Intonation was also good out of the box, with only the first string (A) just slightly high at the 12th fret. Talking of which, all the frets on our sample were level, with no sharp ends to provide nasty mid-lick surprises. The matt rosewood fretboard is just as rapid, yielding ample opportunity for dexterous players to fully explore its limits with fast runs right up to the 14th fret and beyond. The multi-piece neck has clearly been built to a budget but it's very comfortable in the hand, with the satin finish providing a fast surface for spirited playing.

Perhaps we're being overly picky at this price point, but in a perfect world these Chinese-made ukes would look as clean on the inside as they do on the outside. Construction is simple with, for example, no kerfed linings, but unfortunately it is easy to spot signs of glue and the odd splinter of wood. However, inside, the workmanship is less assured. There are no gaps, glue marks or imperfections to be found from headstock to button strap, it's all very neat and tidy. Its reddish brown and cream livery looks both smart and fun in equal measure.įrom the outside everything appears tickety-boo. Beyond the binding and tiny dot markers there's absolutely nothing else in the way of decoration but, frankly, it doesn't need it. The KA-C certainly looks the part with its natty cream binding and cool satin finish. It's four short strings of exuberant cheerfulness stretched across an adorable little body, the musical equivalent of an eight-week-old puppy. However, their cramped fretboards, a consequence of the short scale length and narrower nut, means that they're not so wonderful for fingerstyle.Īny genre of music is fair game for a ukulele, from disco standards to death metal, but it's reasonable to speculate that most players use these instruments to bring a little sunshine to a performance. They're wonderful for strumming and will really cut through any mix or uke ensemble. Arguably, the tiny soprano ukuleles sound the most authentic, with their trebly highs and comparative lack of bass. Ukuleles come in a few different shapes and sizes, the most common being – in order of ascending size – soprano, concert and tenor. Admittedly, about 2,500 miles of ocean separates Waikiki beach from Kala's Californian HQ but the brand does its very best to channel the spirit of Hawaii in its vast range of ukuleles.

There's an awful lot of rubbish out there.įortunately, among all the generic, no-name brands there are a few manufacturers with a good reputation for building playable ukes, Kala being one of them. Sadly, despite the abundance of bargain-basement ukes, unearthing a quality instrument that sounds good and stays in tune can be harder than finding a taxi in a rainstorm too. If you're on the lookout for a beginner ukulele you'll quickly discover that the sub-$/£100 market is more crowded than the Washington Monument on the 4th of July.

Concert ukelele