Pan Pacific All Solid Mahogany Figure 8 Soprano Ukulele with Bag

Many of us who were fortunate enough to get one of the original Koa Pan-Pacifics have been waiting for the Mahogany version to arrive. It was worth the wait!

Both of these instruments are a testament to the effort that Kala is making to bring really amazing instruments to us at affordable prices. This ukulele demonstrates the great craftsmanship we have been seeing from all the latest instruments from Kala.

I was honestly expecting a lot more from this uke. The finish is not terribly attractive--looks like something you would find in a souvenir shop. The planetary tuners feel cheap and rickety. Finish color on the neck does not match the body or the head (is this intentional?). Fingerboard is not particularly smooth or attractive. The logo on the headstock seems out of place on this tiny, frail looking instrument. It looks and feels more like a toy than the 'high-end' model that was advertised. The included soft case is very nice, thick red plush inside and unique (!) logo matching the headstock on front. I feel like this thing might get me into a bar fight at some point...

Now musically--the action and playability are up to Kala's usual sky-high standards, and the instrument has a nice balanced (albeit, extremely lightweight) feel. The small, tight figure 8 pattern of the body (combined with mahogany construction) produces a unique sound, very articulate and what I would describe as kind of "dry" compared to some of Kala's other Sopranos. It kind of sounds like a miniature acoustic guitar. I think it would pair really well tone-wise with a Guitarlele.

It doesn't have the sparkle, flash and lush tone of the Metro Trembesi, or the fatness and warmth of the Kahala Soprano. But what it does, it does extremely well, and I think this may be a good choice for accompanying a vocalist (especially one with a thinner voice) without dominating the track/performance. An open, honest,…