Kala KA-ASZCT-ST All Solid Spruce/Ziricote XL Tenor Ukulele (38mm Nut Width)

A solid XL tenor ukulele from Kala has been on our wish-list for nearly 3 years... They teased an XL model back in 2018 before quietly going back to the drawing board and now finally it is here!

The XL tenor is somewhere in-between a tenor and a baritone with a slightly larger 18'' scale length and a jumbo body which is about 10% bigger than your average tenor. This uke is also the first affordable Kala series to come with a wider 38mm nut width.

The solid Spruce top and solid Ziricote back and sides make for a loud, rich, deep and clear sounding ukulele. The extra tension the added inch gives the strings also offers something different to the sound... higher tension like this is a good thing for most players who finger pick as the notes seemingly ring on for days.

I had the privilege of playing one of these ahead of release. It struck me that this is the first Kala ukulele to come out in a long time that feels unique and offers a taste of the excitement brands like Flight and aNueNue have been spoiling us with throughout the pandemic years.

Both the ASZCT-ST and ASMHG-ST ukuleles are stand out instruments for an intermediate or larger handed beginner. It wouldn't surprise me if we end up highlighting them as one of the top ukuleles for this year come December.

Finally, this ukulele comes strung low G GCEA and we noticed the machine heads are a bit stiff with the added tension but not in a way that should be of any concern to the end user... If you want a different sound, why not try Ukes With Alex high D dGBE baritone strings on this ukulele.

Great work Kala!

Listing shows a typical example. 

Specification:

Solid Spruce top
Solid Ziricote back and sides
38mm nut width with 30mm string spacing at nut
Slotted headstock
Open geared Kala machine heads
Nubone nut and saddle
Maple bindings
Ziricote rosette
Indian Rosewood fingerboard and bridge
18.875'' tenor/baritone scale length
Aquila Super Nylgut strings tuned low G GCEA