HAWAII KAI HS-5 Soprano Mahogany Ukulele

Laminate top which was a bummer. It has a decent sound and it is a great uke for beginners

This is my first ukulele, I wanted something that was nicer than the most basic but something I would feel comfortable taking camping. Comparing the sound to a similar price range Makai Soprano, I felt the Hawaii Kai was a little nicer. I love the dark finish and minimalist design of the instrument. Here's a page with more detailed specs: http://www.newenglandmusicstore.com/product/HS-5. I would definitely recommend this to someone starting out, I have no complaints so far! I did end up ordering some Aquila strings to see how it changes the sound, however the ones it comes with seem fine and have stayed in tune pretty well after about a week of playing.