KALA KA-GTR tenor case?

[RAGZDADDY]

Ran across a little obscure info in regard to a hard case for the new Kala KA-GTR tenor.
In knowing the Kala cases themselves will not be available until January at the soonest, my impatience and need to haul my tenor about is imperative to happiness.


Somewhere I don't recall, and if I recall correctly, someone mentioned the "Golden Gate' C1511, seen here was a pretty good option.

Anyone got any hands on and real world interjection about these and used with the KALA KA-GTR ?

Thanks in advance

RAGZDADDY

[Dolamon]

That's for a much bigger guitar ... you might be able to get by with soft case from Boulder, one of the Alpine series although the neck section would be longer unless you like to store your socks in it. The other option might be for a Baritone Uke Case but I've not looked into that in depth. ( http://www.amazon.com/Boulder-CB-361...s=Alpine+cases )

[bigmomma]

I just got the Blueridge 60T with the C-1511 case. It fits perfectly. I know the neck of the Kala is a little shorter. I couldn't be happier with the case. Well constructed and plush inside.

[Ted Eschliman]

The KA-GTR body is too wide for a bari uke case. It's too short for most 3/4 guitar cases (and gig bags). I'm using a cheap 1/2 size guitar gig bag for the next two months until the Kala case comes out in January. It fits very well, but ultimately, I'll want the protection of a hardshell case on mine.

[Mike Crocker]

Any sign of the case yet? It doesn't appear on the Kala website (at least, I can't find it), and the cardboard box the dealer supplied is less than inadequate.

I emailed the company but haven't received a response yet, even so, I will still need to find a retailer willing to order it for me.

Awesome fun it is to play.

Peace.

[RAGZDADDY]

PPPPFFFFTTTTT ! ! ! !

Spoke with Kala yesterday in this regard. They've been saying mid March for some time now. But now they stutter at even that. Something about the claims of the shipping strikes in the Pacific ports. I don't EVEN want to go there. lol lol

Every time I speak with them about the KA-GTR case, I am adamant at how irresponsible it was and is to release a product without being able to protect it with such and extensive wait period behind it's release when we were told "TWO WEEKS" after release date of the TG. Never mind the nightmarish scramble it will cause amongst the KA-GTR owners to locate resellers and acquire one when they do hit.

Ok. I'll try to NOT rant. But this one fires my rockets. Basically, I have an instrument that all but has to live at home due to the lack of, and slack of concern for my meager investment of such said instrument.............. GRRRRRR ! ! ! !

LOL LOL

No. I do not and will not purchase nor recommend Kala products anymore. No. This is not the first and only time Kala has proven to show lack of concern for player needs. But hey. Kala does mean "MONEY" after all. As long as they have "KALA" (money), I suppose the rest of us should be Mahalo huh ? lol

Any sign of the case yet? It doesn't appear on the Kala website (at least, I can't find it), and the cardboard box the dealer supplied is less than inadequate.

I emailed the company but haven't received a response yet, even so, I will still need to find a retailer willing to order it for me.

Awesome fun it is to play.

Peace.

[PT66]

I have a World Tour 1/2 size gig bag that fits the tenor I just built. Gig bags work good when you don't do standard size instruments. BTW what do you think of the instrument. Worth what you payed? Enough volume? Too much treble or bass?

[RAGZDADDY]

I am nuts about the KA-GTR in every respect. Exellence in tonal balance build and projection. Howeever, I personally prefer a wider neck width at the nut. Such is the Republc reso tenor which awesome.

I have a World Tour 1/2 size gig bag that fits the tenor I just built. Gig bags work good when you don't do standard size instruments. BTW what do you think of the instrument. Worth what you payed? Enough volume? Too much treble or bass?

[PT66]

Kala may not have their own case factory. It may be their supplier dragging their feet.

[Jayyj]

Not always the manufacturer's fault when things like this go wrong. Lots of spanners can get thrown into the works when you're dealing with Chinese subcontractors and trying to coordinate shipping containers. I'm sure it's not an ideal situation for Kala either - no stock means no turnover.

I've never been able to find a hard case that fitted my Stomberg Voisinet tenor but it didn't stop me taking it on a foreign tour a few years back - I bought a very good quality classical gig bag, took it on to the plane with me and made sure it was last in and first out of the van when we were loading. With the popularity of Baby Taylors and Martin LXMs there should be loads of decent smaller gig bags out there.

[RAGZDADDY]

I'm just simply working from the facts. Not the fiction. Or assumptions.

[RAGZDADDY]

You wouldn't happen to have photos of the Golden Gate C-1511 case with your Kala KA-GTR inside that you might be willing to show us by chance would you? That would be great >.............

I just got the Blueridge 60T with the C-1511 case. It fits perfectly. I know the neck of the Kala is a little shorter. I couldn't be happier with the case. Well constructed and plush inside.

[RAGZDADDY]

Love the Stomberg and love a good bag myself. But I need real time gear that is Willie B proof. If I go to move gear, it's all hands on deck moving gear. I've worked with a few guys that were married to a rig in a gig bag. Always had to fire them for lack of assisting the rest of us due to the constant baby sitting of a soft case. First in first out doesn't make on a real world music scene. If it cant take a hit, well, it's gonna take a hit with the guys I've worked with.

If someone got on a plane with us carrying a gig bag, they'd have been told to find a seat away from us. roflol. Folks moving gear for real world music don't want to share 10 cubic feet with another guys rig. Mine is in the belly of the plane, so is theirs. Then there is the option of them sitting in the belly of the plane and we'll sit with their rig. Don't have to put up with a rig in a soft case snoring for sure. roflol


I've been fortunate enough to work with some of the finest and best travelled musicians in the world, and I can tell you now. Someone rolls in with a gig bag, and that rig is about to become a social target for getting broken in right and relieve one of all those paranoias of getting a scratch way early on in the pipe dream.roflol

Not always the manufacturer's fault when things like this go wrong. Lots of spanners can get thrown into the works when you're dealing with Chinese subcontractors and trying to coordinate shipping containers. I'm sure it's not an ideal situation for Kala either - no stock means no turnover.

I've never been able to find a hard case that fitted my Stomberg Voisinet tenor but it didn't stop me taking it on a foreign tour a few years back - I bought a very good quality classical gig bag, took it on to the plane with me and made sure it was last in and first out of the van when we were loading. With the popularity of Baby Taylors and Martin LXMs there should be loads of decent smaller gig bags out there.

[Jayyj]

Right... you seem like you'd be a lovely person to be on tour with.

[RAGZDADDY]

Bro. I was just kinda yanking your chain for a little online jest and fun.

But Kala told us "TWO WEEKS AFTER RELEASE DATE" in the regard of case. Had that told TO MY FACE !

Several weeks after the release date, they finally moved on a possible proto-type. They rejected it. Made for a complete reset. Then they had another proto-type in had. Rejected it according to them. Now, according to them, the liberal union Pacific port strikes have them held up. Which is it is my question.

Now. For the other and to take it real. I think maybe you have the words 'tour' and 'vacation' confused. Simply put. Gigs bags are for vacation or the closet storage. I have several. They are used for dust covers, not for coddling and fondling scared breathless someone might get A DIRT on it. A guy with a gig bag, one instrument, and counting on others to shlep gear is on VACATION. Not on tour. Gig bags are the open mic night amateur special at best.

Myself and three musician buddies hit town last night just for dinner. One instrument each. Not a gig bag in the lot and my $3,200 resonator was in it's CASE in the floor board being used for a foot prop by a foot that didn't belong to me. I was honored to have that quality of a musician feel free to relax knowing my case was helping his bad back. You're right. You wouldn't enjoy touring with us at all because we drop all the open mic night gig bag tour people off at the Walmart parking lot for a foot locket to put that thing in. If the instrument and it's apparel doesn't serve dual purpose, it's on vacation and we'll buy it the ticket.

Just sayin, Bra Mon Dude.

Oh. And these days, I just busk and that's about it. But taking just one instrument in one $69 gig bag is still beneath buskers.
If all you have is ONE. Fer shur. Yer on vacation.

Hope the weather is good.

{edit}Oh. And just as an added bonus to my post, then back to the top of no case for the KA-GTR. First I'd like to ask if you even own one.
Then for general knowing...... I'm not all that hot and great of a musician. I just have the connections and get gigs when no one else can hardly find a benefit to play for free.
And for bonus knowing. Once, and ONLY once did I ever allow myself to be paid for playing. I booked, contracted and played the gigs and when the gig was over, the payroll line formed in front of me facing me.

I didn't need the money. I worked for a living teaching team building and leadership skills in experiential education 6 months out of the year and made fine more than most doing so. So the other six months, I spent my time getting guys with cases gigs, and the guys with gig bags were paying my pals to play.
And that's how that works.

But all in all, truth be told. I was really just on vacation with a real case.

Right... you seem like you'd be a lovely person to be on tour with.

[RAGZDADDY]

../

[RAGZDADDY]

Mike. I spoke directly into the powers that be at Kala a couple days ago. In answer to your question? "NO". No case yet. The stuttering I got was that the Pacific port strikes have them held up. But of course, I inquired that if the ports have them held up, that must surely be either on a boat and or in customs waiting to be released as an inquiry. The stuttering just got worse and my final verbiage was that they weren't sure of anything.

Not sure how to interpret that for you. But that's what I got. I think I finally irritated them enough to admit they don't have a clue.

And yes. I am totally with you on the thing being big fun to play. I was, am personally still enthralled with mine and quite amazed they hit well with it on the first round.

Any sign of the case yet? It doesn't appear on the Kala website (at least, I can't find it), and the cardboard box the dealer supplied is less than inadequate.

I emailed the company but haven't received a response yet, even so, I will still need to find a retailer willing to order it for me.

Awesome fun it is to play.

Peace.

[Jayyj]

It's all good. I'm obviously lucky that no one so far has refused to pay my guarantee because I turned up with a gig bag, but I'll take it as fair warning. Fortunately when I'm on vacation around Europe next month I don't need to fly and the Stromberg isn't coming so everything will be cased up properly in the van - you can rest easy!

[RAGZDADDY]

You go Bro. You make a million or two. It's about having fun and playing for the listener. I love gig bag. I'm just bantering with ya. So don't get all sour. It's just my way to be sure and treat everyone like family rather than a stranger.

But one thing I'll never do is trust a venue owner with payroll until I can smell the stinch of it in my hand. Seen to many get stiffed over the years. Think maybe I'll go play to the oak trees in the park this weekend. It's good squirrel control when I sing. lol

Now back to my listening to Charlie Parr and The Black Twig Pickers. lol

It's all good. I'm obviously lucky that no one so far has refused to pay my guarantee because I turned up with a gig bag, but I'll take it as fair warning. Fortunately when I'm on vacation around Europe next month I don't need to fly and the Stromberg isn't coming so everything will be cased up properly in the van - you can rest easy!

[Jayyj]

Not knowing you the posts read like you're having a go at me but if that's not how they're intended we're all good. I can take a bit of ragging, honestly! Hope you get the case sorted.

Would it fit in the Ozark tenor case? Seems like the body is more or less the same size.

[wchrapcynski]

I've been silently following this thread for a while after I got my Kala Tenor in late November of last year. I finally bit the bullet and ordered a case that looked very close to the measurements of the KA-GTR. While it is a soft case, it's pretty sturdy and the guitar fits fairly snug inside of it. So, I decided to sign up on the forums here to pass along the information that I have. This is the case I purchased:

http://www.amazon.com/Guardian-Soft-.../dp/B008Y2S5J4

For those who might be interested in installing a pickup in the guitar, I did so using the following pickup: http://www.jjb-electronics.com/prestige-220.html

This is a little test recording I did. It's straight from the pickup without any EQ or other effects: https://soundcloud.com/theshaggyfrea...ige-220-pickup

Well, I hope this information is of help to some of you. Musician wise, I'm typically a bass player but I also work a bit with ukuleles.

Enjoy!

[Mike Crocker]

Thanks for everyone's attention to the case matter. Kala did return my email this week with the same song and dance, "Gig bags and cases are in the process of making it to our stores." It's disappointing, but whatever the reason(s) if I get a case elsewhere it will only be on account of their own action or inaction (blame another supplier, maybe). I'm no novice with less common instruments, but generic sizes or not, shipping instruments without cases always seemed to me like shipping cars without windows.

[wchrapcynski]

I wouldn't be surprised if they had planned to have both the case and guitar come out at the same time. The company making the cases may have had problems of some sort, though. That's something that can certainly happen when you're outsourcing to so many companies. I'm glad that Kala seems to be slowly adding more USA made goods to their line up.

[fox]

I saw this on facebook........ "Hallelujah their finally available.
Kala KA-GTR , tenor guitar cases have hit the dock and as of today are ready to ship to retailers"

[RAGZDADDY]

I saw this on facebook........ "Hallelujah their finally available.
Kala KA-GTR , tenor guitar cases have hit the dock and as of today are ready to ship to retailers"

YUP. That would be my post on FB. I just spoke with George at Island Bazaar in Huntington Beach CA again, and their cases are on the way. They are just down the dirt from Kala and ought to be there quickly. Got mine ordered. I say you might want to get after it soon. Don't think she ordered that many and the east coast shops haven't a clue as to what is going on yet.

fox just didn't quote my entire post. . . .