So, you want to get a ukulele? Good choice. This instrument truly is unique. It delivers the most wonderful, natural, authentic sound. When I play my uke, I feel like I am teleporting into a totally different world. It is like my mind travels to someplace, near the ocean, on a champagne sandy beach. It surely has that legendary Hawaiian vibe to it.
The first time I got interested in ukuleles was when I heard the song “somewhere over the rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole. His beautiful voice perfectly merges with the sound of Uke. Perfect duo. That minute will never be erased from my memory – I felt the music going through my body. I liked the sound so much that wanted to learn an instrument as soon as possible and got it right away.
Since then I play my uke on daily basis. I understand that with the desire to learn, a lot of questions come, in this article, I will try to answer some of them, and give you a general idea about ukuleles. I have made some research about the best baritone ukulele available on the market today. Nowadays it is difficult to distinguish a good, solid instrument from the crappy one, as they are all advertised in the best way possible. Do not worry, that is exactly why I am here. You will not get deceived, as the models from the list are truly the best of the best. Here goes the list. Enjoy.
What’s The Best Baritone Ukulele
Image | Ukulele Model | ||
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Kala KA-B Mahogany Baritone Ukulele | (4.9 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
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Alvarez RU22B Regent Series Ukulele | (4.9 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
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Cordoba 20BM Baritone Ukulele | (4.8 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
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Caramel CB103 Baritone Acoustic Electric Ukulele | (4.7 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
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Oscar Schmidt OU52 Baritone Ukulele | (4.7 / 5) | Check on Amazon |
Kala KA-B Mahogany Baritone Ukulele
This uke is a lot of fun to play! The Kala KA-B is a baritone ukulele, which gives you an awesome tone. And this comes from a take – little instrument with very affordable price. The quality is really good. These guys make some of the best ukuleles out there. The Kala KA-B baritone ukulele features a traditional mahogany body with traditional white binding, 18 Silver Nickel Frets, Mahogany Neck and Satin Finish. So, you will be able to get a variety of tones. It also has quality geared tuners so going out of tune will definitely not be a big of a problem. The Kala baritone has a beautiful voice. Intonation is excellent too – every first fret note on each different string is right in tune. Hands can feel the quality, your ears can hear it, and it looks great. Get the Kala KA-B and you will not regret.
Pros:
- Minimalist, elegant look
- Good action
- Stays in tune
- Comfortable for someone with bigger hands or someone used to guitars
Cons:
- High price for beginner ukulele
- Basic hardware for its price
Alvarez RU22B Regent Series Ukulele
The Alvarez RU22B Regent Series is a high-quality beginner ukulele; it has many features and specifications you find in pro-level Alvarez models such as our rosewood bridge, fan bracing, and real bone nut and saddle, work together to get the best tone and response possible. The ukulele has a classic look and delivers that special, Hawaiian vibe. This Ukulele features: Mahogany on top, with a satin finish, traditional fan bracing, and back and sides from mahogany with a gloss finish. Smooth Mahogany neck with the rosewood fingerboard will let your hand easily glide and not get tired from playing nonstop.
Its 18 frets will deliver wide range of tones. The instrument features a Real Bone nut and saddle. It is geared with chrome tuners, so holds the tune pretty well. Great sound and finish. It is constructed with a dovetail neck joint for optimal strength and transfer of energy between the neck and body. Alvarez RU22B Regent Series Ukulele has been carefully designed to deliver an open-sounding and responsive instrument with good projection, volume and fine tone.
Pros:
- Quality build
- Sturdy binding and neck joint
- Bone nut and saddle
- Quality and functional hardware
Cons:
- Not a great looker
- Might be a bit pricey for beginners
Cordoba 20BM Baritone Ukulele
Cordoba 20BM Baritone Ukulele is one of the top-sounding baritone ukuleles on the market. It has a clean and simple look in the classic Martin mahogany style. The minute you hear it and look at the price tag, you will not believe your eyes. The overall performance quality it delivers is surely unbelievable. The natural wood pattern rosette and satin finish make this a truly beautiful instrument for both beginners and ukulele enthusiasts as well. The tone is very deep.
The fingerboard is very comfortable, and the string spacing makes fingerstyle playing easy. It features solid mahogany top, mahogany back and sides, so the craftsmanship is pretty decent. Matte finish gives it even more attractive aesthetics. Mahogany’s neck feels very comfortable in hands. It is significantly smaller than a guitar but still gives you a similar depth of sound. This Uke stays in tune for a long time. Cordoba 20BM Baritone Ukulele is one of the most demanded models, so would highly recommend it.
Pros:
- Clear cut, simple design
- Tuners that actually keep the tune
- Quality solid tonewood
Cons:
- Pricey
- Buzz
Caramel CB103 Baritone Acoustic Electric Ukulele
Caramel CB103 Baritone Acoustic Electric Ukulele really has very impressive overall performance quality. The gloss finish gives it more attractive and beautiful look. This Uke features a Zebra wood body, Mirror polished by hand so you get the idea about its craftsmanship. A Truss rod is embedded in the neck for neck adjustment, to make playing even easier and more comfortable. 3 Band EQ built-in tuner will hold the tune for a long time. Walnut fretboard will let your hand glide like a breeze on the smooth neck.
Buffalo bone nut and saddle add a nice detail. 18 frets enable for a wider range of sound. It also has great electronics too: 3 Band EQ controls- Bass, Middle, Treble, Chromatic tuner with LCD color display and Low battery indicator. Sizes available are 51CM Scale length and 76CM Overall body length. As for the depth- it is 8 cm. The action is excellent. There are even bridge pins that you would expect on a guitar! The tone is completely incredible. This great Uke is excellent in both, amplified and acoustically. It keeps its tune very well and is just fun to play. You will be completely satisfied.
Pros:
- Holds the tune pretty well
- Gorgeous, pretty much perfect finish
- Quality electronics that reproduce sound authentically
Cons:
- Action might be too high
- Some models have a bit of buzz on strings
- Might be a bit slippery (due to finish)
Oscar Schmidt OU52 Baritone Ukulele
The OU52 is a very good beginner baritone ukulele. This Uke will allow a new player to get a feel of an instrument without spending too much for more expensive ones. Oscar Schmidt OU52 Ukulele Features: Laminated Mahogany Body, Mahogany top, Mahogany back & sides, so the craftsmanship is really top-notch. It looks amazing with Satin Finish and abalone rosette and binding.
Rosewood fingerboard enables for fast and comfortable playing, without your hand getting tired instrument is equipped with die-cast chrome, so it barely goes out of tune. The Oscar Schmidt OU52 is constructed of laminated mahogany with classic designs and provides an affordable baritone ukulele with fantastic tone. Oscar Schmidt Ukuleles are handcrafted for years of playing enjoyment. It is easy to tune. The sweet tone, sturdy finish, has been a great value. Outstanding uke for the money. I would recommend this ukulele to starter players.
Pros:
- Good entry-level uke for guitar players
- Inexpensive
- No issues with tuning
Cons:
- Buzz
- Cheap tonewood
Did you like the models from the list above? If so, which one? Well… even if you already made up your mind, you might still have a lot of questions. Therefore, I will give you brief information about best ukuleles in general and specifically baritone ones.
So, I guess you already know that there are 4 kinds of ukuleles. They are differentiated with their size, sound, style etc. From smallest to biggest the order will go like this: Soprano, Concert, Tenor, Baritone. Baritone ukuleles are the largest of them all. They differ from the rest a lot. Baritone ukulele size goes up to 30 inches (76 cm). They distinguish from other sizes not only with size but with sound as well. This instrument has a deep, rich sound. It is more like a classical nylon-stringed guitar sound than a uke tone. Although the baritone ukulele has a wide range of tones due to many additional frets and nice sound, it is not very popular. As you know, one of the top qualities of the ukulele is its portability and nice uke sound, and the Baritone uke seems to lack it. It sounds more like a guitar and is big in relation to other ukuleles.
Ukulele Vs Guitar
I guess every beginner got confused by ukuleles at some point. They look like guitars, have strings…Are they mini guitars? That’s what I thought the first time I laid my eyes on it. You cannot blame us for thinking like this, because it certainly looks like a smaller version of the guitar. However, in reality, they are completely different kind of instruments. Of course, they share some common features, but on the whole, they are different in size, principle of operations and generally how the instrument behaves. Ukuleles use completely different tuning system. That means you need to learn completely different chords and playing techniques. Of course, knowing how to play might be useful, as you will already have general knowledge in strumming or hand positions, but still when it comes to chords and generally uke you need to start from scratch. Ukulele has four strings and its standard tuning is G – C – E – A. Each string has a different key, therefore you can not transfer guitar chords to ukulele. The sound of the ukulele is pretty different as well, it is softer is some ways and less powerful, but surely has clarity. Baritone ukuleles have more guitar-like sound than any other uke.
Conclusion
In the end, it all comes down to your preferences. Those instruments are all amazing – best of the best, however, they still feel a bit different in your hands. You will be spending a lot of time with your new partner, so try to connect with it in every way and best way possible. Looking for a new instrument is always difficult. Trust me I understand that, been there.
But remember how long it took for Harry Potter at Ollivander’s wand shop to find the perfect wand? It took a lot of trouble and caused a big mess, however at the end he found his best match and did an outstanding job with it. So, you can find your perfect best baritone ukulele as well, just try them all and choose the one which you feel is right. Also, try not to stress too much about the choosing part. At the end music is suppose to give you an uncontrollable whiff of pleasant emotions, but definitely not stress. Relax and take it easy. I wish you all the best in your Uke hunting process.