Kala ka be electric baritone or Caramel cb500

Darylmesa

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I was in the market for a tenor but am now really leaning towards a baritone (electric). The best for the price I found was kala ka be. I am already accustomed to kala as I have the Kala ka c.

While searching for reviews I came across the Caramel cb103 (zebra) and cb500. They have mixed reviews. The biggest concern is about the action being too high and needing to be set up properly. As far as strings are concerned i believe I will change either choice with fluorocarbons as I really like the sound.

Has anyone had any experience with the caramels?

Thanks
 
I don’t have a Caramel baritone...but have 40 concerts and 10 tenors as our school instruments (I may be looking inot Outdoor Ukuleles for our new school). The Caramels are tanks. The sound is very generic, and the fretboards are very susceptible to fret creep due to low humidity (between 11% and 20% in our school in the winter).

You very well may have to set up the Caramel to get the action you desire. And you will need to wait. It often takes a month to get the instruments. They were going to start a US distribution point last year...I don’t know that they ever did.

A much more practical approach is the Kala, which is adding some models due to the popularity of the Baritone (new Ziricote laminate....pretty, pretty, pretty). And don’t forget the Makala model for a cheap entry point, too ($85). And you might want to see what Ohana is offering (check with Mim or Mike at Uke Republic).

If you’re not buying from a dealer like Mim or Uke Republic, plan on having to set it up!
 
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Whilst some have had good experience with Caramels, I think it can still be a bit of a gamble regarding set up, & as you already know the Kala quality, that would be my suggestion too. :)
 
Set up can be done, if you like working with your hands and have a few basic tools.
That said, a good set up by a professional is worth its weight in gold, and is a relative bargain.
We just got a Kala KA-B with set up, and OMG, it's amazing!
 
Thank you to everyone. I went for a kala tenor and will be fitting them with living waters custom dGBE ba i tenor strings
 
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