Ukulele
Kala KA-BMB-T
Price: 167 EUR – 167 EUR
Price history
Cheapest seen
Most expensive seen
Availability: 0/10 (Very rare)
The Kala KA-BMB-T is an all-solid-bamboo tenor ukulele - body, neck, fingerboard and headstock all built from the same material - prized for a bright, projecting tone and genuine durability as an eco-friendly alternative to tropical tonewoods.
About the Kala KA-BMB-T
Every structural part of the KA-BMB-T is solid bamboo - top, back, sides, neck and fingerboard alike - finished in satin and fitted with a slotted headstock, a GraphTech NuBone nut and saddle, and Aquila Super Nylgut strings. On a 16.875-inch scale with an overall length of 26.5 inches and 18 frets, the body measures 6.9375 inches across the upper bout, 9.25 inches at the lower bout, 5.8125 inches at the waist and 3 inches deep, with a fingerboard that widens from 1.375 inches at the nut to 1.75 inches where it meets the body. A closely related concert-size sibling has been reviewed in detail and shares flawless satin finishing, comfortable chamfered edges and carefully carved internal bracing with notched linings - construction quality that reviewers note outperforms pricier laminate-wood instruments.
Where to buy
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Reverb Bamboo Tenor Ukulele 167 EUR Best price View details
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Sound character of the Kala KA-BMB-T
Bamboo construction is credited with a bright, projecting tone carrying strong harmonics, volume and sustain - snappy and bouncy under strumming, though one reviewer notes fingerpicking can tip toward slightly too bright for some tastes.
What owners of the Kala KA-BMB-T say
Owner feedback on the tenor itself clusters at a perfect 5 out of 5 on Sweetwater, with reviewers specifically praising a bright, sweet tone that holds its own next to pricier solid-wood ukuleles. The detailed review of its concert sibling echoes that enthusiasm while being honest about minor shortcomings - a slightly chunky neck profile, plain looks and no included accessories - without any of it changing the bottom line: a remarkably good value instrument that earns its high score on construction and sound rather than on hype around the bamboo novelty.
Playability & handling of the Kala KA-BMB-T
A detailed review of the closely related concert-size version praises the flawless satin finish and meticulous internal construction, though it finds the neck profile slightly chunky and wishes for either a wider nut or a flatter shape - the rounded 35mm nut works fine for many hands but isn't ideal for everyone. Minor gripes on that model include a plain look with no body ornamentation beyond black hardware, generic tuners with a touch of play in them, and no included gig bag - worth keeping in mind since the tenor shares the same construction approach. None of that stopped the reviewer from calling it remarkably good value and giving it a high overall score, and Sweetwater customer reviews of the tenor itself land at a perfect 5 out of 5, with owners specifically noting it holds its own against pricier solid-wood ukuleles.
Recommended accessories & strings for the Kala KA-BMB-T
No case or gig bag ships with the closely related concert model, so budgeting for one separately is worth doing. The factory-fitted Aquila Super Nylgut strings are a genuinely good-quality default, and replacement sets from the same maker are the straightforward choice when the time comes.
Technical data for the Kala KA-BMB-T
| Top/back/sides | Solid bamboo |
|---|---|
| Neck/fingerboard | Bamboo |
| Finish | Satin |
| Nut/saddle | GraphTech NuBone |
| Strings | Aquila Super Nylgut |
| Headstock | Slotted |
| Scale | 16.875 in. |
| Overall length | 26.5 in., 18 frets |
| Body | Upper bout 6.9375 in., lower bout 9.25 in., waist 5.8125 in., depth 3 in. |
Price history for the Kala KA-BMB-T
Cheapest seen: 167 EUR · Most expensive seen: 167 EUR
Cheapest seen
Most expensive seen
The history of the Kala KA-BMB-T
The tenor bamboo model extends Kala's sustainability-focused all-bamboo line to players who prefer the larger tenor size and its fuller tone over the brighter, more compact concert and soprano bamboo ukuleles.
About Kala as a manufacturer
Kala was founded on July 4, 2005 by Mike Upton, who had spent the 1990s selling instruments for Hohner in Hawaii and noticed a stark gap in the ukulele market: expensive, well-made instruments on one end and cheap, barely playable ones on the other, with little in between. Kala set out to close that gap with affordable, genuinely well-toned ukuleles. In 2007, Upton partnered with bassist and designer Owen Holt, and together they brought the Kala U-Bass - the first short-scale bass built in a ukulele-sized body - to market in 2009, expanding the brand well beyond its original focus. Two decades later, Kala has grown into the world's best-selling ukulele brand, moving nearly 40,000 instruments a month across Asia, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The all-bamboo series reflects that same founding instinct toward accessibility, using a fast-growing, sustainable material as a genuine alternative to increasingly scarce tropical tonewoods rather than a marketing gimmick.
