Kala KA-S Ukulele

4.22/5 (17)

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If you’re looking for a cheap but good quality and reliable ukulele, this is one of the best. Kala have a great reputation (I have one of their Lacewood ukuleles – it’s marvelous) and musicguymic’s Kala KA-S starter packs come with everything a new uker needs: case, books, decent strings and, most important of all, a professional set-up.

On Video

Mike Upton of Kala Ukuleles demonstrates a KA-S.

On eBay



On eBay UK



On Amazon

Kala Mahogany Soprano Travel Ukulele – $149.00
Kala Mahogany Soprano Ukulele with binding – $59.00
Kala Mahogany Soprano Ukulele with no binding – $59.99

Specifications

Size: Soprano
Construction: Laminated mahogany top, back and sides.
Fretboard: 12 frets.
Tuners: Open, geared.
Finish: Satin

14 Comments

  1. Haley November 22nd, 2009 8:55 pm

    I have a Kala KA-C, and it’s simply marvelous. It’s my first and only uke thus far.

  2. Woodshed November 23rd, 2009 9:32 pm

    Haley: Excellent choice of first ukulele. Glad you like it.

  3. Katie May 11th, 2010 8:56 pm

    I have a Kala KA-SC and its really good! If I must make one negative point it has a low sustain, but otherwise, its amazing!

  4. k August 13th, 2010 3:58 pm

    hi I have a kala KA’S and i think this kind of ukulele is very nice (sorry for my english speaking i’m french)

  5. J.D. Brown August 29th, 2010 2:02 am

    I bought a Kala ka s and it’s intonation is horrible. But at $58 what should I expect? I should have got a makala or a one of those no name flea market ukes. I played both and the intonation was about the same as the ka s. Somebody has to say something about the musical quality of this instrument.

  6. Eiríkur September 11th, 2010 9:28 pm

    I have a Kala KA-15S (I’m not sure, but I think it might be identical to the KA-S but without the binding). 5 of my friends have ukuleles in and around the same price range, and none sounds as delicious as mine. I got it for $55 CAD (after taxes) and it was well worth it. The Aquila strings make a HUGE difference, as does the mahogany (compared to most entry-level plastic ukes). Perhaps you have a different set of strings in your KA-S video, the intonation seems noticably different…although I really can’t quite tell why. My uke is well balanced, full-sounding, and very resonant. Guitars at this level rarely sound this good. It’s a beautiful instrument.

  7. Macy December 17th, 2010 2:30 pm

    So I just bought this UKE from ken stanton and it sounds GREAT! I was torn between the KA-S and the Concert Makala. The Makala came with a bag and book and pitch pipe, but I felt it looked and sounded cheap. The KA-S sounded louder and fuller than the Makala and concerts are supposed to sound louder?

    All in all, this uke is amazing and I haven’t even begun to play with it fully. This is a great starter UKE, but if I may suggest when you decide to “move up” go for a Kala Mango tenor. AMAZING SOUND AND LOOK AND QUALITY! but it will run you a cool $250

  8. Elicia June 28th, 2011 5:24 am

    I just got my uke today and I’m in love with it. For about $60 American dollars I thought it to be a great price for a starter ukulele. I would recommend this to any one looking to start with an affordable yet relatively cheap instrument.

  9. Crystie June 19th, 2012 7:33 am

    I just bought my first ukulele on Maui yesterday and I’m back home today. I started playing piano since I was 4 and a little bit of guitar, so I have perfect pitch. This ukulele is a very good one with rich sound for $79, but I noticed that the D is sharp on the third string, second fret. I double checked with my electric tuner, making the C right in tune on the third open string, but D is sharp when pressing down on the second fret. The tuner reads it as a low E. Anyone has the same experience?

  10. UkeMan April 8th, 2013 12:11 pm

    I just got a KA-S and I LOVE IT! It is a great starter uke. It is my first ukelele

  11. Suzanne June 25th, 2013 4:45 pm

    I am charmed at this lovely little gem…a guitar player for years, I decided to get an inexpensive uke as a summer folly, but after only one week I am enchanted at the resonant full sound that the mahogany wood provides making this KA 15S an excellent quality affordable instrument. Ready to go anywhere, from my front porch to the beach and all points in between! Highly recommended for beginners, intermediate, to pro players who don’t want to worry about a fussy solid wood instrument that requires pampering…this uke is a beast made to take with you wherever you go! Enjoy yours, I know I love mine!

  12. dungbeetle March 5th, 2014 1:13 pm

    Bought the KA-S a while back from my local music shop for £75. Although it’s nicely made, after a few days I realised that the intonation was slightly out, so I took it to my local luthier in town to have it tuned.

    Although this is a budget instrument, it was well worth the extra £20 I spent to have it tuned. Fortunately, it’s made well enough to take the tuning well, and now it sounds just fine.

    It’s a pity they couldn’t have tuned it a little better at the factory, but I guess they can’t afford to lavish too much attention on their budget instruments.

    Overall, I feel that I now have a nice Uke for the money I’ve spent.

  13. John September 12th, 2015 8:53 pm

    im a student of the guitar ( for a year now ) and i was compelled to buy a uke to try out but without spending a lot ,so i chose the KA-S and i feel its really well made and a great choice for a beginner.It looks really nice with the white binding and sounds good as well.Im very happy with it.

  14. steve joss October 13th, 2015 11:54 am

    I am a veteran musician with an ear that is rare. I need about three seconds to know the key, chord prgression and possible lead progression for any song I hear. So while trying out some lesser expensive uke’s for my beginner daughter, I came accross the Kala ka-15s. The sound was sweet, sweeter than my anuenue pappa 2. I got it for her on the spot. Brass frets though? Really? There is always a cheap out. Still a great value! I gave the option of trying some other ukeule but she wants to keep it.

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