Getting the bright, classic chirp of a small instrument while actually having enough room for your fingers to move can be a tricky ask, but the Kala KASCACSLNG Solid Cedar Top Gloss Acacia Long Neck Soprano Ukulele solves that puzzle quite nicely.
It is essentially a soprano body for that traditional punch, but paired with a longer neck that gives you the fret spacing and comfort usually found on a concert model. If you find standard sopranos a bit cramped for anything other than basic chords, this hybrid layout is going to be a breath of fresh air.
What usually makes or breaks a smaller instrument is the wood on top, and that is where the solid cedar on this model really pulls away from the usual entry-level stuff. It gives you a lush, mellow warmth that you simply aren't going to find with laminate or basic spruce.
Despite that softer tone, it has a surprising amount of natural volume, which is why it is so often recommended for the stage; it carries through a room without you having to really dig in. Since the 2021 update, the look has been tightened up too, with a high-gloss finish that makes the acacia grain pop against that dark rosewood binding.
Kala clearly looked beyond just the timber when they refreshed this series, specifically tackling the usual headache of keeping a soprano in tune. They have fitted this model with Graphtech Ratio black tuners, which use specific gear ratios for each string so they all respond with the same predictable feel.
Having more control when you are tuning up between songs makes a world of difference to how much you actually enjoy the gig. Between the fancy abalone rosette and the proper rosewood fingerboard, the whole thing feels like a proper, grown-up instrument. It is perfect for anyone who loves that classic soprano chime but wants something that feels a bit more refined and stays exactly where you set it.
- Long neck soprano design
- Solid cedar top
- Acacia back and sides
- High gloss finish
- Rosewood binding
- Graphtec Ratio black tuners
- Rosewood fingerboard and bridge
- Mahogany neck
- Fitted with high-quality Aquila Super Nylgut strings and Graph Tech NuBone nut