Kala KA-BE Mahogany Baritone Ukulele with EQ

If you are just starting out on your musical journey then just be aware that stringed instruments pretty much always require adjustments to get them working optimally. Lower end instruments in particular are more prone to needing work done on them. I would recommend buying you first instrument from a reputable music store who will set it up for you as part of the purchase price.If you are going to buy an instrument online then be prepared to either spend money on either a luthier to get the instrument setup, or have a friend who can do it, or learn how to do it yourself if you are comfortable tinkering.The KA-BE I received needed the strings at the nut lowered (which is typical for a guitar straight from the factory) and, surprisingly, the saddle needed to be raised by about 3 mm, which is a lot. The Kala baritones all have truss rods which is amazing for low end instruments and makes setting up much easier.I also filed down the fret ends as they were sticking out just enough to be annoying. The frets themselves were perfect and the intonation was spot on for the E and G strings and slightly sharp on B and D at the 12th fret but that probably is more to do with the saddle and maybe the action.The body is all mahogany laminate but surprisingly loud and resonnant. Actually a little too resonnant on the low end when strumming hard, sounds a bit boomyHonestly for this price point the KA-BE is amazing value. Really, it's a no brainer. Just know that it requires setting up like all stringed instruments so don't expect it to be perfect straight out of the box.

I'm a keyboard player, but have always wanted to learn to play the guitar. I severed a tendon in my left hand pinky finger years ago, the upper knuckle had to be fused during the surgery, and it became pretty useless for any kind of precision fingering the individual notes and chords on a standard guitar fret board, with basically only 3 fingers to work with. Plus, I have fairly small hands and a standard guitar was always a struggle to learn to play, even before my injury.My dad had an old baritone uke laying around his house for years, and I learned a few basic chords when I was younger. After he died in 2010, I "inherited" the uke, but it was now in pretty bad shape, and it sat unplayed for years. I recently "re-discovered" it, and took it to a friend who is a guitar tech/luthier to see what could be done with it. While the "repair" made it playable, it was a cheap uke, and didn't sound all that great to begin with. But...I realized that I could do a decent job of playing some of the chords I had learned years before, even without my pinky finger, and 4 strings were easier to chord than a 6 string guitar. Plus, the baritone is tuned the same as the bottom 4 strings of a guitar, and I realized I didn't have to "re-learrn" chord shapes and patterns that would occur with a tenor or standard uke.I researched baritone uke's off and on for many weeks. Didn't want to spend a ton, but also didn't want a "entry level" instrument. This Kala was always one of the top choices for mid-level, beginner uke's and I liked the idea of it having a built in tuner and electric pick-up. Seller was great, the unit came on time and extremely well packaged. Tuned it up and started strumming. I couldn't believe how nice it sounded and how "playable" it was right out of the box. It looks to be very well built and beautiful to look at. Strings need to be stretched a little during break in, and it goes a little flat if not played for a few days between "sessions", but easily tunes up and remains so while playing. This is a perfect size for me, and I am having a blast with it. Three finger "triad" chords sound good, even without the use of my "damaged" pinky.I would highly recommend this to any beginner/intermediate player who wants something "playable" and sounds great at the same time.

I just realized that I never changed my rating after returning and receiving the replacement. The replacement does everything I had hoped for. Excellent sound, easy to play, electronics work well. After my first experience with electronics that didn't work (had to return to Amazon) I ordered the very same thing but this time through the KALA store on Amazon. Same price, etc., bit I figured KALA would check the product before shipping and apparently they did. This is a fine instrument with the included strings. I normally change the strings immediately, but I can adjust electronically to get the tones I like.My only wish is that they would take the KA-BG baritone and equip it with electronics. It is physically larger than most baritones (35"x12"x8") and produces amazing resonance and clarityTHIS IS MY OLD REVIEW:I have a Kala acoustic baritone which I think is unbelievably excellent. Everybody loves the way it sounds, especially after I put new strings on it (Ko'olau MAHANA Baritone -- hard to find but worth the effort). I bought this Uke because I wanted to plug in electronically and was disappointed to discover that the ELECTRONICS DIDN'T work! I tried the batteries that came with it in another electronic uke and they worked well. I tried brand new Energizer batteries (2032) in this KA-BE and they didn't work either. At least Amazon has a good return policy, but if the seller had taken the time to make sure things worked, it would have saved me the frustration and time. I have already ordered another KA-BE, this time from KALA. I expect it to work fine on arrival. By the way, these KALA baritones are wonderful. I currently own 5 baritones (2 electric, 2 acoustic) and the KALA is the best.