Got A Ukulele Reviews - Kala Revelator Night Owl Tenor

[@petehowlett3966]

Nice review. Kala have taken the original in a different direction to the model I sold them - great interpretation. It is easier to bind this model and Kala have my full bling design which I hope they will do one day.

[@GotAUkulele]

I think it's a terrific development of the original idea. Thanks Pete.

[@marj1585]

You were so right about the gloss -- I think that's the prettiest mango I have ever seen!

[@GotAUkulele]

Agreed - I think the gloss works SO well on these!

[@paul_mitchener_ukulele]

Thanks - I was looking forward to this review. And I’m now very tempted. A Revelator for the people!

[@GotAUkulele]

Der VolksRevelator...

[@WysteriaGuitar]

Wanted a revelator but they were out of my price range - this one may now fit the bill! Thanks for reviewing it!

[@GotAUkulele]

My pleasure!

[@mrswindsorlv]

I went on Kala’s website here in the US and they have this version of the Revelator Night Owl listed as “coming soon” and the price is $499 USD. I signed up on their site to be informed as to when they’ll be available. I want one! Thank you for the review. 😃

[@GotAUkulele]

Good choice!

[@richardsnow7299]

This is certainly on the wanted list. Love the looks and sound. Thanks Barry

[@GotAUkulele]

My pleasure!

[@stellathefella]

Thanks!

[@GotAUkulele]

Thanks Steve!

[@stellathefella]

@@GotAUkulele sorry it isn't more. i appreciate what you do. that is a good looking uke though

[@GotAUkulele]

@@stellathefella All donations are much appreciated Steve - all go towards more reviews!

[@mikek4708]

Great balanced review Baz, was waiting, like a lot of players, for this one. Kala have achieved great things of late for sure. I love the looks and sounds, for my playing level I could not justify The Revelator Nautilus, but the Night Owl is very appealing. Thanks for the run through and you have a great week.

[@GotAUkulele]

Thanks Mike - yep - this is the sensible option. Get's far closer to the USA model than it's price would suggest!

[@marknaze]

Thanks again for another great review. I’ve had a bad Kala experience that I need to get past. Maybe someday I’ll get past it. For now, I’ll enjoy your video. Thanks!

[@chuckvt5196]

I learned on a Kala way back when, and over the years they really lost their way. So happy to see them starting to innovate and improve the quality of their products! Great looking, great price and and it sounds great! Thanks, Baz!

[@GotAUkulele]

Totally agree - and plenty of new developments in the pipeline with Kala I believe!

[@sadie771]

Very nice looking uke - I really love the mango top and gloss finish! Not a fan of the shape and size of the sound hole but that’s personal preference. Nice to see an affordable uke with such a high rating.

[@GotAUkulele]

Glad you like it!

[@deniseforbes2332]

Thanks Barry. I’ve been waiting to see this Night Owl and compare to the Nautilus. Looks like a great value for the money. I almost bought a Revalator in the spring, but wanted to see this first before choosing. You have been super helpful in that endeavor. Likely to get the Revelator in baritone. This is a great looking and sounding ukulele.

[@GotAUkulele]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@SURFNRZ]

Excellent review Barry!!! I can’t wait to try one of these!

[@GotAUkulele]

You should Ray!

[@drpkmurphy]

I agree I love the looks of this one. I like the sound… very nice with good volume but yes I agree the sound is a little boxy. Thanks for another enjoyable review. Hope things are going well for you. …DOC

[@GotAUkulele]

Thanks Doc!

[@threeleafshamrock]

Sounds great and a bit bright for a tenner, to my ear. Looks really expensive, which makes the price seem like a bit of a bargain. Wide nutt, no broom handle neck... someone at Kala has traded their Ford Cortina for a DeLorean and heading back to the future. I love it! Thanks Baz, great review as per. Stay safe mate 👍🏼

[@GotAUkulele]

Ha ha! Thanks!

[@StevenDoyleLuke]

First Revelatory I really like!

[@JulieBrown-e9y]

Love the look-- better to me than the American version. Sounds really good too. Definitely a winner. Was wondering if you might consider reviewing one of TUS/Hawaiian Music Company new Oli models. From the sound samples on their site they look and sound great.

[@GotAUkulele]

Looks wise it wins for me! Would love to review and Oli, but it's a big job for HMS to ship one round the world to me. I can ask! Or (hint hint) if enough HMS customers asked them maybe they would!

[@Mandobird1]

Just ordered one, but will have to wait until February for stock to arrive. 😅

[@GotAUkulele]

Enjoy!

[@stoneyrunva]

Very nice uke. Would like to see a baritone version with a larger/thicker body, zero fret, matching mango laminate on the headstock, and a similar price point.

[@GotAUkulele]

Thicker body would lose the core heart of the project

[@stoneyrunva]

@@GotAUkulele Probably not enough of a market for it to be its own project.

[@GotAUkulele]

@@stoneyrunva I suspect not. And not sure how it would work. This skinny design took years for Pete Howlett to perfect - and as he says, it shouldn't work as well as it does. So suppose there'd be a risk that if you tinkered with it you'd lose what makes it tick. It's extremely comfortable as is - a bit like holding an electric guitar - but without the weight.

[@Marcin_Kaszubowski]

Really beautiful review Barry. Gloss on this one looks lovely. The difference in sound hole position and size is visible. So the American revelator you revied 10 month ago I think has richer sound, more sustainable, but as well it could be difference of strings used in Chinese and American version. I think worth brown were used on American and g string was more rounded? Anyway I went back to American version footage and I think sounded better, but hey there is a price difference and material, finish and so on. You know I have myself kala ka-15t tenor pacific walnut as I mentioned to you some time ago and it is entry level, well a nice entry level for 140£ bought in Southampton. So ka 15t has that feeling of entry cheap uke, but I love it. Maybe a nut side G to A string is too close, but it could be me and my playing experience. From my amateur point o view, this one sound very nice for the price. The body is pretty same as enya nova u pro etc

[@GotAUkulele]

How is it more sustainable? The US version does sound better than this. But it's also 4 times the price.

[@Marcin_Kaszubowski]

@@GotAUkulele the US version I mean sounds a lot better, but there is a price difference like I said. What do you think about kala KA-RES-COP-T-E Antique Copper Tenor Resonator Ukulele with EQ for $499 Did you revied this one already?

[@GotAUkulele]

Still not sure what the sustainable comment means? Sorry - not played that resonator.

[@Marcin_Kaszubowski]

@@GotAUkulele American version has longer sound flow, richer and brighter. Chinese has shorter and more compressed sound.

[@GotAUkulele]

@@Marcin_Kaszubowski Sorry - we were at cross purposes - Sustain as in tone vs Sustainable as in eco friendly

[@CornishCockney]

Other differences: the Night Owl nut width of 38mm as opposed to the US 36mm; the US version is all solid but I believe the Night Owl is laminate which may be why the sustain on the US model is even better. If the Night Owl came in lefty too it would fill a niche, sadly it doesn't so I've just put half my collection up for sale to pay for the US model. I do love that gloss and binding though.

[@GotAUkulele]

No - read the review - the Night Owl is NOT laminate. That was a mistake made by early dealers. I also don't think the sustain on the US version is that much greater.

[@CornishCockney]

@@GotAUkulele I have since read the written review and stand corrected about the wood used, my info was based on earlier posts. Perhaps the Night Owl sustain wasn't so well picked up by the mic as when you're there feeling it.

[@GotAUkulele]

Oh, it IS better on the USA model for sure - just not 'four times the price' better!

[@koi6006]

I love my Acacia one with Martin 620 strings. 😍

[@GotAUkulele]

Thought the Acacia models were delayed?

[@koi6006]

@@GotAUkulele spoke to you about mine before Baz. 😁

[@GotAUkulele]

@@koi6006 Oh yes, sorry!

[@mcstabba]

Sounds good, looks great and not a lot of money (well it is a sizeable sum of money but not for what it is!) I like the little owl fret marker as well, I like little touches like that. Yeah, very tempting..

[@GotAUkulele]

Totally agree!

[@13miette]

Nice review. Sounds good to me! I would have preferred no gloss, but purely a subjective thing as the finish seems well done. A baritone version of the revelator would be very interesting to me. I'll have to wait and see!

[@GotAUkulele]

If they end up being as popular as I think they should, I suspect a baritone is almost a certainty

[@hilltop1845]

I think if you are wanting the high end version of this you should probably get one within the next couple of years.. This version is close enough that I don't see the expensive version continuing very long. The high end, "uke that looks like a guitar" demographic, how many of those can there be?

[@GotAUkulele]

Does it look like a guitar?

[@hilltop1845]

@@GotAUkulele Does it look like a uke? If not for just having the 4 strings....time will tell. Great job as usual. Cheers.

[@user-dp4ev9ec8f]

Baz, I’m curious as to your opinion on the new L Luthier mango vs this mango night owl. I’m leaning more the L Luthier after hearing this review. This sounds higher pitched and twangy to me. Even compared to the Enya I have.

[@GotAUkulele]

Not had my hands on the new L Luthier instruments yet. Sorry. Personally think this sounds leagues above the Enya semi solid bodies.

[@ROCKINGMAN]

Always liked the Kala models. This is a nice one in all aspects. The passive pick up, I agree, is much better than a bulky battery, weighty one. Beautiful woods, with the gloss make it a real gem. Of course, the sound is good, why go for the US one when this competes very well? Nice review

[@GotAUkulele]

Good question - why indeed! Thanks!

[@joephillips4082]

Fantastic uke. Hey, maybe this is the real Revalator and the USA version is the prototype! This will be huge for Kala. I think I need one.

[@GotAUkulele]

Yep - it's great Joe!

[@Oliv3Cruz]

Playing this one must be a hoot! 😂 See what I did there? I’ll see myself out 🥲

[@tommorrisey3999]

Does the passive pickup sound okay plugged straight into the amp with no preamp? When Pete Mai made my Bonanza Homestead, I sent him a set of Aloha Twins and asked him to SuperGlue them to the soundboard, rather than using double-stick tape, and it sounds superb with no preamp. Also, are the braces glued on or milled in? Regrets if you said that; I missed it.

[@GotAUkulele]

Yes - a lot of misconceptions on this topic. A pre-amp is really only something you'll need if plugging into a desk for recording as that will be expecting a hotter signal. When you plug into an amp, the amp IS the pre-amp - just in a bigger box. No harm using a preamp with an amp of course, but not really necessary. This sounds very clean and a decent enough level for any amp to work with.

[@fbales]

I want one! Will there be a baritone version of the Night Owl? Thanks for the review.

[@GotAUkulele]

Not sure!

[@biolkasprowicz]

Hi, Barry, is it any louder than Flight Fireball? I'm considering to buy this instrument and I need some reference points. Thanks in advance for reply and for another great review!

[@GotAUkulele]

Don't have a Fireball here side by side to confirm absolutely, but the volume on this is good enough for me!

[@TaniaMancini-pt1db]

Thank you for this review, actually I was looking forward to it. I would really like to buy this ukulele, but in Italy it is not available. Do you know if there is a way that I could get it from here?

[@GotAUkulele]

The UK stores World of Ukes and Southern Ukulele Store both ship to Europe.

[@saulchapnick1566]

Ah, I noticed that winter finally approached Great Britain. Can you please provide a link to your previous review of the american model? Thank you

[@GotAUkulele]

Why?

[@saulchapnick1566]

@@GotAUkulele you are wearing a long sleeve shirt instead of a tee shirt. BTW, can you please provide the link to your previous review of the Amercan version of this Kala ukulele? Thank you.

[@GotAUkulele]

@@saulchapnick1566 Quite warm here today actually - I was just about to go out for dinner! USA model is here www.gotaukulele.com/2023/12/kala-nsl-koa-t-revelator-tenor.html

[@saulchapnick1566]

@@GotAUkulele thank you so much and always answering the comments listed on your page.

[@NorthStarVlogs]

With that in-depth review where's the link to the actual product?

[@GotAUkulele]

In the written review where they always are.

[@NorthStarVlogs]

​@@GotAUkuleleright.

[@JohannesHeld]

The Kala logo on the headstock looks like it's offset to the left.

[@GotAUkulele]

Nope

[@tomomalley2997]

So is the hack solid okume ??

[@GotAUkulele]

Yes - well three blocks of it - the central block is also connected to the neck - with two side wings - which are then routed out.

[@tomomalley2997]

@GotAUkulele thanks baz every dealer keep saying its laminate and it really puts me off sounds great. Great review as per usual.

[@GotAUkulele]

As I say in the written review, Alex at SUS did, but he issued a correction.

[@Zeb1432]

Cool..!!!**( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡° )** thank you..

[@GotAUkulele]

My pleasure!