this video on restringing your uke.
Once you’ve finished restring your instrument, check out this video link on stretching your ukulele strings. To restring a U-BASS, check out this video. 

Electronics

If your ukulele has a pickup system, there are a few things you can do to make sure your uke functions well when you show up for your next practice or gig. If your pickup system uses batteries, be sure to unplug it during breaks. Keep spare batteries in your case for when you need them most.  Also, when restringing, replace one string at a time to maintain even pressure across the bridge saddle. If you would like to install a pickup into your uke, Kala proudly offers the Mi-Si pickup system. This revolutionary system uses a cutting edge technology that charges in 60 seconds and offers up to 8 hours of play time. You can purchase the Mi-Si pickup and preamp from our website here.  Of course, be sure to have all pickup systems installed by a qualified instrument repair technician.