KalaKA-SSLNG Soprano Long Neck - Solid Spruce Top / Mahogany Ukulele, Natural, Soprano

The first Uke I ordered sounded wonderful, punchy, loud, lots of resonance. I love it. However, there are some pretty serious cosmetic issues.1. The gloss finish where it meets the fretboard has a 4-5” line where the piece was poorly masked before applying the finish.2. Where the fretboard meets the nut, there is a tiny gap like the fretboard end is beveled and not flush to the nut.3. There are some small knicks and chips on the top end of the body like Simone dropped it.I ordered a replacement and when comparing them, I the sound difference was like night and day. The replacement had a tinny sound, much more jangly and less punchy. The original just had a deeper and fuller sound. The replacement had some fret buzz as well.They sounded like very different instruments! The original being lovely and the latter sounding a bit cheap.I ultimately decided to keep the original and Amazon was nice enough to apply a modest credit for the cosmetic issues. I purchased this Uke with Amazon points and I wanted to play it, so hunting for a perfect one was not the priority. I should be able to repair the finish issue myself in time.Both Ukes stayed in tune very quickly out of the box, great tuners. Beautiful ukes.

Really sweet sound and great volume.

I purchased the Kala SSLNG soprano after playing a whole selection of Ukes at a local store even though I walked in without the intention of adding another soprano to my collection. I was actually testing out concert models to replace one that I will be presenting as gift to a family memberThe next thing I discovered, I couldn't put it down once I picked it up. Hands down one of the best sounding ukes I've personally played. And surprisingly, it is as loud as a concert, yet has a smooth well balanced tone with a unexpected push in the bass and mid-range. This is probably due to the curved back design on the instrument.Fresh from the factory the string action on this uke is great and does not require any additional adjustments. And although it looks sort of "plain Jane" because of the light solid spruce top and black binding, the aesthetic of the uke is the least important aspect of why I was compelled to own it. There is something about the balance of the tonality, volume, projection, fullness of the sound (without sounding boomy or boxy) that grabbed me instantly.Despite being a soprano, the long neck (super soprano) aspect makes it so much easier to play for those with larger hands. Yet it still fits comfortably into my standard padded soprano ukulele gig bag. A plus indeed! Addendum (June 18): it will fit the Roadrunner soprano gig bag--which I recommend--available from Guitar Center but not most other cases. I believe that the Kaces Kuks-3 soprano case from Amazon will fit as well.It's priced perfectly for an instrument that has a solid spruce top and quality construction and is a FANTASTIC deal compared to other more expensive models and brands out there.Tone: Warm and balanced yet sufficiently bright and crispVolume: Comparable to a Concert sizeProjection: ExcellentPlayability: Excellent. Great string actionConstruction: Excellent. Frets are smooth. Neck is straight. No blemishes or unevenness in the glossy finishLooks: Simple and understatedIntonation: Very Good! The notes a ever so slightly sharp as it's played up the net to the 12th fret. However, that happens to instruments I've played that are twice the price.I highly recommend the Kala SSLNG for all level enthusiasts because it's an incredible price for a ukulele of this quality.In my collection:- Oscar Schmidt OU6 Tenor- Lanikai LCQ CCA Concert Acoustic Electric Cutaway- Ohana SK-50WG Soprano- Makai LK-80W Soprano- Lanikai LU22-CGC Concert- 1950's Harmony Soprano- Rubin Zebrawood Acoustic Electric Soprano

I concur heartily with Leoyong's review. I also hadn't intended to get an ukulele when I went into the shop, but I the wall of them coaxed me to try some out. When I got to the Kala KA-SSLNG, it's tone jumped out above the rest. It has that "candy" sound that the very best ukulele's I've tried have. None of the other ukuleles in the shop had as good a tone, even those above $1K. The action is great, no buzzing. The intonation is pretty good, with the high string actually a bit flat at the octave (which is easily fixed with a ship). Intriguingly, the soprano had more bass punch that Kala's sister spruce-top Concert ukulele model. I thought, "this is the 'candy' tone I've wished I had in a ukulele---I've got to get it." And that was that. Well, almost---there was another item of the same model in the store, and I had to try it. There was some variation in tone. I kept the first one I tried.

This is hands down the prettiest uke in my stable. The attention to aesthetic detail is phenomenal. The action is very good. There was a bit of a buzz on the 2nd string and 3rd strings; the 3rd (C) still has a slight, almost unnoticeable one. The on the on the 2nd (E) string cleared up as the strings settled in.Aside from this, my experience is rather dismal. A few of the gears have some internal scraping, and after several months the strings are not holding their tuning very well from one day to the next. This is minor for casual playing but for long play or session playing it might become a bit of a nuisance.The bottom line for me comes down to two things: playability/comfort and sound quality. In this regard, this uke falls short. The 1st string (A) thuds with virtually no resonance, and the 2nd string (the E) is only slightly better.My Makala Dolphins, which cost over $100 less (about 2/3 less - $46 versus $149) are made by the same company (Makala is Kala's "entry level" line). I have a cache of Dolphins and I found that the playability and sound on all of them is superior to the Kala long neck. Given this, I would recommend that if you're only going to have one uke (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA - surely I jest!), or this is your first uke, start with the Dolphin.It's possible I got a lemon, or it requires professional setup (although I purchased this from a large reputable music store), so weigh all other reviews against this one. Make sure you ask the seller to guarantee proper setup.Bottom line - the one I received was long on promise, short on delivery.