Kala Mahogany Soprano Ukulele
$49.99
$99.99
50% off
Reference Price
Condition: Open Box
Model: KA-15S Mahogany
Top positive review
77 people found this helpful
Much better than those toy ukuleles found at souvenir shops.
By Ram9 on Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2018
I gotta admit, I never imagined myself playing a ukulele before. A while back we were doing a campfire on the beach and a friend started playing a ukulele. It sounded pretty good and was much easier to carry around than a full size guitar. After doing a little more research I came upon the Kala ka15s ukulele and placed an order for the bundle. This is NOT your little toy ukulele that those cheap souvenir shops sell. This one feels like a real instrument and not a toy. The look, feel, and finish of this uke is really nice and good quality. Im glad I didnt choose those no-brand ukuleles. Shipping was sooner than expected, so thats nice. As noted by others, the strings take a couple days of playing to break in. All guitars do this, specially with nylon strings. I broke mine in in about 2 days of average playing. Once fully stretched, they hold tune very well. The tuners are pretty good. Ive had better and worse out of guitars so I cant complain there. The bundle I chose came with a polish cloth, instructional CD, tuner, and hard case. I havent used the CD as nowadays you can find almost anything on youtube. Having said that, Im glad there is a pretty big following to these instruments so, you can always find what you need online. Im not sure exactly why it came with the polish cloth. I guess its nice to dust off the instrument with, but since its in a case most of the time, it hardly gets dusty. I ended up using the cloth for my laptop instead. Still a nice gesture, cant complain about that. It would just be nice to skip the cloth and CD and save a few extra bucks. The tuner had me really surprised. I was expecting a really low quality tuner that hardly worked. But after testing it with my snark st-2 and my iphone app, I was really surprised at how accurate it is. It takes the same flat round battery as the snark, and I guess ill find out how long it lasts. You can turn it on and off by pressing the button and holding it for a few seconds. It will also turn off by itself when not in use for a while which is a really nice feature to save the battery. As for the size, I was expecting something really huge and heavy, but its actually almost the same size as the snark. I guess it just seemed larger on the pictures. I strongly suggest you spend the extra $10 and get the hard case instead of the soft bag. It makes a world of difference. Unlike most hard cases, this particular one has a cloth like exterior, but the inside is just like any hard case should be. Its a very soft material and has a storage compartment inside. I can fit a capo, tuner, and the case strap inside with extra room for a few more small things. Of course, it probably wont protect the ukulele if you fall on top of the case, but It can definitely protect it from drops or other objects hitting it. Overall, I strongly recommend this ukulele bundle for anyone wanting to practice playing it or wanting to try it out.
Top critical review
Uke is good, but accessories are lacking
By Amazon Customer on Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2025
Uke tuned up well. Lousy, cheaply made strap with no instructions for installation. There is no "free" tutorial/app from Kala. They required my credit card to use the "free app"and charged my card $7.95 immediately.
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Much better than those toy ukuleles found at souvenir shops.
By Ram9 - Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2018
Verified Amazon Purchase
I gotta admit, I never imagined myself playing a ukulele before. A while back we were doing a campfire on the beach and a friend started playing a ukulele. It sounded pretty good and was much easier to carry around than a full size guitar. After doing a little more research I came upon the Kala ka15s ukulele and placed an order for the bundle. This is NOT your little toy ukulele that those cheap souvenir shops sell. This one feels like a real instrument and not a toy. The look, feel, and finish of this uke is really nice and good quality. Im glad I didnt choose those no-brand ukuleles. Shipping was sooner than expected, so thats nice. As noted by others, the strings take a couple days of playing to break in. All guitars do this, specially with nylon strings. I broke mine in in about 2 days of average playing. Once fully stretched, they hold tune very well. The tuners are pretty good. Ive had better and worse out of guitars so I cant complain there. The bundle I chose came with a polish cloth, instructional CD, tuner, and hard case. I havent used the CD as nowadays you can find almost anything on youtube. Having said that, Im glad there is a pretty big following to these instruments so, you can always find what you need online. Im not sure exactly why it came with the polish cloth. I guess its nice to dust off the instrument with, but since its in a case most of the time, it hardly gets dusty. I ended up using the cloth for my laptop instead. Still a nice gesture, cant complain about that. It would just be nice to skip the cloth and CD and save a few extra bucks. The tuner had me really surprised. I was expecting a really low quality tuner that hardly worked. But after testing it with my snark st-2 and my iphone app, I was really surprised at how accurate it is. It takes the same flat round battery as the snark, and I guess ill find out how long it lasts. You can turn it on and off by pressing the button and holding it for a few seconds. It will also turn off by itself when not in use for a while which is a really nice feature to save the battery. As for the size, I was expecting something really huge and heavy, but its actually almost the same size as the snark. I guess it just seemed larger on the pictures. I strongly suggest you spend the extra $10 and get the hard case instead of the soft bag. It makes a world of difference. Unlike most hard cases, this particular one has a cloth like exterior, but the inside is just like any hard case should be. Its a very soft material and has a storage compartment inside. I can fit a capo, tuner, and the case strap inside with extra room for a few more small things. Of course, it probably wont protect the ukulele if you fall on top of the case, but It can definitely protect it from drops or other objects hitting it. Overall, I strongly recommend this ukulele bundle for anyone wanting to practice playing it or wanting to try it out.
Perfect starter uke with incredible intonation!
By Amazon Customer - Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2018
Verified Amazon Purchase
The short review: If you're looking for a great-sounding, great-playing ukulele, get this one right now. The intonation could not be better and I am in love with it. The long review: I did a lot of research before buying this ukulele. (I should perhaps say that while I have experience with string instruments, this is my first ukulele.) I knew going in that it was a gamble to order online. However, as soon as I held this in my hands, I was so impressed. Sharp fret edges? NOPE! Buzzing when strumming? NOPE! Once I got the strings tuned (the included tuner is awesome, btw), they held their tune so much better than I anticipated. I've had the instrument for almost a month and I've tuned the C string exactly twice. And I've played the uke every day, checked the strings every day. Coming from a violin background I fully expected to have to tune every time, but no. Mainly the bottom strings (E and A) needed a tiny bit of tuning each time, but now they all hold their tune. Can't say enough good things about the intonation. The tone of the instrument, too, is really wonderful. I suppose it probably sounds like a typical concert. But I don't think you'll be disappointed in the sound. It feels open and bright without being loud, and I wouldn't call it mellow or twangy (like a soprano); it really sits somewhere in the middle. As far as the action goes, it feels good to me. I play guitar, but I'm not an expert so I don't really know the difference in how action feels. But it is easy to press the strings down and, like I said, no buzzing. This isn't really a complaint, just a comment. The uke I received looks like the picture on the Amazon listing. It doesn't look like the other pictures people posted. My uke is very, very dark red-brown, only really showing red in the sun. The fretboard and bridge are very light and I think the contrast looks great. Anyway, if you would prefer the more traditional dark fretboard/light body, then this might not be the instrument for you. This uke does have side fret markers. It sits very comfortably in my arms although I'm still learning how to hold it. It does feel a bit top-heavy, as in the neck is heavier than the body. The included soft case isn't really worth discussion. It's basically a dust cover. I bought a better bag on Amazon. But the other accessories, especially the tuner and cleaning cloth, are great. I guess the only way to end this review is to say, what are you waiting for??
beautiful sound and body!
By Amazon Customer - Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2017
Verified Amazon Purchase
After falling in love with the noise this tenor ukulele makes, I could never play a soprano. I love the deeper sound and the dark wood, the white tuning knobs are perfect accents, every part of it is well made, and the sound is professional. The Aquila strings are wonderful: for the first few days out of the box, the strings are prone to falling out of tune, but the more it is played and broken in, the more it stays in tune. The neck and frets are so smooth and easy to play on, I just love this instrument. The clip-on tuner it comes with is excellent, you have to toggle over to the ukulele setting, but it's easy to use and accurate. (Your strings should be G-C-E-A from top to bottom). The hard case is hard, but not in the classic sense I was expecting, you can't put stickers on the case because it has an outer fabric layer. Maybe I'll sew a patch onto it. It's still a hard case and is great protection. I couldn't get the DVD to play (this was my own technical difficulty and nothing was faulty about the DVD itself), but I looked the Austin Bazaar guy up on YouTube. He's not my favorite ukulele instructor, and if you're looking for fun, helpful, easy ukulele tutorials, I recommend "The Ukulele Teacher" and "anthemofadam", both on YouTube. As a beginner, I've learned so much from both of these sources. I can't find enough good things to say about this ukulele, it's high-quality Kala craftsmanship.
Nice starter setup
By Sara-s - Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2024
Verified Amazon Purchase
First, the uke itself; It is a solid mahogany soprano ukulele. Soprano is the smallest size, usually the easiest for beginners like me. It is made by Kala, a well-known brand. I find it rather handsome to look at and not unduly hard to tune. Its sound is bright & cheery. It comes with a little electronic tuner, which is very helpful. It’s not hard to use, but the instructions could be clearer. Set the mode until you see a “U” in the screen. That’s “U” for Ukulele. The other letters/ modes are for other instruments. Play the note & look at the screen. The arrow above the note tells you if it is sharp, flat or just right (that will show in green). It works on a little button battery -CR2032- which is included. *One thing to be aware of- with any new ukulele, you will have to tune it frequently, for the first couple of weeks of use, until the strings fully stretch. The case- I ordered the bundle with the hard case. It feels sturdy, while not feeling unduly heavy. It also has a little compartment inside, for small notions, such as the tuner & maybe some picks. In addition, there is a zip pocket on the outside of the case. The strap- I don’t love the strap with the little hook, but that is preference. If you don’t like that, there are loads of straps available and they don’t cost a lot. Finally, the DVD- here I had a little trouble with the vendor. The DVD should have been included, but was missing. After a couple of emails back & forth, I did get it. It’s kind of basic, but gives a beginner a good start & some exercises worth re-watching & repeating. Despite an issue or 2, I love the uke and am glad I bought it.
Big improvement over her toy ukulele
By James Durbin - Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2024
Verified Amazon Purchase
My oldest granddaughter has been fooling around with a little plastic toy ukulele for a couple of years. She is a well trained musician and makes some very nice music on her toy uke. She tried my KA-15C and decided that she needed a real uke. This will be a Christmas gift next month. The package deal works out just perfectly, and when I found that it came from Austin Bazaar I felt comfortable ordering it. It arrived last week in pristine condition. I have had it out of the case for several days getting the strings stretched so that when she gets it she won't have to go through the process. Another granddaughter has a DA-15S. I can't wait for all three of us to get together and learn some songs together.
Great Quality Low End Uke
By Heirloom - Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2016
Verified Amazon Purchase
I only got this bundle because it was cheaper than buying the uke and case separately. I learned uke on my own before buying this, so I will not be reviewing the instructional DVD. I will focus my review specifically on the uke itself as the tuner and case both seem to be of good quality, and the uke is the main point of this whole thing anyway. The uke has a nice moderately warm low end with slightly bright treble. The main problems I've noticed in other low end ukes are 1) the low end can be almost nonexistent 2) the machine heads (tuning pegs) and 3) the build quality is usually really poor and feels like it won't last more than a few years. This uke has none of those problems. 1) It has great tone from the low to the high ends. 2) The machine heads keep the strings in tune pretty well, though they're no Grovers (which can easily cost as much as this entire instrument). 3) The build quality seems good and unless I get rich this is the one I expect I'll have for years to come. Two points of very modest criticism: - The intonation is *slightly* off. My tuner (not the one that comes with this bundle) showed the 12th fret to be off by a few Hz, but it's not terribly noticeable to the ear. This may be fixable if you have a luthier adjust the saddle, but that would probably cost just as much as the uke itself, so don't do that. - As seems to be standard on many ukes, it has no strap button. This is easily remedied, however. Strap buttons are cheap and easy to install. This almost isn't a criticism though, as soprano ukes are lightweight enough that it's usually easy to hold them while playing at the same time, and if you're sitting there's no problem whatsoever. Lastly, when buying a ukulele or any stringed instrument, please ignore the strings it comes with. When I bought this uke a lot of people seemed to be fixated on the Aquila strings. And, while they're great strings that will make a world of difference and you should definitely get them if you don't have them (or a different preference), that's the absolute easiest thing to replace on any instrument and you're going to have to eventually anyway even if it just sits in your closet as another forgotten hobby. As someone who's been playing stringed instruments for ten years or more I couldn't care less about what strings an instrument comes with and neither should you.
Excellent uke!
By Elliot A - Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2016
Verified Amazon Purchase
I've had this ukulele for nearly half a year now, and it's held up fabulously! I've bumped it against a hard item here and there, and it doesn't show even a bit of wear. The strings are good, and I was able to play out of the box once tuned, though I did have to re-tune it a bit frequently at first. After a month or two of regular use, the strings settled in better, and now I don't have to tune it nearly as often. The wood and finish are lovely; this is definitely not a cheapo uke, and the dark color and detailing make it obvious to any observer. All the extra goodies in this are awesome! At first, I felt like I wouldn't need the bag very much but I was very wrong. It's so convenient for when I take it places, and also acts as a cover for when I don't have time to play it much. The tuner that comes with it has been my best friend from the beginning, and it extremely easy to use. It even has settings for other stringed instruments! (Cello, guitar, banjo, and violin if I remember correctly.) I tend to clip it to the small carrying handle on the side of the bag, since I use the long strap to carry it across my back, and it clamps well enough that I've never been too concerned about losing it as long as I'm careful not to snag it on anything while out and about. I bought BoloPick Felt Pick for Ukulele 6 Pack Multi Color with this, and they work well together. The picks fit perfectly in the front zipper pocket of the bag.
Very pleased with this gorgeous set!
By Pops - Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2024
Verified Amazon Purchase
Total beginner, here. Never touched a ukulele in my life. I was able to figure out the tuner, and get to some lessons on strumming! There are plenty on ytube, but I dig that Kala app is available for teaching, also. I am impressed, and excited to get learning even more! I have yet to watch the dvd. This uke has a beautiful color and sound. I was afraid to strum too hard, and am getting the hang of it in just under an hour. The only thing with the hard case is the two zipper system. Zipping closed clockwise direction, the zipper gets stuck and zipper splits opens a couple inches right at the handle. However, zipping counter clockwise from the neck to body, it is a smooth close, so I will just zip open clockwise (right to left) and zip closed, counter (left to right)! I will update, if necessary, but it all seems to be a fabulous beginner set for me :-)
Uke is good, but accessories are lacking
By Amazon Customer - Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2025
Verified Amazon Purchase
Uke tuned up well. Lousy, cheaply made strap with no instructions for installation. There is no "free" tutorial/app from Kala. They required my credit card to use the "free app"and charged my card $7.95 immediately.
Ukulele was well-protected for shipping
By Elaina - Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2025
Verified Amazon Purchase
Product came in a timely fashion, was well-packed and I liked the fact that the strings were not tightly tuned on the Uke. There was no pressure on them until I tuned the instrument.
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