As a professional songwriter/composer (under performance rights organization BMI, Inc) I was looking at video reviews today on Caramel ukuleles as I know I'll be getting one for the holiday (baritone electric / acoustic). I like Thank You for this older video you made and your great honesty and integrity talking about the discount and interaction with the company. There are many reviewers out there (without pointing fingers) that I constantly see that present reviews like a "song and dance" get paid and get free instruments, don't have any sort of background in the music business and don't bring up anything that is wrong with the instrument or any negatives nor have any full disclosure of the companies interaction with them. It all 100% advertisement and that's it... I'm very happy to again, see you are way different than most out there. Happy Holidays to you.. wishing you all the best for the New Year as well - Mr Tom
Hi Jodi! Thanks for another great review! I've heard of this brand, but have never played or actually heard one. That certainly is a good price, especially for someone seeking a good beginner uke.
I'm a Caramel lover (and not talking about the candy) from way back. I want the CT417 which has the butterfly styling which is very photogenic. Unremarkable is good description of basic mahogany uke (unglossy) with not much styling. Still, I love all Caramels and people can learn on these. Check eBay factory defects for amazing deals. Thanks, Jodi, for the great review. Rich
Hi Jodi.. This is a thorough and comprehensive review. It kept me engaged to the end. I have a Caramel CB203 baritone. I like the mahogany for it's warmth and mellow tone. In guitars I keep both solid spruce top and mahogany to fit the mood of what I'm playing. I think I found your channel via Rich Davis. I enjoy your videos. It's obvious you are having fun! Keep it up and keep spreading the cheerful enthusiasm! Have fun with your new camera when you get it.
Nice review! I have a laminate ebony Caramel and find it well built but on the quiet side. I suppose that’s due to the density of the wood. Since it’s acoustic-electric, I can always plug it in. Thanks for the great review!
I’m a tad behind on RUclips videos, but I have to say this is a nice looking uke, I’m a big fan of those string pegs makes it so much easier to change strings and love mahogany too
That was an interesting review. I like it that you include the good, the bad, AND the ugly! I have the D'Addario Titanium strings on my on my Seagull SG Burst EQ, and I like them so much better than the nylon strings that came with that instrument. I *never* got the original ones to stay in tune for longer than 10 minutes. The D'Addarios took a little while to settle, but have been good ever since. They sound great. (Your string reviews have given me the courage to try a wound low G. No idea what brand that low G is. I know people agonize over string choice, but honestly what happened was my luthier grabbed some guy's guitar that was lying around in the shop, removed a string and put it on the uke. "That'll hold you till you get ready to replace them all," he said, just before he declined to charge me for ANY of the work he did that day!) In case anyone else clicks on your Amazon link, it's defaulting to the same model uke, but the acoustic electric version (which, ironically, comes with Nylgut strings!). Click on the dropdown menu to select Acoustic Tenor, to see this one, which is still going for $49 USD. Wow. Thanks for all you do!
I have a Mitchell concert ukulele with nylon strings that hold pitch fine. I hardly ever have to tune it. I've read some other reviews where nylon strings take some time to break in. My son's Kala seems to never hold tuning on his nylon strings. So it may depend on the instrument.
Love your little sampling of Here comes the sun... Nice!! Any chance you have a link for that one .. You played it effortlessly I may add.. Nice review
Just watched your review Jodi and once again it's full of good information and very thorough. Seems like a great deal for a beginning tenor uke. I'm impressed and will be checking into Amazon. I see for $10 more, you can get the same uke that is acoustic/electric. But I suppose you would have to have an amp, is that right????
@@girlmeetsuke2980 I just watched a video from August titled Aklot vs Caramel Concert Uke w/Michele Cole. She says she had to do a complete set up on the Caramel as it was nearly impossible to play out of the box. Strings were crappy, high, and uncomfortable. Fret edges were sharp and had to be filed down. She called it an "overpriced toy". The Caramel Concert Uke Michele reviewed was mahogany laminate and the tenor you reviewed is solid mahogany wood so perhaps this would be a reason for the difference in quality of each instrument? Do you think the tenor you reviewed is a much better ukulele than the Caramel she reviewed? I was going to order the tenor on Amazon until I saw Michelle's video. Now I'm not sure. I don't want to buy a ukulele that has problems from the get go and will need work before I can play it. Thanks for your advice.
Hey Jodi, now that's a thorough review if ever there was one. I'd recommend anyone interested in taking up the Ukulele to watch that if they don't watch anything else. I've never tried those D'addario titanium but maybe I'll give them a go sometime. Nut width is a strange thing. I have three tenors that measure 35 mm at the nut one is radiused and thus really comfortable to play but the other two are completely flat. One of those I find easy to play and roomy enough for the D chord etc but one is really crowded and although a good ukulele I find it really surprising. I've measured them and they all measure 35mm and as far as I can tell even the spacing of the strings is identical. The one I struggle with is a Fender Montecito and the one that is fine is the ANueNue that I bought preloved. So I can't work that out.😂. I would be inclined to try that Caramel out if I were in need of a tenor though. Will be interested to see the results you get from your new camera and some details as to what it is and it's compatibility with phones , tablets and laptops. Got bold yesterday and switched out some open geared tuners for some friction pegs. Pleased with the job and pleased with me 😊. Till the next time. Polar Bear out.
Great to hear from you! That’s is very interesting about the different ukuleles with the same nut width. Have you measured the string spacing? It’s amazing how tiny changes can change the entire feel of an instrument. And it really is an individual preference. I wish I had an ANueNue. Those seem soooo nice! Also, good job on changing tuning pegs. I haven’t tried that yet. Of course, I’m more likely to change out friction pegs for planetary geared tuners. 😂
@@girlmeetsuke2980 the planetary geared ones are dearer here than I paid for the cordoba 😂. The Gotoh GTPS are really nice though . They're on that DaSilva, they were a pleasure to use but it just stays in tune now 😊
Nice review Jodi. It is hard to tell in the video but the light spot on the neck looks like glue that was not properly cleaned up before the finish was applied. As a lefty I appreciate Ukuleles that do not have strap buttons pre installed. 😊 Keep up the great work.
The rosette is definitely abalone! Just purchased this ukulele from Amazon and the description does list it as such. However, there have been some changes made to this model that, I feel, make it less quality. The tuners are now open with hard plastic knobs and the fretwork is not as good with sharp ends. Mine also came with the strap buttons installed :( Also the label on the inside is a dark brown (almost black). Mine did not come with all of the accessories that yours has.
Hi Jodi, nice ukulele review. Talking about the strings which brand do you like? At the bridge it has the pegs just like mine, does that use the ball end strings or what do you call it if you ask for strings? None of mine have that type except the Caramel. I have the Caramel CC100 and it is a nice ukulele for the price. Thanks.
Good review Jodi Am not sure if caramel is strictly online sales for I purchased mine used privately. For the dry fretboard you should do the old trick of standing up that ukulele in front of a humidifier for a day and let it have a good drink. Can you tell if the sound hole Rossetti is imbedded the wood or just a sticker? I guess that when it comes to strings it is very subjective to ones ear but probably more important how different strings sound on different ukuleles. I for one tried every string on the market on my two main ukuleles that I use for recording and live playing and hands down the best sounding strings were the Aquila supernygut strings. Granted those ukuleles are a bit more pricey and may have something to do with it but all of my budget and medium priced ukuleles also have Aquila strings on them and sound great.
It is unbelievable to me what you are getting for that price...I like the look of the ukulele, especially the bridge pins. Never seen a ukulele with a truss rod either, so that's interesting. Goodness sake. How do they do it?
I like a tenor ukulele. I would think this is an entry level ukulele, but should have a more substantial volume and sustain. Strings could be a game changer or at least improve the sound. I think its a nice looking instrument and would be nice at any jam or campfire....For $50.00 thats a good deal......
Interesting uke package. To my ears the sound is average, but you get a lot for your money. The tinkerer in me wants to purchase one and try to remove some material from the body😮 Sorry for the late camera suggestion. If you install a 3rd party app like Filmic Pro or the Moment photo app, you can set and lock your white balance and exposure. These are paid apps, but I'm sure there are free apps if you look around. Of course, a dedicated camera is probably a better option.
@@girlmeetsuke2980 Both apps will let you manually set ISO, white balance, frame rate and shutter speed (remember the 180 degree rule). You can also leave auto focus on or lock it. I believe the Moment app is less expensive. They have a channel that goes over the app (and the lenses they make). There are also plenty of videos on Filmic Pro....Filmic Pro is possibly overkill if you don't need to make cinema magic😉
I’m debating between buying this Caramel or the Enya X-1 tenor. I’m not sure if you’ve played that model before, but since you have experience with the Enya, which would you suggest as the better buy? I’ve been playing daily on a Kala color chord which is plastic, so anything is an upgrade from that. It’s been 5 months and I’m ready for a better uke, but I’m still on a budget of $100 or less. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
I have not played that enya model yet, but they do seem to have very good quality control. Those are HPL which is a very stable material. HPL instruments tend to be quieter, but I can’t speak for that one. I know it is usually very favorably reviewed.
It was too good a deal to pass up. I think it wins the prize for my best ukulele value surpassing my Caramel zebra wood tenor. I have much more expensive tenors that I like better but only by a slim margin.
Another great review, Jodi. Thanks!
As a professional songwriter/composer (under performance rights organization BMI, Inc) I was looking at video reviews today on Caramel ukuleles as I know I'll be getting one for the holiday (baritone electric / acoustic). I like Thank You for this older video you made and your great honesty and integrity talking about the discount and interaction with the company. There are many reviewers out there (without pointing fingers) that I constantly see that present reviews like a "song and dance" get paid and get free instruments, don't have any sort of background in the music business and don't bring up anything that is wrong with the instrument or any negatives nor have any full disclosure of the companies interaction with them.
It all 100% advertisement and that's it... I'm very happy to again, see you are way different than most out there. Happy Holidays to you.. wishing you all the best for the New Year as well - Mr Tom
Hi Jodi! Thanks for another great review! I've heard of this brand, but have never played or actually heard one. That certainly is a good price, especially for someone seeking a good beginner uke.
Beautiful uke! You do a great job showing and talking about all the features. Thank you 😊❤️
Great review. I think you covered all the points...Pros and Cons.
I'm a Caramel lover (and not talking about the candy) from way back. I want the CT417 which has the butterfly styling which is very photogenic. Unremarkable is good description of basic mahogany uke (unglossy) with not much styling. Still, I love all Caramels and people can learn on these. Check eBay factory defects for amazing deals. Thanks, Jodi, for the great review. Rich
Hi Jodi.. This is a thorough and comprehensive review. It kept me engaged to the end. I have a Caramel CB203 baritone. I like the mahogany for it's warmth and mellow tone. In guitars I keep both solid spruce top and mahogany to fit the mood of what I'm playing. I think I found your channel via Rich Davis. I enjoy your videos. It's obvious you are having fun! Keep it up and keep spreading the cheerful enthusiasm! Have fun with your new camera when you get it.
Hi. Thank you so much for your encouraging comment. I’m glad you are enjoying my video, and you’re right- I’m having fun. 😊
Nice review! I have a laminate ebony Caramel and find it well built but on the quiet side. I suppose that’s due to the density of the wood. Since it’s acoustic-electric, I can always plug it in. Thanks for the great review!
Good Review. It seems like a great value for a solid wood instrument.
I’m a tad behind on RUclips videos, but I have to say this is a nice looking uke, I’m a big fan of those string pegs makes it so much easier to change strings and love mahogany too
That was an interesting review. I like it that you include the good, the bad, AND the ugly!
I have the D'Addario Titanium strings on my on my Seagull SG Burst EQ, and I like them so much better than the nylon strings that came with that instrument. I *never* got the original ones to stay in tune for longer than 10 minutes. The D'Addarios took a little while to settle, but have been good ever since. They sound great. (Your string reviews have given me the courage to try a wound low G. No idea what brand that low G is. I know people agonize over string choice, but honestly what happened was my luthier grabbed some guy's guitar that was lying around in the shop, removed a string and put it on the uke. "That'll hold you till you get ready to replace them all," he said, just before he declined to charge me for ANY of the work he did that day!)
In case anyone else clicks on your Amazon link, it's defaulting to the same model uke, but the acoustic electric version (which, ironically, comes with Nylgut strings!). Click on the dropdown menu to select Acoustic Tenor, to see this one, which is still going for $49 USD. Wow.
Thanks for all you do!
I have a Mitchell concert ukulele with nylon strings that hold pitch fine. I hardly ever have to tune it. I've read some other reviews where nylon strings take some time to break in. My son's Kala seems to never hold tuning on his nylon strings. So it may depend on the instrument.
Thanks so much for the well done review!😊
Love your little sampling of Here comes the sun... Nice!! Any chance you have a link for that one .. You played it effortlessly I may add.. Nice review
Just watched your review Jodi and once again it's full of good information and very thorough. Seems like a great deal for a beginning tenor uke. I'm impressed and will be checking into Amazon. I see for $10 more, you can get the same uke that is acoustic/electric. But I suppose you would have to have an amp, is that right????
Yes, you’d need an amp to utilize the pickup. Unless you take it to an open pic, and plug it into their system. 😉
@@girlmeetsuke2980 I just watched a video from August titled Aklot vs Caramel Concert Uke w/Michele Cole. She says she had to do a complete set up on the Caramel as it was nearly impossible to play out of the box. Strings were crappy, high, and uncomfortable. Fret edges were sharp and had to be filed down. She called it an "overpriced toy". The Caramel Concert Uke Michele reviewed was mahogany laminate and the tenor you reviewed is solid mahogany wood so perhaps this would be a reason for the difference in quality of each instrument? Do you think the tenor you reviewed is a much better ukulele than the Caramel she reviewed? I was going to order the tenor on Amazon until I saw Michelle's video. Now I'm not sure. I don't want to buy a ukulele that has problems from the get go and will need work before I can play it. Thanks for your advice.
Hey Jodi, now that's a thorough review if ever there was one. I'd recommend anyone interested in taking up the Ukulele to watch that if they don't watch anything else. I've never tried those D'addario titanium but maybe I'll give them a go sometime. Nut width is a strange thing. I have three tenors that measure 35 mm at the nut one is radiused and thus really comfortable to play but the other two are completely flat. One of those I find easy to play and roomy enough for the D chord etc but one is really crowded and although a good ukulele I find it really surprising. I've measured them and they all measure 35mm and as far as I can tell even the spacing of the strings is identical. The one I struggle with is a Fender Montecito and the one that is fine is the ANueNue that I bought preloved. So I can't work that out.😂. I would be inclined to try that Caramel out if I were in need of a tenor though. Will be interested to see the results you get from your new camera and some details as to what it is and it's compatibility with phones , tablets and laptops. Got bold yesterday and switched out some open geared tuners for some friction pegs. Pleased with the job and pleased with me 😊. Till the next time. Polar Bear out.
Great to hear from you! That’s is very interesting about the different ukuleles with the same nut width. Have you measured the string spacing? It’s amazing how tiny changes can change the entire feel of an instrument. And it really is an individual preference. I wish I had an ANueNue. Those seem soooo nice! Also, good job on changing tuning pegs. I haven’t tried that yet. Of course, I’m more likely to change out friction pegs for planetary geared tuners. 😂
@@girlmeetsuke2980 the planetary geared ones are dearer here than I paid for the cordoba 😂. The Gotoh GTPS are really nice though . They're on that DaSilva, they were a pleasure to use but it just stays in tune now 😊
Nice review Jodi.
It is hard to tell in the video but the light spot on the neck looks like glue that was not properly cleaned up before the finish was applied.
As a lefty I appreciate Ukuleles that do not have strap buttons pre installed. 😊
Keep up the great work.
Good point. Another great reason not to have them preinstalled.
The rosette is definitely abalone! Just purchased this ukulele from Amazon and the description does list it as such. However, there have been some changes made to this model that, I feel, make it less quality. The tuners are now open with hard plastic knobs and the fretwork is not as good with sharp ends. Mine also came with the strap buttons installed :( Also the label on the inside is a dark brown (almost black). Mine did not come with all of the accessories that yours has.
Hi Jodi, nice ukulele review. Talking about the strings which brand do you like? At the bridge it has the pegs just like mine, does that use the ball end strings or what do you call it if you ask for strings? None of mine have that type except the Caramel. I have the Caramel CC100 and it is a nice ukulele for the price. Thanks.
Love d'addario titanium strings.
Good review Jodi
Am not sure if caramel is strictly online sales for I purchased mine used privately.
For the dry fretboard you should do the old trick of standing up that ukulele in front of a humidifier for a day and let it have a good drink.
Can you tell if the sound hole Rossetti is imbedded the wood or just a sticker?
I guess that when it comes to strings it is very subjective to ones ear but probably more important how different strings sound on different ukuleles.
I for one tried every string on the market on my two main ukuleles that I use for recording and live playing and hands down the best sounding strings were the Aquila supernygut strings. Granted those ukuleles are a bit more pricey and may have something to do with it but all of my budget and medium priced ukuleles also have Aquila strings on them and sound great.
Thanks, Henry. I can’t tell if it is inlaid. It does not feel raised at all like a sticker would feel.
It is unbelievable to me what you are getting for that price...I like the look of the ukulele, especially the bridge pins. Never seen a ukulele with a truss rod either, so that's interesting. Goodness sake. How do they do it?
I like a tenor ukulele. I would think this is an entry level ukulele, but should have a more substantial volume and sustain. Strings could be a game changer or at least improve the sound. I think its a nice looking instrument and would be nice at any jam or campfire....For $50.00 thats a good deal......
Plus I about dropped dead when I saw the price$$$$ wow what a deal - does yours have the pickup as well
No. This one does not have a pickup.
Interesting uke package. To my ears the sound is average, but you get a lot for your money. The tinkerer in me wants to purchase one and try to remove some material from the body😮
Sorry for the late camera suggestion. If you install a 3rd party app like Filmic Pro or the Moment photo app, you can set and lock your white balance and exposure. These are paid apps, but I'm sure there are free apps if you look around. Of course, a dedicated camera is probably a better option.
Thank you. Do you know if you can lock exposure and focus separately on this app? I’d want to lick exposure but not focus.
@@girlmeetsuke2980 Both apps will let you manually set ISO, white balance, frame rate and shutter speed (remember the 180 degree rule). You can also leave auto focus on or lock it.
I believe the Moment app is less expensive. They have a channel that goes over the app (and the lenses they make). There are also plenty of videos on Filmic Pro....Filmic Pro is possibly overkill if you don't need to make cinema magic😉
I’m debating between buying this Caramel or the Enya X-1 tenor. I’m not sure if you’ve played that model before, but since you have experience with the Enya, which would you suggest as the better buy? I’ve been playing daily on a Kala color chord which is plastic, so anything is an upgrade from that. It’s been 5 months and I’m ready for a better uke, but I’m still on a budget of $100 or less. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
I have not played that enya model yet, but they do seem to have very good quality control. Those are HPL which is a very stable material. HPL instruments tend to be quieter, but I can’t speak for that one. I know it is usually very favorably reviewed.
Thank you for your review 👍
Hey do you know where it is made?
I have a caramel baritone
🙂
It was too good a deal to pass up. I think it wins the prize for my best ukulele value surpassing my Caramel zebra wood tenor. I have much more expensive tenors that I like better but only by a slim margin.
Is it in high G tuning?
I walked in when you were talking about big nuts being uncomfortable to you......
How many inches is this ??
26in
You only need big hands to play the guitar. Even a baritone ukulele doesn't require big hands. :)
i agree with the other guy and barry maz caramel is cheap junk horrible customer service they cant get it right and dont care
caramel is cheap junk i agree with gotaukulele.com bad customer service also