Kala West Coast Woods Tenor Ukulele Collection – Tenor Ukulele Review
The Tenor Ukulele in the Kala West Coast Woods Collection is one of the coolest new releases I’ve had a chance to get my hands on, and I recently stopped by Traverse City Guitar Company in beautiful Traverse City, Michigan, to spend some time with the all-solid Walnut version.
The collection celebrates the spectacular woods found along the West Coast, which makes perfect sense coming from Kala in Petaluma, California. There are three versions to choose from — Birdseye Maple, Myrtle, and Walnut — and each has its own look and tonal personality.
I spent my time with the Walnut, and this thing is spectacular.
Kala West Coast Woods Collection Craftsmanship
The first thing that grabbed me was the wood. The all-solid walnut body is gorgeous, but Kala added details that really make it stand out.
The maple binding provides a beautiful contrast against the darker walnut, while the abalone purfling adds just enough flash without going overboard.
Then there’s that comfort contour.
Instead of your forearm resting against the traditional hard edge of the ukulele body, Kala created a smooth, rounded maple edge. It gives your arm a much more comfortable place to rest, especially during longer playing sessions.
And, yeah…it looks SUPER sleek too!
A String-Through Bridge I Really Like
The bridge is another detail that caught my attention.
Besides its unique shape, Kala uses a string-through bridge design with bridge pins. If you’ve changed enough ukulele strings, you already know why I like this.
There’s no knot tying at the bridge. Feed the string through, secure it with the pin, and you’re ready to go.
It’s simple, functional, and another example of how much thought went into this instrument.
The Neck Might Surprise You
This was one of my favorite things about the Walnut model. The neck immediately felt different from most ukuleles I’ve played. It feels thinner from front to back, allowing my hand to move quickly and smoothly up and down the neck, while still giving me plenty of room side-to-side so my fingers never feel cramped. Kala refers to this as their Flat “D” Luthier Profile, and it feels fantastic.
And there’s another detail I totally forgot to mention in the video that I REALLY, REALLY love — the pocketed frets. Instead of the fret wire extending all the way to the edges of the fretboard, the fret ends are tucked inside, so you don’t feel any little protrusions as your hand moves up and down the neck. It makes an already comfortable neck feel incredibly smooth. The Flat “D” Luthier Profile and pocketed frets are both the kind of thoughtful details you expect to find on a high-end, professional-grade ukulele.
It’s difficult to explain until you actually play one. Once you do, though, there’s a good chance you’ll have the same reaction I did…
“Oh YEAH…THAT’S nice!”
Beautiful Details From Top to Bottom
Up at the headstock, there’s a beautiful tree inlay representing the West Coast woods that inspired the collection. The abalone looks fantastic, and the ebony tuner buttons tie everything together nicely with the ebony fretboard and bridge.
That’s something I appreciate about this entire instrument. Nothing feels like it was added randomly.
The woods, maple accents, bridge, neck, headstock and hardware all feel like parts of one thoughtfully designed ukulele.
How Does the Walnut Version Sound?
Of course, none of that matters much to me if an instrument doesn’t sound and play great.
Thankfully, this one does.
The solid walnut gives it a warm, balanced voice. Kala pairs that with its Revelator string setup featuring two wound strings and two Worth Brown fluorocarbon strings.
That combination is really interesting. You get the warmth and balance of walnut along with excellent attack and definition from the strings.
The sustain is also impressive. Let a chord ring and this ukulele just keeps going.
I was equally impressed by the intonation up the neck and the tuning stability, even when I started digging into it more aggressively.
It really plays like a dream.
Walnut, Birdseye Maple or Myrtle
All three versions of the West Coast Collection are serious, professional-grade instruments, so choosing between them is really about personal preference.
I love the Walnut for its warm, balanced character. Birdseye Maple and Myrtle bring different visual personalities and tonal characteristics to the collection.
There really isn’t one universally “right” choice here. The fun part is figuring out which one speaks to you.
Exclusive Kala Discount for Me & Uke Friends and Fans
If you decide one of these belongs in your collection, I’ve got something special for you.
As a friend or fan of Me & Uke, you can get an exclusive Kala discount when ordering directly from Kala.
Shop through my link at Kalabrand.com/meanduke
and use discount code: MEANDUKE at checkout.
You get a discount on your new Kala, and using my link helps support Me & Uke so I can continue making music, demos, and in-depth ukulele reviews like this one. Win-win!
One I Definitely Want to Keep Playing
After spending time playing the Walnut version, what impresses me most is how well the whole instrument comes together. It isn’t simply a beautiful piece of walnut. The comfort contour, neck profile, bridge design, craftsmanship, playability, and tone all contribute something meaningful.
If you’re looking for a premium instrument with distinctive woods, thoughtful design and a warm but articulate voice, the Kala West Coast Woods Collection absolutely deserves a look. I’m already planning to record more music with this Walnut version so you can hear what it can really do.
And until then…keep strummin’!
