buying my first uke - kala KA-S or makala MK-S, which do you recommend?

which do you recommend?

How much are you looking to spend? Makala is the lower priced uke made by Kala. Kala is the better uke however, if you only want an entry level "student uke" uke, then look at the Makala. I got a Makala Concert from MGM (Musicguymic on ebay) he set it up, put on aquila strings and for $50, you can't beat it!

The Kala KA-S is a laminate uke.

If you are trying to keep your costs down then you might also want to look at the Makala "Dolphin" series. They are surprisingly good for the price!

bought a kala ka-s a couple months ago (my first uke)
for the price - it was well worth it

seems well made (for an affordable / entry level uke) - unlike some of the ukes i researched prior to choosing the kala

good luck

hi Chelsea

Our local music shop has started stocking Kala ukes lately, and, for the price, I reckon the KA-S sounds great!

happy shopping mate!

My first uke was a Kala KA-S that I got from MGM. For the price it sounds really good and the construction is
top notch for what you pay . I highly recommend it.

chelsearoffles said:

which do you recommend?

Click to expand...

I should elaborate on my first post (posting when tired isn't the best time).

I would recommend the Makala Dolphin instead of the Makala MK-S. I would recommend getting any uke in this price range from MGM (Music Guy Mic). The ones I've played that were purchased from him sounded very good.

The Kala KA-S is a good uke for the money. It is a laminate uke though and not a solid body. I share this more so you are aware of what you are buying. A laminate uke isn't a bad uke. It will handle humidity changes better than a solid wood uke, will still sound nice, and will be durable for travel, camping, etc.

The Makala Dolphin ukes are also good, and are less expensive than the Kala KA-S. The Dolphin has a plastic body and a laminate wood top. These are surprisingly good ukes for the money! It will be durable, etc.

I've played both a Kala KA-S and a Makala Dolphin side by side. I have not played a Makala MK-S.

To be honest I didn't notice a huge difference between the KA-S and the Dolphin, but to myself and several others the Dolphin sounded a tad more bright and lively. So I would have to give a very very slight advantage to the Dolphin in terms of sound. The intonation was about the same on each. They felt the same in terms of playing (the necks feel the same, etc).

I see the choice as one of price and looks. Both will play similarly and sound just about the same. But you really can't go wrong with a Makala Dolphin.

I like the Makala Dolphin as a first uke also. It is a cheerful instrument (comes in many colors, sounds good, plays well) that will always have a place in your collection as a run-around-town, picnic, leave-out-so-it's-handy-to-play without worries about expensive accidents, loaner uke. Some of the entry level offerings for ukes leave me flat. It is because I am one of those people who need to have the instrument look more exciting... with at the very least, a gloss finish and a little woodgrain interest. I know a lot of people prefer the low-key, humble looking matte, brown ukulele. If you aren't in love with the Dolphin bridge, consider the Kala Kiwi/ Watermelon/ Pineapple for around $80-90, just as much fun as the Dolphin, but with a sturdier gig bag included.
–Lori

I pretty much agree with what's been said, but will add my take on these. The Dolphins are hard to beat for durability and as an all around great little uke, we have 2, 1 in the older laminate wood body and 1 with the newer plactic body. Both play well but I would say the plastic body is a bit brighter sounding. Between the KA and the MK series ukes I think the MK have a better sound (and have heard that from many other players as well), but the KA's are probably a bit more durable with their bindings and just seem a bit heavier built. I haven't personally tried the soprano versions of each but have played the concert's and tenor's. I really don't think you can go wrong with any of them, especially if you can get it from MGM or another dealer who sets them up properly, the set up seems to be quite important with these lower priced ukes. I hope this helps.

I have a Dolphin and a Kala-S. My dolphin gets most of the play just because it is always out and laying around. You can't go wrong with either, personally i think you'll end up buying a whole family of them just like the rest of us. enjoy!

I've got a Makala MK-T, it's a great Ukulele for the money. If the MK-S is anything like the MK-T, I'd recommend it. However, the Kala will always be better than the Makala, that's why there's a difference in price.