Ukuleles
Kala KA-15S vs Cordoba 15CM
The two ukuleles that show up on every beginner list. One is the traditional soprano, the other a concert with more room between the frets.
By Sawyer V. · Published · Last updated
These two sit at nearly the same price and get recommended interchangeably, which is unhelpful, because they are different sizes. That is the entire comparison.
We have not played either. This is our reading of published specifications; the method is on how we pick.
Buy the Cordoba 15CM#ad if the player is an adult or a teenager: the concert scale gives the fingers more room. Buy the Kala KA-15S#ad if the player is a child, if you want the traditional soprano sound, or if the smallest possible instrument is the point.
Size is the decision
Kala KA-15S: soprano, 13.625 inch scale, 12 frets, 1.375 inch nut, about 21 inches overall.
Cordoba 15CM: concert, 375 mm (14.75 inch) scale, 18 frets, 35 mm (1.375 inch) nut, about 24 inches overall.
An inch of scale sounds trivial and is not. It spreads every fret apart slightly, which is the difference between three adult fingertips fitting comfortably into a chord shape and crowding each other. The general size argument is in soprano vs concert vs tenor.
The Cordoba also gives you six more frets, which matters only once you start playing melodies up the neck.
What is the same
Mahogany top, back and sides on both. A nut width of about 1.375 inches on both, so the side-to-side string spacing is similar even though the fret spacing is not. Both ship with decent synthetic strings, and both are built to the same general standard.
The Kala adds a GraphTech NuBone nut and saddle, which is a real material that a technician can file cleanly when lowering the action. The Cordoba brings a satin finish and an abalone rosette, which are cosmetic.
Who should buy which
Cordoba 15CM: adults, teenagers, anyone with larger hands, and anyone who wants a slightly fuller sound. This is the one we point most adult beginners toward in best ukuleles for adults.
Kala KA-15S: children, small hands, travelers, and players who want the sound people picture when they hear the word ukulele.
Either way the floor is the same: geared tuners and a real nut material, which both have. What that floor costs is in how much a beginner ukulele should cost.
What we would buy
Cordoba 15CM
CordobaBest for: Adult hands, concert size
A 375 mm concert scale with 18 frets and a 35 mm nut. The extra inch and a bit of scale over a soprano is the difference between cramped and comfortable for most adults.
Published specifications
- Size:
- Concert
- Top / back / sides:
- Mahogany
- Fingerboard:
- Rosewood
- Scale length:
- 375 mm (14-3/4")
- Frets:
- 18
- Nut width:
- 35 mm (1-3/8")
- Body / overall:
- 280 mm body, 610 mm (24") overall
- Strings / finish:
- Aquila, satin finish, abalone rosette
What it gets right
- 18 frets against a soprano's 12 — a whole extra register that a soprano simply does not have
- The 375 mm scale gives noticeably more room between frets without becoming a tenor-sized instrument
- Aquila strings and an abalone rosette; it looks considerably more expensive than it is
Where it gives ground
- Identical 35 mm nut width to the Kala soprano — the extra room is between the frets, not across the neck
- 24 inches overall is a lot of instrument for a small child
What it is not good at
Sounding like a ukulele in the postcard sense. The concert body is fuller and rounder; the bright, plinky voice people picture is the soprano's.
How the specs score against a beginner’s needs
Scores are our reading of the published specifications above against what a beginner physically needs. They are not test results — we have not played this instrument.
Specifications from Cordoba Guitars — 15CM.
Kala KA-15S
Kala Brand MusicBest for: The honest floor, soprano
Mahogany throughout, a GraphTech NuBone nut and saddle, and Aquila strings fitted from the factory. The nut material is the spec that separates this from the pile of look-alikes.
Published specifications
- Size:
- Soprano
- Top / back / sides:
- Mahogany
- Neck / fretboard:
- Mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard
- Nut and saddle:
- GraphTech NuBone
- Scale length:
- 13.625"
- Frets:
- 12
- Nut width:
- 1.375"
- Overall length:
- 21.062"
- Strings:
- Aquila Super Nylgut
What it gets right
- NuBone nut and saddle rather than molded plastic — this is what decides whether the instrument plays in tune up the neck
- Aquila strings fitted at the factory, so the first thing you would otherwise replace is already done
- 21 inches overall and light enough for a small child to hold unsupported
Where it gives ground
- 12 frets only, and the body joint stops you well short of the high notes
- Soprano scale means less room between frets — adult fingers with wide fingertips will find it cramped
What it is not good at
Adult hands, sometimes. A 13.625 inch scale is genuinely tight. If the player is a grown-up with large hands, read our soprano-versus-concert comparison before buying this size.
How the specs score against a beginner’s needs
Scores are our reading of the published specifications above against what a beginner physically needs. They are not test results — we have not played this instrument.
Specifications from Kala Brand Music — KA-15S specifications.
Questions people actually ask
Which should an adult buy?
The Cordoba 15CM, usually. A concert body puts the scale at about 14.75 inches against the Kala’s 13.625, which opens the frets up noticeably for adult fingers without making the instrument large.
Is a soprano harder to play?
Fiddlier rather than harder. The frets are closer together, so three fingers in one fret space is a tighter fit. For small hands it is ideal; for large hands it is the thing people find frustrating.
Do they sound different?
Yes. Soprano is the classic bright, plinky ukulele voice; concert is slightly fuller and louder because the body is bigger. Both here are mahogany, so the family resemblance is strong.
Which is better for a child?
The Kala soprano, on size alone. It is the smaller, lighter instrument, and for a child under about ten the soprano scale is the right fit.
Do either need new strings?
Both ship with decent synthetic strings, so neither needs changing on day one. Strings are still the cheapest upgrade on any ukulele later — see best ukulele strings.
Still deciding?
Every recommendation on this site is built the same way, and the method is published in full — including what we do not do and what would get a pick dropped.
Read next
- Best beginner ukuleles: what's worth it from $60 to $120
Segmented by hand size rather than price, with the nut-material spec that separates a real ukulele from a decoration.
- Soprano vs concert vs tenor ukulele
Real scale lengths and fret counts across all four sizes, with the hand-size rule and buy paths for the two that matter.
- Best ukuleles for adult beginners
Why the default soprano fights adult hands, which size to buy instead, and the three ukuleles we would put in front of a grown beginner.
- Best ukulele strings for beginners
Nylgut against fluorocarbon, why size-specific sets matter, and three sets with published gauges and tensions.
- How much should a beginner ukulele cost?
Four bands from $30 to $200, defined by nut material and tuner type rather than by brand, with the accessory list included.