Often a ukulele player’s first uke is a Kala, and there’s a good reason for that. The ukes produced by the company have great tone, are very reasonably priced, and as a general rule have excellent quality control. And the Kala KA-15S Satin Mahogany Soprano Ukulele is no exception to this trend.
The key selling point of this ukulele is that it’s going to give you a very traditional tone at a price that the vast majority of people can afford.
It also comes with geared tuners. Geared tuners, as opposed to the cheaper friction tuners found on lower-end ukes, do a great job of keeping an instrument in tune.
Key Features
Top: Mahogany
Body: Mahogany
Neck: Mahogany
Fretboard: Walnut – some retailers have Rosewood versions while stocks last
Frets: 12
Pros As you’d guess from the name, this uke is made from mahogany. Tonally, mahogany and koa (the traditional ukulele wood) are actually really similar. Because mahogany is generally more affordable than koa, many entry-level ukes choose to use it to cut costs. However, the tone between the two woods are similar enough that you’re not going to notice a huge difference between the two unless you’re actively looking for one.
Cons While there are plenty who are happy with the extras, there are some who rated it lower because of the freebies. There are some who caution that the free lessons are actually trial lessons and that you could eventually need to subscribe for more.
Overall All in all, this good value ukulele continues to be popular and highly rated for good reasons, and it is easy to recommend, especially for those who are not sure what type of wood they want on a ukulele.
Although this was previously on our recommended list, there are now more highly rated options available which you can see in our guide to The Best Soprano Ukuleles.
About the Author
Alexander Briones
I have been writing about and researching music gear for many years, all while serving as a music director at my local church. I engage in guitar playing and singer-songwriter stints, in addition to mentoring young musicians and teaching guitar and bass.