KalaKA-15S Mahogany Soprano Ukulele

Previously I wrote a review regarding the Makala Shark Bridge Soprano Ukulele. Unfortunately, with that particular uke, it arrived in very disappointing fashion. The workmanship [or lack thereof] and quality control issues forced us returning it, and spending an additional $10 for the Kala Mahogany Soprano Ukulele. Let me just say that the differences between these two Ukuleles is truly like night and day……for those of you who DIDN'T read my previous review, I will say that I've been a guitarist for over 25 years. I have a lot of experience in the construction, setup, and playing of acoustic and electric stringed instruments. Specifically I am a rock and metal player, but cull experience from nearly every genre of music. My wife and I were searching for an inexpensive beginner's ukulele for a 5 year old girl to use for her first foray into music. Upon ordering the ukes, we had them delivered to us so that I could go over them, make sure that they were properly constructed and setup prior to sending to her. Being that I have given MANY lessons in my day, and have encountered many different instruments, I know that THE most common reason that a student gives up on a stringed instrument is if it is poorly set-up [i.e., physically hard to play]. NO stringed instrument should require a Herculean amount of strength.The Kala Ukulele arrived very well packed…by both Amazon and from the company. Upon taking the ukulele out of it's second inner most packing box, I could immediately see that it was in fact made of mahogany [intentional mislabeling of construction wood is an unfortunate part of inexpensive guitars and stringed instruments]. Not only is this actual mahogany, but it is a very excellent example of mahogany. The wood is a deep shade of brown with a dark black grain running throughout. The pores of the wood [a tale tale sign of true mahogany] are very visible and clearly indicate that this is an excellent example of mahogany.The fretwork is EXEMPLARY. I've seen $400-$500 guitars have fretwork not as good as this. The brass frets are all properly seated and well finished. For anyone familiar with guitars and stringed instruments, fret ends [the point at which your hand makes contact up and down the neck] can be a very troubling point of contact with inexpensive instruments. However, these frets have been manicured to a level that there is no sensation whatsoever.Another point of emphasis: the nut. The nut, in my estimation is one of THE most important parts of any stringed instrument. A nut should be properly cut as to allow the strings to move without binding [binding creates issues with tuning and intonation] and the nut slots should be cut as so to allow the strings a downward trajectory into the tuning machines [maximizing resonance and projection of the instrument]. Again, this instrument is exemplary as it relates to the nut. The nut is a plastic "bone facsimile" and it is properly cut with an attention to detail I could never have expected at this price point.Tuning CAN be a bit tedious with this uke…the tuners are VERY pedestrian, but at $53 [most tuning machine sets cost more than this ukulele did] one shouldn't expect them to be more than utilitarian. Please be prepared for the tuning machines to slip a bit when tuning…it's very easy to get impatient, but if you take your time it will get to pitch. Once you've tuned the ukulele, as with any stringed instrument, it will be important to stretch the strings and then retune at least two additional times before optimal tuning stability will be achieved.Upon tuning the ukulele, and strumming some chords, I quickly realized what a gem this truly is. The uke is dynamic, resonant, and truly is the sum of all the aforementioned parts. Single notes sing out and have great harmonic content. Chords ring and project very well. I have played every note on the fingerboard and none of them are dead or have any intonation issues whatsoever.To put this in perspective, I just bought myself a guitar three weeks ago. It cost me $2,500. It is the epitome of modern guitar construction and is arguably the greatest stringed instrument I've ever played. But this $53 Kala Uke has a home, in my home, right next to that guitar. I'm not comparing the two; I'm simply saying that the playability is such that I WILL be buying myself one once this goes to our granddaughter. The "dollars per smile" ratio on this thing is incomprehensible. I can not say enough about this Ukulele and if you're in the market for a Uke PLEASE do yourself a favor and buy one. You will NOT be disappointed, nor will you regret it for one single solitary minute.

I bought the Official Kala Learn to Play Ukulele Concert Starter Kit as a gift for my son who loves music. He was thrilled with it and started playing right away. The kit comes with everything you need to start learning the ukulele, including a high-quality mahogany concert ukulele with Aquila strings, quality open gear tuners, and saddle. It also includes a free online lessons, a tuner app, a booklet, and a tote bag. The ukulele sounds great and is easy to tune and play. The online lessons are very helpful and fun. The booklet has some basic information and tips on how to play the ukulele. The tote bag is convenient for carrying the ukulele around. I think this is a great starter kit for anyone who wants to learn the ukulele. It is well worth the price and I highly recommend it.

I chose this as of my birthday gifts.I was worried that I'd get a starter ukelele and outgrow it right away as I have done with guitars (bass and acoustic) in the past. However, this instrument sounds very good for the price. I'm enjoying it so much that I've probably practiced about 15 hours already--and I've only had it 4 days!The design is burnt into the wood, which actually feels like laminate (though I don't know for sure.) It's obviously well-made for the price. Don't let the design put you off, it still sounds sweet.Even though the ukelele craze has long passed, I chose the ukelele because I have small hands and sensitive fingers and find guitar painful. I wanted a portable, fun instrument, that was easy to learn the basics on--and this fits the bill. I like to sing and this will easily accompany me. I don't expect to be a virtuoso, but rather want to play for fun and enjoyment. I do have a sensitive ear as I was trained musically and can't stand listening to an out of tune or poor-quality instrument. The Kala KA does not sound tinny, twangy or cheap.The strings go out of tune constantly, I was told by a ukelele player takes a few weeks before they break in. My only concern is that the G string goes out every 5 minutes, the others after an hour or so of playing.Before I chose this, I read a ton of reviews not just on Amazon, but on music store sites and online mags. It's pretty much a universal--this is the best uke you can get for around 50 dollars.