SPOT ON BAZ! There is nothing to dislike about it, but nothing earth shattering either (it's been done). It's got a pretty sound and beautifully built, but if not for the unique design, you bring some pretty sweet ukes into the mix at that price point.
Beautiful sounding but the price...ouch! However, looking at this in a positive, Christmas spirit, it is really nice to see a ukulele from Kala that sounds and plays so wonderfully! They need more of that in their line! Thank you, Baz!
Cheers Baz. I appreciate your honesty. I would love one of these but not at that price. Looking forward to your last review of the year. Hope it’s the 4SB 👍
Very nice review Barry. I'm not sure but when I was at the factory setting up the production line we ordered in a pile of 'Royal Ebony' which is really baked purpleheart. I suspect this fretboard is that wood though I would check. LMII who sold this stuff is closed now so I don'tmknow what the future is for 'black' fretboards. Also the fretboard is not bound - it has pocket frets. The cnc router cuts the fret slot short of the edges this eliminating the need for binding. As for price? Despite the prep work being machine gmerated there is a tremendous amount of hand work in these anmd a front loke that costs a smalll body part! I personally have not seen the brands you talk of so cannot comment. I have always been a mushroom when it comes to be informed - stay in the dark...
Thanks Pete - very interesting - I’m more than happy to correct when I get info from source so will do a stop press on the frets - the fretboard wood I will check with Alex (he sent me details from the Kala spec sheet). It’s a terrific instrument and you should be proud of the design - such a comfortable thing to lounge back with I found.
Thank you, Pete, for this additional information! I think there is a lot of craftsmanship, experience and true skill in this "simple" ukulele and it seems worth every penny! Furthermore, the Southern Ukulele Store was kind enough to reduce the price of this "used" ukulele a little bit after Barry's price remark...
That's a beautiful uke! I have a chambered Pono Baritone that I string Low GCEA, and it's my primary performance instrument. If they every make these in a baritone scale I'd probably give them a look. Thanks as always for your informative reviews!
Rare and beautiful instrument, both aesthetically and sound wise. What's not to love? Well, the price! If I had £2000 to chuck at an instrument, I might be looking at something beginning with 'K'... Or is that just being brand-posh? Thanks for the review, as always, Baz and if I don't get the chance before hand, I wish you and your family a happy, healthy and peaceful Christmas. 🎅👍
Thank you - not I know what you mean though. For me it's less about the brand name and more about how much work went in. For £2k I can get a very finely crafted and decorated instrument like a Martin Beck
Tyde learner is pretty much the same uke but better with a single piece of wood for neck and sides. It goes for a lot less and is built by a luthier pair
I love all your videos (feel like I’ve watched all of them) I Just picked one up in the US can you please give me a link to the strings you recommended for it?
Another good review Baz.. I'm sure lots of folk will love it but I'm not personally keen on the overall look or sound of it....I agree with you that a gloss finish would definitely have helped to show off the koa wood....the headstock could have been a more novel shape, this rounded shape looks too plain and low cost to me....and good quality friction tuners would have given it a sleeker look....and, as you say, there shouldn't be any visible tooling marks on something costing £2k....it wont be on my Santa list but each to their own....😊...have a great Christmas and New Year....oh...small gripe...could you maybe tune the ukes up before the reviews?...
Interesting instrument. Nice sound... but... I agree with your take on the cosmetics-- a gloss finish and some sort of finish in the sound hole would definitely improve the look. More importantly, I agree with you about the price. For that money I would rather have a Kamaka or a Kanilea. Thanks for another good review.
Appreciate the review. You mentioned a builder in Canada and I couldn't grasp the name. Can you let me know who that is please? I am in Canada and looking for an upgrade to my Kala.
Non gloss let the instrument move a little more so it will certainly be helping. Yet gloss can give a crisper sound too and there are some wonderful sounding gloss ukes out there.
I have an original Howlett built revelator which is great and cost me a lot less than £1999, straight from Pete, in 2021, so I can where you're coming from Baz
Direct from Pete I get it - built by him - not with the economies of scale Kala have. I suppose to be fair to Kala they have their own company big costs too
Thanks Baz, great review, didn’t sound how I suspected, far more complex and self harmonising than I anticipated, that’s what makes the reviews so informative. Out of my league, may give a serious player a different instrument to their anrsenal. Its all about the unique looks and that unique quality sound. Nice Uke and the string choices is on point. Great T shirt, very clever. You have a great week and may I wish you and yours all the best for the festive season.👏👏🎅🏿🎅🏿
loaded mine up with fluorocarbon strings and unwound g string all tuned half a step down for the perfect mellow tone that isn’t too muddy due to the small chambered design 👌 though i agree it is a bit overpriced at 1.5-2k. agreed on the matte finish being a bit disappointing. i think a semi-gloss would have been perfect.
Kala ukulele's have never appealed to me, and I can't tell you way, but when I first saw you holding this one my heart stoped. To me it's beautiful , and sounds even better. I love it, and once again my first thought was "this is going to be the first Kala I'm going to buy," BUT then the price. That hurt ! Thank you for the great review, take care, and stay well.
Disagree about the gloss and the fingerprints that would go with it. Lovely instrument. Thanks for another excellent review. RUclips always seems to insert a commercial when you say the word "price".
Fingerprints for sure - but bear in mind when Pete made the earlier versions of these they were gloss. And the wood looked STUNNING. Re the ads - Google insert them regardless of whether I opt in or not - they place them randomly and sometimes (often) mid -sentence or during the playing parts. So I adjust them. It just seems a sensible mid place to put them (between review and playing). If I didn’t bother they could appear anywhere
Actually, my gloss-finished instruments quickly become fingerprint-finished instruments. If a passive pickup plays well without an EQ/preamp (I have a couple that do), I am all for it. Were it $700-900, I would consider it.
I was fortunate enough to meet Pete and try one of these at GNUF earlier this year. I was blown away by the sound it produces! I'm not crazy about the looks, but it's so tactile and comfortable to hold. Pete told me he had designed it to fit a woman's body, and it certainly fit mine: I found it very hard to put down.
Wonder if Flight will take some inspiration? You could argue that it's a very, very posh, and way better sounding Enya-style uke. Merry Christmas Baz, thank you for the reviews and entertainment over the last year.
Good review, as always, and I agree about the price. Ukulele magazine gave one away, and I submitted 63 entries. I didn't win. I knew nothing about the uke except that it was unique and somewhat revolutionary. I'm not sure what I expected for sound/tone, but it sounds great. After looking at it a bit (submitting an online entry for 63 consecutive days) and hearing your build quality comments, I've come to find the instrument attractive, if not a bit out of my price range.
So glad to see a review on these. Purely subjective but I really do not like the looks of unfinished and stamped cut out. Wish that part was finished a little different. Lovely Uke overall.
Thanks for the review. Lovely Instrument. I do wonder how this compares with the Brogarde Boatpaddle from a few weeks ago. Both are unique instruments with wonderful sound. I would love both. Yet the latter is much cheaper, probably underpriced, and the latter seems overpriced. I would like a top grade ukulele someday but this seems a bit too expensive, especially considering what can be bought for half the price ( I cannot afford that either!).
For me it’s less about where it’s from - it’s what has gone into it. There’s a lot less work in this than a more regular Kerfed and inlaid instrument. I suspect the wood here is very expensive though to be fair.
I wish you could visit the factory and see what actually goes into the making of these. The simplicity of the design does not mean tjhat the work that has gone into it is less than a conventional instrument. I built into this design a huge amount of misdirection@@GotAUkulele
@@GotAUkulele Yeah, certainly the workmanship and material cost is more important than it being a K-brand but I've been indoctrinated with those brands so much since I got into ukes that I've been conditioned into craving a Kamaka, a Koaloha and a kanile'a. I don't think they are necessarily better just because they are from Hawaii or anything or because it's an old brand like Kamaka :)
Respectfully disagree - but each to their own. It is nice koa on the top - but I am absolutely sure a good gloss would make the flame in the wood pop and shimmer
Very different looking but I really like it. Looks very well built. It has a nice sound both picked and strummed. You pay for it but it is a very cool instrument… thanks BAZ….DOC
The biggest problem with the price is that those Kala revelator or not much less pricier than the Pete Howlet were. So what will be the point of buying one from Kala when you can probably find a real Howlet for the same price on the used market ? Especially taking into consideration than the Kala one are likely to loose a lot of value, or even most of their value on the second hand market ? Alex at Sus is saying that an Asian made line of Kala revelator is going to be unveiled soon. But I do not see why Kala even bother to release those American ones in the meantime which are, in my opinion, destined to fail at that price point. Maybe only for the sake of advertisement before releasing the far east made one ?
Well to be fair I should add that I thought that the American made Acoustasonic from Fender were likely to fail considering that for the same price you could buy a good acoustic guitar and a good electric but the market decided otherwise apparently and a lot of people bought the American one. Even if, in my opinion the cheaper Mexican made Acoustasonic make much more sense. Yet the difference between the Kala American revelator and the American Acoustasonic is that Fender has a really good distribution network so people were able to try the Acoustasonic. But who is going to buy a 2000 euros Kala revelator without being able to try it and understand what they bring to the table compared to a similarly priced traditional Hawaiian made ukulele ? Maybe the plan is for Kala to release the Asian made revelator distributed then everywhere and then hoping that the people who really take a liking in the revelator type of instruments then might fetch more money to get an American one ? 🤔.
There's no doubt that Pete has created an absolute rock n roll, sexy beast of a ukulele!... But that is also the problem! For me i would want to play that everyday, sink a few pints and strum along to hey jude on a saturday night. But would i want to wake up on sunday morning to find 2000 quid of uke covered in beer, pizza and whatever else?! The temptation to go full kurt cobain with it would be too great so i would have to pass at that price point. Id rather get a plastic enya for thrashing and for a bit sophistication, probably an anuenue (for half the price). Thanks for the review, really enjoyed it as always. 👏
As a very proud owner of one of the last Revelators made in Pete's workshop in November 2022 I have to disagree with you on the price. The quality and sound of this instrument is testament to the huge amount of skill and attention to detail that goes into the hand finishing and hand carving of this outstanding work of art. It is definitely not "Made By Robots!" and this comment really upset me and gave the wrong impression. Yes, the main body is produced on a CNC router, but that is just one small step in the complete process and no different to all other high end ukes, where machinery is used to cut out most blank parts before assembly. It's the many hours it takes to then skilfully assemble those parts and hand finish them that goes unseen and unconsidered by most. I still consider Revelators as "hand made" because I have been privileged to see them being built first hand as one of Pete's interns. I am not criticising your reviews as I am a huge fan of your channel and donate regularly and realise that your point of view is from a completely different perspective, but I do think you need to revisit this and correct a few errors. For example, the fingerboard is not edge-bound to hide the end of the frets. It is made of one solid piece. The frets are carefully trimmed and the slots cut on CNC in a pocket. This is actually more time consuming and costly as each fret has to be carefully measured and trimmed by hand, individually and accurately. So I hope you can appreciate that when something looks so sleek and simple by design, that it actually takes a lot more to achieve than meets the eye. An excellent analogy is a Formula 1 car and the eyewatering costs there!
Sounds great, looks great but still quite simple. Not revolutionary either - Bonanza have been making ukes like this (including frets slotted the exact same way!) for years. I think people are missing the fact I gave this a VERY high score - it's a GREAT ukulele. Certainly didn't mean to suggest that CNC routing is in some way 'bad' though. Most top end builders use it for certain parts. I am just saying that there is clearly work in this instrument, but less work than other more trad builds of the same price. No side bending, little bracing, no kerfing, no bindings, fairly limited inlay work, no gloss. As I say it's quite a simple build designed to be re-created easily. I can still see where the craftsmanship is, but I believe even Pete H himself has admitted in the comments on this video that he didn't think the Kala price was right.
We all know that pricey instruments can sound good. From the musicians point of view the question is, who can make a 600$ instrument sound and look like a 2.000$ instrument. And not the other way around. Anyway, great review as always!
Better off getting a Bonanza ukulele from Minnesota millennium series he makes some really unique ukuleles and you can get a millennium for $699 and Bonanza has other ukuleles for $450 and so on
Great review, & a great instrument with a lovely sound. At 1500, it's (maybe) a deal but two grand?! For a small, simple, largely machine made instrument that's far too much.
Not a huge fan of the routed out slimline bodies. They always sound a little thin to me. Although this does have a lovely tone. Tastefully done. But I can get a quality luthier built ukulele, made in the USA, built to my specifications, for less money.
$3400 Canadian plus tax is closer to 4Gs for a factory build....nope! Custom made will get you better for the same $$ or less. It better have good sustain for that money.....however it does sound nice!
It is very nice looking and sounds good, but not $2000 worth good. You have recently reviewed some wonderful handmade instruments that are, in my opinion, much better purchases based on their quality. For this kind of money, there should be NO scruffiness at all. If I had all the money in the world and serious UAS, I might consider it. But I’m not in that category. Thanks for your great review!
Baz You are falling for the Marxist labour theory of value here. Value is what the market will pay, not cost of manufacture plus profit. (I imagine a large chunk of koa suitable for routing is not cheap) 1600-2000 these will only sell in limited numbers, that alone will increase costs as any cost is spread over lower numbers of units.
@@bethmcmullan7686 Quite Beth - I’ve been reviewing for 15 years, and seen hundreds of ukes. I don’t call out ‘value for money’ blind. I get the market sets the price - but only to a point. Expectation of profit margin is a big part and that is clearly wildly different.
@@GotAUkulele Fair enough point, and as you say that there are plenty of options if this is your price bracket. The premise you from which you started to address VFM is that the body is CNC routed and my point was really directed to the fact that the value is not determined by the manufacturing process, but by whether the end product is marketed at a price a buyer will pay. The original Pete Howlett Revelator of late 2019 can still be found on SUS website. It coast just over 1000 inc VAT, but wasn't Koa, but Korina/Claro Walnut, which I fancy is considerably less expensive wood and without the inlay work. Given the inflation we have seen over the last two years I bet that would be 12-1400 today. We will see if the pricing is right if it sells quickly or if it is on SUS website at a discount in six months time.
@@bethmcmullan7686 Fair point and where my money would go. My point was that manufacturing process is not really relevant to the VFM calculation. Mind you I think a number of these luthiers are underpricing their products. It seems to me that Ken Timms gets it right by selling only through Ebay.
@@jensenhealey08 My review comment wasn’t just about the CNC point though. It’s as also about the minimal decor and lack of gloss. Pete’s later options were much more than 1,000 though. (Much more). Even if Pete’s were £2,0000 i’d get that (one man - working for a living of craftsmanship) - big building should bring savings. Though aside from that - the most perfect ukulele I have seen for quite some time - with clearly MANY more man hours in it - came from that famously cheap place… Sweden…. www.gotaukulele.com/2023/11/brogarde-tenor-boatpaddle-ukulele-review.html… Judging by comments on this video (not the final arbiter, granted) - the ‘buyer will pay’ bit is failing I’m afraid. It’s a relatively simple uke (admittedly with some clever care and decent materials). Pete himself had said it was designed for easy production.
I really like the fact kala went all in on a really cool model but US dollar to lb. that's 2500 dollars and I'm sorry that wood set not worth$2500/what one company calls mastergrade another calls premium the price will keep a lot of people from ever owning one what a shame a $1000 less would more appropriate
While this is new, it isn’t revolutionary. I’d probably give $1300 to $1500 for it with a radiused fretboard. But $2 grand is too much money for this as it is. I’ll bet it cost all of $500 to build, if that. Happy holidays to you and yours!
Honestly, the Revelator does nothing for me. A charmless “clunky” look, the “master grade koa” is actually kind of boring looking (I have 30 ukuleles, most are “4K,” and the “master grade” here likely wouldn’t even get out of the “Select” shelf at Kanile’a - maybe “Deluxe,” but nowhere near “Premium,” let alone “Master” grade), and frankly, the sound seems “deader” than pretty much ANY Kamaka, KoAloha, or Kanile’a in the $1,300 price scale (there really aren’t any Ko’olau ukes in the price point). If one were to choose this over a Kamaka HF-3, a KoAloha KTM-00, or a Kanile’a K-1T (all in the $1,300-$1,500 range), they’d be both crazy and, on top of that, will have simply “thrown away” $500-$700 for the $2,000 price tag of the Revelator. My guess is that there is almost no likelihood that the Revelator will hold a resale value anywhere close to its as new cost. Seems kind of an overall dud in the long run.
I don’t tend to care about brand badges - and this IS made in the USA, not China. I just don’t see where the cost is for what is a fairly simple instrument. Look at that Brogärde I reviewed - £600!!! But…. It’s a LOVELY design and the sound is stellar!
agree these are to expensive way to expensive .all models its like kala thinks they are luthiers building these by hand not so they could have sold many as opposed to a few but it is nice and looks cool but way over priced .but evryone has a choice .thanks for the review keep them coming
SPOT ON BAZ! There is nothing to dislike about it, but nothing earth shattering either (it's been done). It's got a pretty sound and beautifully built, but if not for the unique design, you bring some pretty sweet ukes into the mix at that price point.
You do indeed!
Well said by you and Baz. Nice but I wouldn’t pay that much for it Good review Baz of a popular ukulele !
I love this ukulele. ❤❤❤
Thanks!
Thanks very much!
Beautiful sounding but the price...ouch! However, looking at this in a positive, Christmas spirit, it is really nice to see a ukulele from Kala that sounds and plays so wonderfully! They need more of that in their line! Thank you, Baz!
We agree!
Thank you for your honesty!
The only way!
Glad you worked through the technical difficulties to get the review out. It was wonderful to hear and see. Totally with you on everything you said.👍👍
Thanks so much!
Excellent instrument, with a rather compelling backstory. I'd still go for a Galileo or a custom from Bonanza long before considering this one.
interesting & fair enough!
Me too
@@GotAUkulele Bonanza is currently rebuilding its website … i cannot wait!
Cheers Baz. I appreciate your honesty. I would love one of these but not at that price. Looking forward to your last review of the year. Hope it’s the 4SB 👍
You and me both!
Very nice review Barry. I'm not sure but when I was at the factory setting up the production line we ordered in a pile of 'Royal Ebony' which is really baked purpleheart. I suspect this fretboard is that wood though I would check. LMII who sold this stuff is closed now so I don'tmknow what the future is for 'black' fretboards. Also the fretboard is not bound - it has pocket frets. The cnc router cuts the fret slot short of the edges this eliminating the need for binding. As for price? Despite the prep work being machine gmerated there is a tremendous amount of hand work in these anmd a front loke that costs a smalll body part!
I personally have not seen the brands you talk of so cannot comment. I have always been a mushroom when it comes to be informed - stay in the dark...
Thanks Pete - very interesting - I’m more than happy to correct when I get info from source so will do a stop press on the frets - the fretboard wood I will check with Alex (he sent me details from the Kala spec sheet).
It’s a terrific instrument and you should be proud of the design - such a comfortable thing to lounge back with I found.
Thank you, Pete, for this additional information! I think there is a lot of craftsmanship, experience and true skill in this "simple" ukulele and it seems worth every penny!
Furthermore, the Southern Ukulele Store was kind enough to reduce the price of this "used" ukulele a little bit after Barry's price remark...
Thanks for the review. I’ve been interested in these for a while. Hoping next week is the Flight 4SB 😃. Have a great week.
Watch this space!
That's a beautiful uke! I have a chambered Pono Baritone that I string Low GCEA, and it's my primary performance instrument. If they every make these in a baritone scale I'd probably give them a look. Thanks as always for your informative reviews!
That would be cool!
Rare and beautiful instrument, both aesthetically and sound wise. What's not to love? Well, the price! If I had £2000 to chuck at an instrument, I might be looking at something beginning with 'K'... Or is that just being brand-posh?
Thanks for the review, as always, Baz and if I don't get the chance before hand, I wish you and your family a happy, healthy and peaceful Christmas. 🎅👍
Thank you - not I know what you mean though. For me it's less about the brand name and more about how much work went in. For £2k I can get a very finely crafted and decorated instrument like a Martin Beck
Please do one on the baritone model
Very rarely in the UK!
I own this uke and I love it. The matte finish suits my aesthetic: understated beauty. And the sound is just amazing.
Sound is incredible!
I've been waiting for this review.... Pete really did good on the design.
He really did!
Tyde learner is pretty much the same uke but better with a single piece of wood for neck and sides. It goes for a lot less and is built by a luthier pair
I hear good things about those. Sadly never seen one in the flesh. If Tyde are watching - hint hint!
I love all your videos (feel like I’ve watched all of them) I Just picked one up in the US can you please give me a link to the strings you recommended for it?
Sorry - never recommend strings - totally subjective to the player. I use fishing line!
you are definitely one of the best uke reviewers out there....bless you for you frank and honest opinions.....and I do enjoy your chord progressions
Thanks!
Very good but have you test APC ukulele please ? And if yes, your opinion. Thanks
Yes - wasn't very good - www.gotaukulele.com/2018/12/apc-antonio-carvalho-ss-soprano-ukulele.html
Another good review Baz.. I'm sure lots of folk will love it but I'm not personally keen on the overall look or sound of it....I agree with you that a gloss finish would definitely have helped to show off the koa wood....the headstock could have been a more novel shape, this rounded shape looks too plain and low cost to me....and good quality friction tuners would have given it a sleeker look....and, as you say, there shouldn't be any visible tooling marks on something costing £2k....it wont be on my Santa list but each to their own....😊...have a great Christmas and New Year....oh...small gripe...could you maybe tune the ukes up before the reviews?...
Thanks you - and to you too.
And ha ha - no, I’m not biting on the tuning up comment!!
Interesting instrument. Nice sound... but... I agree with your take on the cosmetics-- a gloss finish and some sort of finish in the sound hole would definitely improve the look. More importantly, I agree with you about the price. For that money I would rather have a Kamaka or a Kanilea.
Thanks for another good review.
Fair enough!
Appreciate the review. You mentioned a builder in Canada and I couldn't grasp the name. Can you let me know who that is please? I am in Canada and looking for an upgrade to my Kala.
Martin Beck - Vancouver - sublime stuff for about this price
Beautiful sound. I wonder if part of it is precisely thanks to the non-gloss finish?
Non gloss let the instrument move a little more so it will certainly be helping. Yet gloss can give a crisper sound too and there are some wonderful sounding gloss ukes out there.
Way above my budget, but it sounds divine and I wouldn't need any gloss, it looks lovely!
The sound is terrific!
I have an original Howlett built revelator which is great and cost me a lot less than £1999, straight from Pete, in 2021, so I can where you're coming from Baz
Direct from Pete I get it - built by him - not with the economies of scale Kala have. I suppose to be fair to Kala they have their own company big costs too
Thanks Baz, great review, didn’t sound how I suspected, far more complex and self harmonising than I anticipated, that’s what makes the reviews so informative. Out of my league, may give a serious player a different instrument to their anrsenal. Its all about the unique looks and that unique quality sound. Nice Uke and the string choices is on point. Great T shirt, very clever. You have a great week and may I wish you and yours all the best for the festive season.👏👏🎅🏿🎅🏿
Thank you!
Love the tone but a bit pricey but wonderful warm sound. Thanks Barry 😊
Sounds amazing!
loaded mine up with fluorocarbon strings and unwound g string all tuned half a step down for the perfect mellow tone that isn’t too muddy due to the small chambered design 👌
though i agree it is a bit overpriced at 1.5-2k. agreed on the matte finish being a bit disappointing. i think a semi-gloss would have been perfect.
Kala ukulele's have never appealed to me, and I can't tell you way, but when I first saw you holding this one my heart stoped. To me it's beautiful , and sounds even better. I love it, and once again my first thought was "this is going to be the first Kala I'm going to buy," BUT then the price. That hurt ! Thank you for the great review, take care, and stay well.
There’s the kicker! Kala don’t really do it for me either, but this is the best thing they’ve done. Sadly not at the right price for me though
Totally agree with your price assessment. £2k is way too expensive for a machine-made instrument
Yup
Disagree about the gloss and the fingerprints that would go with it. Lovely instrument. Thanks for another excellent review. RUclips always seems to insert a commercial when you say the word "price".
Fingerprints for sure - but bear in mind when Pete made the earlier versions of these they were gloss. And the wood looked STUNNING.
Re the ads - Google insert them regardless of whether I opt in or not - they place them randomly and sometimes (often) mid -sentence or during the playing parts. So I adjust them. It just seems a sensible mid place to put them (between review and playing). If I didn’t bother they could appear anywhere
Actually, my gloss-finished instruments quickly become fingerprint-finished instruments. If a passive pickup plays well without an EQ/preamp (I have a couple that do), I am all for it. Were it $700-900, I would consider it.
Thanks for another excellent review but the way!
My pleasure as ever!
I was fortunate enough to meet Pete and try one of these at GNUF earlier this year. I was blown away by the sound it produces! I'm not crazy about the looks, but it's so tactile and comfortable to hold. Pete told me he had designed it to fit a woman's body, and it certainly fit mine: I found it very hard to put down.
It is super comfortable to hold!
Wonder if Flight will take some inspiration? You could argue that it's a very, very posh, and way better sounding Enya-style uke. Merry Christmas Baz, thank you for the reviews and entertainment over the last year.
Thanks so much Jim!
Good review, as always, and I agree about the price. Ukulele magazine gave one away, and I submitted 63 entries. I didn't win. I knew nothing about the uke except that it was unique and somewhat revolutionary. I'm not sure what I expected for sound/tone, but it sounds great. After looking at it a bit (submitting an online entry for 63 consecutive days) and hearing your build quality comments, I've come to find the instrument attractive, if not a bit out of my price range.
Sorry to hear that
So glad to see a review on these. Purely subjective but I really do not like the looks of unfinished and stamped cut out. Wish that part was finished a little different. Lovely Uke overall.
My eye was drawn to it the minute I first saw it
Thanks for the review. Lovely Instrument. I do wonder how this compares with the Brogarde Boatpaddle from a few weeks ago. Both are unique instruments with wonderful sound. I would love both. Yet the latter is much cheaper, probably underpriced, and the latter seems overpriced. I would like a top grade ukulele someday but this seems a bit too expensive, especially considering what can be bought for half the price ( I cannot afford that either!).
I preferred the Brogärde
I like it, but agree with you on the price. Great review!
Thanks for watching!
What country is it made in?
USA
Gorgeous in looks and sound but yeah, that is a lot of money. If I ever buy a uke for that amount of money I think it will be a K-brand one.
For me it’s less about where it’s from - it’s what has gone into it. There’s a lot less work in this than a more regular Kerfed and inlaid instrument. I suspect the wood here is very expensive though to be fair.
I wish you could visit the factory and see what actually goes into the making of these. The simplicity of the design does not mean tjhat the work that has gone into it is less than a conventional instrument. I built into this design a huge amount of misdirection@@GotAUkulele
@@GotAUkulele Yeah, certainly the workmanship and material cost is more important than it being a K-brand but I've been indoctrinated with those brands so much since I got into ukes that I've been conditioned into craving a Kamaka, a Koaloha and a kanile'a. I don't think they are necessarily better just because they are from Hawaii or anything or because it's an old brand like Kamaka :)
one of the best sounding low G blends in the mix i've ever heard. i forgot it was a low G while you were playing through the demo songs
Yep - really nicely balanced
It’s like mashing up the Everley Brothers harmonising with a ukulele 👌
Kala are still keeping their prices high, then, but at least they give a bag this time.
Ha ha!
Not that I am knocking them for the quality of their ukes. They are good, but then so are some that are a little cheaper.
I know what you mean Eric
The wood look on it is stunning. It has a natural warmth and uniqueness to it. To apply a high gloss finish takes away the character of this ukulele.
Respectfully disagree - but each to their own. It is nice koa on the top - but I am absolutely sure a good gloss would make the flame in the wood pop and shimmer
Very different looking but I really like it. Looks very well built. It has a nice sound both picked and strummed. You pay for it but it is a very cool instrument… thanks BAZ….DOC
VERY cool
I have a Howlet Revelator in Koa, very nice and cheaper than the Kala (bought in 2020 I think)
I'd loved to have seen an original - think that explains my view on pricing too!
Wonderful sweet sound, good looks! I just wish the price was as compact as the uke... but then everything in the USA is overpriced.
Seems so. Bear in mind that Brogärde I reviewed - Sweden is not considered a cheap place at all - £600
The biggest problem with the price is that those Kala revelator or not much less pricier than the Pete Howlet were. So what will be the point of buying one from Kala when you can probably find a real Howlet for the same price on the used market ? Especially taking into consideration than the Kala one are likely to loose a lot of value, or even most of their value on the second hand market ?
Alex at Sus is saying that an Asian made line of Kala revelator is going to be unveiled soon. But I do not see why Kala even bother to release those American ones in the meantime which are, in my opinion, destined to fail at that price point. Maybe only for the sake of advertisement before releasing the far east made one ?
Well to be fair I should add that I thought that the American made Acoustasonic from Fender were likely to fail considering that for the same price you could buy a good acoustic guitar and a good electric but the market decided otherwise apparently and a lot of people bought the American one. Even if, in my opinion the cheaper Mexican made Acoustasonic make much more sense. Yet the difference between the Kala American revelator and the American Acoustasonic is that Fender has a really good distribution network so people were able to try the Acoustasonic. But who is going to buy a 2000 euros Kala revelator without being able to try it and understand what they bring to the table compared to a similarly priced traditional Hawaiian made ukulele ? Maybe the plan is for Kala to release the Asian made revelator distributed then everywhere and then hoping that the people who really take a liking in the revelator type of instruments then might fetch more money to get an American one ? 🤔.
There's no doubt that Pete has created an absolute rock n roll, sexy beast of a ukulele!... But that is also the problem! For me i would want to play that everyday, sink a few pints and strum along to hey jude on a saturday night. But would i want to wake up on sunday morning to find 2000 quid of uke covered in beer, pizza and whatever else?! The temptation to go full kurt cobain with it would be too great so i would have to pass at that price point. Id rather get a plastic enya for thrashing and for a bit sophistication, probably an anuenue (for half the price). Thanks for the review, really enjoyed it as always. 👏
Agreed!
As a very proud owner of one of the last Revelators made in Pete's workshop in November 2022 I have to disagree with you on the price. The quality and sound of this instrument is testament to the huge amount of skill and attention to detail that goes into the hand finishing and hand carving of this outstanding work of art. It is definitely not "Made By Robots!" and this comment really upset me and gave the wrong impression. Yes, the main body is produced on a CNC router, but that is just one small step in the complete process and no different to all other high end ukes, where machinery is used to cut out most blank parts before assembly. It's the many hours it takes to then skilfully assemble those parts and hand finish them that goes unseen and unconsidered by most. I still consider Revelators as "hand made" because I have been privileged to see them being built first hand as one of Pete's interns. I am not criticising your reviews as I am a huge fan of your channel and donate regularly and realise that your point of view is from a completely different perspective, but I do think you need to revisit this and correct a few errors. For example, the fingerboard is not edge-bound to hide the end of the frets. It is made of one solid piece. The frets are carefully trimmed and the slots cut on CNC in a pocket. This is actually more time consuming and costly as each fret has to be carefully measured and trimmed by hand, individually and accurately. So I hope you can appreciate that when something looks so sleek and simple by design, that it actually takes a lot more to achieve than meets the eye. An excellent analogy is a Formula 1 car and the eyewatering costs there!
Sounds great, looks great but still quite simple. Not revolutionary either - Bonanza have been making ukes like this (including frets slotted the exact same way!) for years.
I think people are missing the fact I gave this a VERY high score - it's a GREAT ukulele. Certainly didn't mean to suggest that CNC routing is in some way 'bad' though. Most top end builders use it for certain parts. I am just saying that there is clearly work in this instrument, but less work than other more trad builds of the same price.
No side bending, little bracing, no kerfing, no bindings, fairly limited inlay work, no gloss.
As I say it's quite a simple build designed to be re-created easily. I can still see where the craftsmanship is, but I believe even Pete H himself has admitted in the comments on this video that he didn't think the Kala price was right.
Oh - and the fret point IS corrected in written review - I was going off the specs SUS sent me
We all know that pricey instruments can sound good. From the musicians point of view the question is, who can make a 600$ instrument sound and look like a 2.000$ instrument. And not the other way around. Anyway, great review as always!
That’s a very good point!
The price threw me off but it is a cool uke.
Yeah - too expensive in my opinion
I thought you said 199 and I was wondering why you thought it was so expensive, seemed like an excellent price. rewound......ohhhhhh... THREE NINES
Ha ha!
Pixelator❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Pixelator is by Fanner. This is the Revelator by Kala
Better off getting a Bonanza ukulele from Minnesota millennium series he makes some really unique ukuleles and you can get a millennium for $699 and Bonanza has other ukuleles for $450 and so on
Quite different things, but I take your point
Great review, & a great instrument with a lovely sound. At 1500, it's (maybe) a deal but two grand?! For a small, simple, largely machine made instrument that's far too much.
Yeah, that would be about the price I would expect
Not a huge fan of the routed out slimline bodies. They always sound a little thin to me. Although this does have a lovely tone. Tastefully done. But I can get a quality luthier built ukulele, made in the USA, built to my specifications, for less money.
Indeed!
Too expensive for me but it is very beautiful instrument and sound like it
It is expensive - I got slated for saying that.. but it is.
@@GotAUkulele evrything beautiful is pricey, it is just us not being appreciated for ou work so we can aford less and less
Nice ukulele but far too expensive even if I had that budget 😂
And for me!
$3400 Canadian plus tax is closer to 4Gs for a factory build....nope! Custom made will get you better for the same $$ or less. It better have good sustain for that money.....however it does sound nice!
That price in lunacy. Maybe $1200 USD is acceptable. Nice uke overall though.
It is very nice looking and sounds good, but not $2000 worth good. You have recently reviewed some wonderful handmade instruments that are, in my opinion, much better purchases based on their quality. For this kind of money, there should be NO scruffiness at all. If I had all the money in the world and serious UAS, I might consider it. But I’m not in that category. Thanks for your great review!
My pleasure thank you!
that price is ridiculous, nice sound but its £1,999 what else would you expect. CNC made with some hand made details. Wow...
It’s a hefty price tag indeed
For maybe half the money.....yeah
Yep
Baz You are falling for the Marxist labour theory of value here. Value is what the market will pay, not cost of manufacture plus profit. (I imagine a large chunk of koa suitable for routing is not cheap) 1600-2000 these will only sell in limited numbers, that alone will increase costs as any cost is spread over lower numbers of units.
Can get a lot more uke for less money is my point.
@@bethmcmullan7686 Quite Beth - I’ve been reviewing for 15 years, and seen hundreds of ukes. I don’t call out ‘value for money’ blind. I get the market sets the price - but only to a point. Expectation of profit margin is a big part and that is clearly wildly different.
@@GotAUkulele Fair enough point, and as you say that there are plenty of options if this is your price bracket. The premise you from which you started to address VFM is that the body is CNC routed and my point was really directed to the fact that the value is not determined by the manufacturing process, but by whether the end product is marketed at a price a buyer will pay. The original Pete Howlett Revelator of late 2019 can still be found on SUS website. It coast just over 1000 inc VAT, but wasn't Koa, but Korina/Claro Walnut, which I fancy is considerably less expensive wood and without the inlay work. Given the inflation we have seen over the last two years I bet that would be 12-1400 today. We will see if the pricing is right if it sells quickly or if it is on SUS website at a discount in six months time.
@@bethmcmullan7686 Fair point and where my money would go. My point was that manufacturing process is not really relevant to the VFM calculation. Mind you I think a number of these luthiers are underpricing their products. It seems to me that Ken Timms gets it right by selling only through Ebay.
@@jensenhealey08 My review comment wasn’t just about the CNC point though. It’s as also about the minimal decor and lack of gloss. Pete’s later options were much more than 1,000 though. (Much more). Even if Pete’s were £2,0000 i’d get that (one man - working for a living of craftsmanship) - big building should bring savings.
Though aside from that - the most perfect ukulele I have seen for quite some time - with clearly MANY more man hours in it - came from that famously cheap place… Sweden…. www.gotaukulele.com/2023/11/brogarde-tenor-boatpaddle-ukulele-review.html…
Judging by comments on this video (not the final arbiter, granted) - the ‘buyer will pay’ bit is failing I’m afraid.
It’s a relatively simple uke (admittedly with some clever care and decent materials). Pete himself had said it was designed for easy production.
No, your not making too much of it Baz. The original, hand made by Pete himself, was a lot less. Way too pricey...
Thought they were about the same? (But even if that was the case - I’d expect that from a one man build!)
I really like the fact kala went all in on a really cool model but US dollar to lb. that's 2500 dollars and I'm sorry that wood set not worth$2500/what one company calls mastergrade another calls premium the price will keep a lot of people from ever owning one what a shame a $1000 less would more appropriate
Yep…!
While this is new, it isn’t revolutionary. I’d probably give $1300 to $1500 for it with a radiused fretboard. But $2 grand is too much money for this as it is. I’ll bet it cost all of $500 to build, if that. Happy holidays to you and yours!
I’ve been struggling with the price all week pending the review!
Honestly, the Revelator does nothing for me. A charmless “clunky” look, the “master grade koa” is actually kind of boring looking (I have 30 ukuleles, most are “4K,” and the “master grade” here likely wouldn’t even get out of the “Select” shelf at Kanile’a - maybe “Deluxe,” but nowhere near “Premium,” let alone “Master” grade), and frankly, the sound seems “deader” than pretty much ANY Kamaka, KoAloha, or Kanile’a in the $1,300 price scale (there really aren’t any Ko’olau ukes in the price point). If one were to choose this over a Kamaka HF-3, a KoAloha KTM-00, or a Kanile’a K-1T (all in the $1,300-$1,500 range), they’d be both crazy and, on top of that, will have simply “thrown away” $500-$700 for the $2,000 price tag of the Revelator. My guess is that there is almost no likelihood that the Revelator will hold a resale value anywhere close to its as new cost. Seems kind of an overall dud in the long run.
Fair enough!
2k$, nope.
Would exceed my wallet too.
I can't pay $2000 for a Kala. Just can't do it.
I don’t tend to care about brand badges - and this IS made in the USA, not China. I just don’t see where the cost is for what is a fairly simple instrument. Look at that Brogärde I reviewed - £600!!!
But….
It’s a LOVELY design and the sound is stellar!
@@GotAUkulele I'll admit it, I care about brand badges. Where I live (Hawaii), Kala is not respected.
@@faethe000 I’ve heard that too - fair point.
Maybe it was a Hawaiian CNC machine, programmed by a Hawaiian.
heh heh
When the most generic Ukulele manufacturer gets a kick of personality.
Indeed!
agree these are to expensive way to expensive .all models its like kala thinks they are luthiers building these by hand not so they could have sold many as opposed to a few but it is nice and looks cool but way over priced .but evryone has a choice .thanks for the review keep them coming
Thanks!
Thanks so much Mark!