Some have touted the Cordoba 15CM concert ukulele as one of the best entry-level ukes. Let’s find out if this claim is true with our review.
Written by Jay Searle / Published January 1, 2024
Last updated: April 10, 2024
Cordoba 15CM concert ukulele is a trendy instrument; as such, it’s earned quite a few nicknames. Some call it one of the best-sounding entry-level ukes, while others praise its volume, which is quite something considering it’s a laminate ukulele.
Is it a good beginner-friendly ukulele? The shortest answer would be a plain, loud “yes”. As ukulele experts, we’re here to dive deep into what makes this Cordoba concert ukulele so great for first-time players and musicians switching to uke from other instruments.
Cordoba 15CM Concert Ukulele – REVIEW Summary
A great beginner ukulele that won’t break the bank. Whilst not the best out there, it is a fantastic starting uke.
Cordoba 15CM Concert Ukulele Review
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty details, we should emphasize that the following criteria are primarily based on the industry’s average in the field of Concert ukuleles.
We’ll point out the basics and everything that stands out, as well as why these specifics should matter to beginner ukulele players.
Specs
Cordoba 15CM Concert ukulele is an all-mahogany instrument with a laminate construction, although Cordoba dubs it a “layered” uke. Similar to other Cordoba uke sizes from this series, the 15CM has a beautiful cream tail strip and an abalone rosette stretching around its soundhole.
Both its saddle and nut are made of composite wood. The durability of this material is comparable to the all-popular NuTech, but wear and tear marks are likely to show up quicker, regardless of how well you’re taking care of this ukulele.
As for the hardware, Cordoba retailers typically pre-string this ukulele with Aquila Nylgut strings and standard non-descript pearloid machine heads, which function well but aren’t exactly attractive to some people.
We gave it a perfect 5/5 score because it meets the standard and looks gorgeous at the same time, even though its specs don’t necessarily provide any added utility to beginner players.
Playability
The 15CM Concert uke’s overall length is 24 inches while its scale length sits at 14.5 inches, which is just slightly longer compared to an average concert uke. This means that string tension is just slightly increased, which you probably won’t even notice when you’re playing for fun or testing the uke. This increase in scale length will only show its downsides if you raise the action too high or if you’re playing for hours without pause.
The neck of this ukulele has the thickness of a tenor uke (17-20mm). This is potentially great for first-time players since they’ll get to experience both single-note and chord-playing techniques in a more balanced, comfortable setting.
Another distinct playability-oriented feature of Cordoba 15CM is the width of its frets. They’re marginally taller and wider than average with a height of 0.7mm and a width of 1.8mm.
Fretting certain chords is much easier due to the extra fret width, but more complex ones like D# suspended and especially “stairwell” chords like Ebm9 could become a challenge to play.
Even though you’ll probably upgrade to a better uke once you start learning advanced chords, we had to remove one point because you should be able to efficiently play every chord in the book with a quality uke.
Tone
The “CM” in Cordoba 15CM most likely stands for “Concert Mahogany”. This ukulele has a very warm tone with a strong character and marginally weaker sustain relative to other “common” tonewoods.
One would think its volume isn’t exemplary since neither mahogany nor laminate ukuleles are famous for being loud, but that would be a wrong assumption. The 15CM Concert has strong sound projection due to robust top bindings and is an excellent ukulele for band practices and rehearsals.
The Pau Ferro fretboard evens its position on the sonic spectrum with added “brightness.” However, the dominant “warmth” of mahogany enables 15CM to sound consistently punchy.
We’d give it a perfect 5/5 were it not for the laminate construction. If you’re looking for a ukulele that can wow people with its diverse, powerful sound, you should probably invest a few extra dollars in an all-solid uke. Cordoba 15CM Concert does an excellent job for beginners, though.
Overall
The Cordoba 15CM Concert ukulele has quite a few advantages over contemporary alternatives. It doesn’t look like a stock uke due to the cream binding and rosette; its tone is stronger than an average Concert uke, and it’s very easy to pick up if you’re starting out or moving from another instrument. It’s also virtually weightless (1 pound), so you shouldn’t have any problems playing long hours with your band or practicing.
There are a few downsides that aren’t “fatal” by any means. While neck thickness and fret width fall in the realm of subjective preferences, beginners of what playing a Concert uke should be like with 15CM since its specs aren’t typical for this ukulele size.
Its tone is robust, and it’s easy to distinguish between slews of low-budget concert ukuleles. However, it’s not as rich in undertones, resonance, or sustain.
All in all, the Cordoba 15CM is a superb instrument for the money. Notwithstanding the flaws we mentioned, it could be considered an affordable “one size fits all” solution for beginners and first-time players.
Cordoba 15CM Concert vs Cordoba 15CM Matiz
Fresh uke players unfamiliar with the Cordoba brand sometimes confuse the 15CM Concert with the upgraded version, the Cordoba 15cm Matiz, simply because the latter appears first in Cordoba’s official listings.
The most obvious difference between the two is the flamboyant painted finish on Matiz. It’s available in several colors, with the two most popular being Red and Mint. More on aesthetics, the abalone rosette is replaced with a “ghost” rosette on the newer model.
While the majority of their specs are identical, the biggest game-changer for Matiz is the maple fingerboard, which has a far brighter tone than Pau Ferro, elevating the uke’s overall tone to a higher level.
Final Verdict: Is It Good for Beginners?
By all means, Cordoba 15CM is an excellent ukulele for beginners. Not only is it playable and cheap, but it also sounds, looks, and feels like a decent ukulele. It’s an instrument that could serve as a gateway to professional-grade ukes, but its strong specs are good for live performances and studio recordings as well.
Jay Searle
Website Founder & WriterJay is a self-professed music nerd and ukulele lover. When not working on the website you’ll find him strumming along to his favorite tunes, spending time with his family, or learning to play the piano.
I have arthritis in both hands and am a senior citizen. I thought a thin neck use would be best. Could I get your opinion.
Hi Dale! Thanks for your question.
It can vary from person to person, but thin necks with smaller fret spacings can definitely help as they’re easier to grip and fret for someone with arthritis.
Another thing to consider would be string tension which affects ease of fretting. Most sopranos and concerts would be better suited than a tenor for this reason.