The Kala baritone ukulele is one of the cheapest baritone ukes out there, yet it doesn’t shortchange in the quality department. With its value for money in terms of tone and hardware, only a few can hold a candle against this one.
Written by Jay Searle / Published June 28, 2024
Last updated: June 28, 2024
One of the trendiest low-cost baritones, a quality large-size mahogany uke, a beautiful instrument with a bellowing, full-bodied timbre – there are so many ways to describe the Kala KA-B ukulele.
This uke is the second-cheapest baritone in Kala’s bari catalog, topped only by the BLEM Makala. It’s also among the handful of mahogany baritone ukes, often shadowed by its pricier Acacia, Bamboo, Cedar, and Maple counterparts.
It offers an excellent introduction to the world of ukulele playing, a seamless transition from other stringed instruments, and a good experience if this is your first time playing. We’re bringing you a comprehensive review of the Kala KA-B Baritone Ukulele based on unbiased testing, so let’s briefly touch on what you can expect from this uke.
Kala KA-B Mahogany Ukulele – REVIEW Summary
An inexpensive baritone ukulele that doesn’t shortchange you in the materials and tone quality department. It’s definitely one worthy addition to your inventory of musical instruments.
Our Kala KA-B Review
Specs
| Top: Mahogany | Scale length: 20.0625 inches |
| Back and Sides: Mahogany | Nut: Composite |
| Neck: Mahogany | Saddle: GraphTech NuBone |
| Fretboard: Rosewood | Strings: Aquila Super Nylgut |
Build Quality
Classic mahogany, the tonewood type the Kala KA-B is made of, is decently durable. It pales in comparison to Eastern (Nato) mahogany and African mahogany, not to mention more exotic woods like Bubinga or Acacia. Still, it won’t crack or warp if your uke is stored correctly.
As a laminated uke, it’s much less vulnerable to temperature shifts and changes in humidity when compared to solid body ukuleles. The rosewood in its fretboard has been expertly refined and boasts excellent durability.
It’s decently durable, but accidental bumps could still leave a mark and wouldn’t really lower its overall performance. To stay on the safe side though, consider investing in a padded gig bag for storage.
Tone Quality
Mahogany is the perfect tonewood for baritone ukuleles because its exceptionally warm nature complements the lower range of the baritone perfectly. Whether you’re playing single notes and lead lines, or strumming various chord progressions, the Kala KA-B sounds absolutely great.
The sonic qualities of rosewood used on the fretboard are nearly identical to that of mahogany. The big, rounded low end with solid mids and smooth highs you’ll get to enjoy while playing the Kala KA B baritone ukulele mainly result from the combination of these warm tonewoods.
The warm one-sidedness of tones and colors is usually a drawback, but not with this one. Baritone ukuleles excel at delivering bombastic, bass-heavy sounds, and Kala just picked the kinds of wood that do that the best.
Playability
The Kala KA-B Baritone ukulele has no special features that would boost or hinder its performance at any level. Subjectively, some players may feel that its slightly larger scale length makes chord play easier since the strings are just a tad looser.
This can adversely impact the tonal stability of the ukulele. However, on the upside, the KA-B has good-quality machine heads and a GraphTech saddle to keep it in tune for extended periods. More about that in the next section.
The key to the KA-B’s good playability is the rosewood fretboard embedded in a round C-shaped neck. With a clean, smooth surface, averagely sized frets (for a Baritone uke, at least), and a set of superb strings, jumping into this uke is a breeze even if you’ve never played a baritone before.
Hardware
Before elaborating on why Kala KA B deserves a perfect 5 in this field of performance, we should emphasize that it is a budget ukulele. It’s rare for brands to equip top-tier hardware on instruments that are usually sold to beginners (who likely won’t notice the difference), yet that is the case with the KA-B.
Firstly, it comes supplied with quality chromed tuning pegs that are fairly responsive and very easy to use. The GraphTech NuBone saddle is a noticeable upgrade from the trend of using composite wood material or straight plastic and provides better intonation and sound. The tuning stability is fairly decent as a result.
Finally, the Kala KA-B comes pre-strung with some of the best strings in the current market — Aquila’s famed Super Nylgut hybrid strings made of premium-quality nylon and gut materials. Robust yet gentle and softer than you’d expect, these strings are ideal for players at all skill levels.
Value
Even if it wasn’t as inexpensive as it currently is, Kala’s KA-B Baritone uke offers superb value for the money. It’s made of high-quality tonewoods, plays remarkably well, boasts a deep, distinctive tone, and is easily comparable to uke models twice its price.
Alternatives to the Kala KA-B Ukulele
The KA-B is far from being the Jack-of-trades, but it’s among the best at what it does in its price range. If you’re looking for something similar, we recommend the following models:
Kala KA-SSTU-B: Although it costs almost twice as much, the spruce top gives this baritone a much stronger character. Specs-wise, it’s almost identical to the KA-B but also features a truss rod for easier setup.
Kala KA-SCAC-B: Almost the complete opposite of the all-mahogany KA-B, the KA-SCAC-B is a Baritone featuring cedar in the top, Acacia in its back and sides, mahogany in its neck, and rosewood in its fretboard. If you’re looking for a well-rounded tone with undeniable presence, this is the way to go.
Kala KA-BMB-B: The only Bamboo-made baritone ukulele in Kala’s catalog, BMB-B is a gorgeous, lightweight uke that hits the same target as the KA -B, albeit from a much different angle. Brighter, crispier tones and outstanding sustain make it a valid alternative.
Final Verdict
We loved Kala’s KA-B baritone uke and after testing it for several months, we can safely conclude that it’s among the finest low-cost bari ukes in the contemporary market.
It’s cost-effective, perfect for new players, and more than good enough for gigging musicians, although it lacks the more nuanced tone from some of Kala’s boutique selection of baritone ukuleles. Overall, the Kala KA-B is simply fantastic for the price and worth checking out.
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.
