Deciding on the best baritone ukulele with a warm tone and built from amazing tonewoods can be hard. Baritone ukes come in many different shapes and with several different string combinations, so how are you supposed to choose which one is right for you?
Don’t worry. We’ll help you decide. Baritone ukes are typically 4-string instruments, but they can have 6 strings. This makes the fretboard wider and gives you more playing options. Unlike the smaller ukuleles like the soprano, concert, and tenor, the baritone ukulele uses a different tuning: D – G – B – E. It’s also quite a bit larger with a scale length of 19 inches. Baritones are perfect for people with bigger hands or who want deeper sounding instrument.
Now let’s look at the top-rated baritone ukuleles and compare their specs, benefits, pros, and cons, so you can figure out which one is perfect for you.
Compare the Top Baritone Ukuleles in 2020
Contents
- 1 Compare the Top Baritone Ukuleles in 2020
- 1.1 Kala KA-ABP-CTG Baritone Ukulele
- 1.2 Kala KA-ZCT-B Ziricote Baritone Ukulele
- 1.3 Cordoba 20BM Baritone Ukulele
- 1.4 Kala KA-SBG Baritone Ukulele
- 1.5 Luna Tattoo 6 String Baritone Ukulele Bundle
- 1.6 Kala KA-B Mahogany Baritone Ukulele
- 1.7 Caramel CB500 Baritone Acoustic-Electric Ukulele
- 1.8 Alvarez RU22B Regent Series Ukulele
- 2 What We Recommend and Why
Here’s a list of the best baritone ukes on the market that will bring your tone to the next level.
- Kala KA-ABP-CTG Baritone Ukulele
- Kala KA-ZCT-B Ziricote Baritone Ukulele
- Cordoba 20BM Baritone Ukulele
- Kala KA-SBG Baritone Ukulele
- Luna Tattoo 6 String Baritone Ukulele Bundle
- Kala KA-B Mahogany Baritone Ukulele
- Caramel CB500 Baritone Acoustic-Electric Ukulele
- Alvarez RU22B Regent Series Ukulele
Kala KA-ABP-CTG Baritone Ukulele
Specs, features, and benefits
This beautiful baritone ukulele is made from a combination of tonewoods but what really gets people’s attention is the solid western red cedar top which makes for a luscious rounded sound. On top of all that, the mixture of the cedar top and laminated acacia back and sides is framed off with a thin and nicely polished padauk binding.
What’s also great about this ukulele is the mahogany neck and the walnut fingerboard and bridge which offers you great sustain when you play it allowing you to really have the notes running into each other and deploy that satisfying vibrato very easily.
Pros and Highlights
- Nice wood mix – It’s obvious that this ukulele features a nice blend of different woods which really compliment not only its overall look but also the sound itself. Not to mention that it’s quite sturdy and will age nicely for you to play it for years to come.
- Tone quality – It has a beautiful rich tone and rounded sound once it’s properly tuned, accompanied by that vintage style open tuners and also that great wood mix we’re constantly talking about.
- Overall feeling – With this ukulele, you’re really getting that classic old-school experience when playing it mainly because it’s whole design and structure is fitted to match the needs of all ukulele lovers.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Handling – Might not be the best ukulele for beginners but rather for little more experienced players.
Bottom line
To summarize, it’s a pretty nice ukulele offering great sounds and high-quality woods to compensate for its overall performance. All in all, when you consider the quality and the price range, you really can’t go wrong with this ukulele.
Kala KA-ZCT-B Ziricote Baritone Ukulele
Specs, features, and benefits
Another beautiful ukulele is the Ziricote which features a rich and dark chocolate brown wood complemented by a honey Sapwood in the middle and along its sides and all this is topped with a glossy finish which brings out the highlights very nicely.
Like the previous ukulele model, this one also has a mahogany neck and a walnut fingerboard which bring a high-quality feel when played. The tone is sweet and lovely and the intonation is decent without it being absolutely perfect.
Pros and Highlights
- Amazing quality – Definitely one of the highest quality ukuleles on this list, not just because of the woods that it’s made from but also because of the sound it resonates when played.
- Weight – This is a bit heavier than usual ukulele models, measuring to around 4 pounds, but you know that the extra weight is an indicator of good quality and sound, it may take some time to get used to it though.
- Sound – As we already discussed, the sound is quite nice and can even be tuned to sound like a guitar which is appealing to both ukulele and guitar players who like to experiment with the tone.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- None – There really aren’t any flaws to point out at this price range and quality.
Bottom line
Only one word can properly describe this ukulele – masterpiece! And I mean that when I say it because this ukulele is by far one of the best on the market with so many happy customers and players who are delighted that they’ve got their hands on such a great instrument.
Cordoba 20BM Baritone Ukulele
Specs, features, and benefits
This amazing and well-built ukulele features a solid mahogany top, back, neck and sides. At first glance, it seems to be nothing fancy or flashy but looks can be deceiving because the high-quality wood it’s made from offers a nice mellow tone and good sustain.
The sound projection is very clean and it incorporates the volume which only comes with bigger ukuleles and is associated with sopranos and the overall build makes for really great resonance. What’s also great about getting a solid wood ukulele is that it looks even gorgeous as it ages.
Pros and Highlights
- Great Sound – Without a doubt, this ukulele has a sound quality which can par to ukuleles which are double the price of this one simply because of all the features it has to offer and not only that but its sound is very sweet and clean.
- For all players – This is a ukulele which surely will be admired by both new players and old ones. Newbies will like it because it’s quite easy to play and get used to it and the old school players will be brought back to the good old days when they first started playing once they hear the sound it produces.
- Well-made – It’s something about the solid structure ukuleles I personally like and this one is no exception, without any flashy details it still is a nicely made, high-quality instrument.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- High frets – The one flaw that should be pointed out is the fact that if you’re playing chords on the high frets you will need some bridge adjustment, otherwise you should be fine.
Bottom line
The Cordoba truly is a great all-around and high-quality ukulele which is great for any player who either likes classic ukuleles or even beginners who have just stepped into the world of ukuleles and need an awesome instrument.
Kala KA-SBG Baritone Ukulele
Specs, features, and benefits
This is certainly a timeless ukulele with a classic look featuring a solid spruce top with mahogany laminate on the back and sides with all the woods showing off a wonderful grain finished in gloss while a black binding edges the instrument, giving it an even more beautiful definition.
As far as the sound is concerned, the KA-SBG has a really nice balanced baritone sound to it, mainly because of the crisp brightness of the spruce and the warmth of the mahogany. The projection is big and resonant and the use of solid woods on the top means that the ukulele will open up as it ages resulting in a fuller tone.
Pros and Highlights
- Versatile – It offers a powerful baritone but with a lovely balance and resonant projection so it produces quite a unique sound when tuned properly which is delightful to play around with.
- Hardware – This ukulele has really solid hardware that enhances its tone, playability, and overall feeling when played and features a set of closed-gear chrome tuners, a rosewood bridge, and a GraphTech nut and saddle.
- Handling – It’s quite easy to play it, tuning it isn’t a hassle and it fits quite comfortably in your hand even though it’s a bigger model than the usual ukulele models.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Size – If you’re comfortable with playing a bigger sized ukulele than you don’t need to worry about anything.
Bottom line
Nice and great sounding ukulele which has a really great design and warm tone. It’s one of those ukuleles which you bring to a campfire and play it but keep really good care of it so it doesn’t get scratched.
Luna Tattoo 6 String Baritone Ukulele Bundle
Specs, features, and benefits
This is a unique ukulele, to say the least not only because it features a solid mahogany top, back, and sides, but also because it has a laser-etched tattoo on its front making it a very beautiful and pleasing to the eye.
But looks aren’t the only thing this ukulele has to offer and as you can see it has six strings instead of the usual four which is convenient for any guitar player who secretly wants to play the ukulele. Also, the solid mahogany structure along with open gear tuners, provide proper intonation.
Pros and Highlights
- 6-strings – Of course, we have to highlight the fact that this ukulele has six strings because it’s basically like playing a little guitar instead of a ukulele which is pretty cool for most players.
- Sound – Apart from the six strings, the sound quality is also great and the fact that you can tune it so that it sounds really like a guitar will give you many options to experiment and play around with it.
- Design – The laser-etched tattoo is a pretty nice detail and on top of all that the mahogany body really complements the entire look of the ukulele which is even more highlighted by the tone it makes when played.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Not a classic one – If you’re not familiar with 6 string instruments then you might need some practice to get used to this one.
Bottom line
An overall great ukulele with lots of options when it comes to sound as it has those six strings we’re constantly talking about, which, although may not seem such a major feature, actually are one of the reasons why this ukulele is so great.
Kala KA-B Mahogany Baritone Ukulele
Specs, features, and benefits
If you like the classic and timeless models this one is for you, because here we have a beautiful ukulele which has a body made entirely out of mahogany, finished in satin and decorated with simple cream binding around the top and back.
The sound it produces is very deep and mellow with plenty of projection and the mahogany lends itself well to a balanced tone. Altogether, it has great sustain, nice sound quality and it sits comfortably in your hand.
Pros and Highlights
- Great quality – Like all mahogany ukuleles, you know you’ve got what you paid for mainly because of the material which is high-end and very thankful as far as aging is concerned.
- Good sound – As we already said, this baritone ukulele offers a nice and deep tone complemented with plenty of projection and sustain because of the mahogany body which feels and sounds great to play.
- Well-rounded – It’s reasonably priced, it’s sound quality is great and it’s well-made. Although the overall design isn’t anything flashy, players who like classic ukuleles with standard features will certainly consider trying this one out.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Tuning – Without proper tuning, there might be some slight buzzing so keep that in mind.
Bottom line
We’ve already said almost everything there is to this ukulele because it’s pretty standard and surely will make most ukulele players enjoy playing it. It’s sort of the ukulele you buy when you don’t want to experiment with some more unique ones.
Caramel CB500 Baritone Acoustic-Electric Ukulele
Specs, features, and benefits
One of the most gorgeous and unique ukuleles on this list is the Caramel CB500. Why it’s so unique you ask? Well, apart from the body made entirely from rosewood laminate finished in satin and a very binding around the top and back, it’s also both an acoustic and an electric ukulele which is really practical for players who like to switch up their playing style.
Another unique feature is the soundhole, which is usually behind the strings, but in this case, it is on the side accompanied by even smaller holes below it. With all being said, you can expect that this baritone ukulele will surely offer you a darker, warmer and more mature sound with good projection.
Pros and Highlights
- Electro-acoustic – Obviously we have to point out a great feature of this ukulele which is the electric system that comes with pickup and a preamp. The preamp comes with a master volume control, a 3-band equalizer and a built-in digital tuner.
- Price – You would be surprised to find out that this model is the cheapest one on the list, costing less than a 100$, which is unusual for a baritone ukulele as they are mostly higher-priced than, for example, sopranos.
- Sound – For such a cheap instrument, the sound is actually really good and is on par with other more expensive models and given the fact that you can switch from acoustic to electric which both provides a nice tone, this ukulele is surely a bargain.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Batteries – The preamp drains the batteries quickly so you should remove them when you’re not playing the instrument or it will get a bit pricey to change them so often.
Bottom line
If you like the transition from acoustic to electric ukuleles then this one is for you, and in addition, when you consider how cheap this instrument is, you can even buy it just to have fun and test out different sounds.
Alvarez RU22B Regent Series Ukulele
Specs, features, and benefits
At first glance, this ukulele seems to be plain-looking because it features a traditional non-cutaway style body made by a mahogany laminate on the top, back and sides with an elegant satin finish. There is nobody binding or purfling but rather a nice abalone rosette around the soundhole making it appear very plain and simple.
When we talk about sound, the construction, size and fan-braced top give the instrument a really nice intonation, really good projection, and an overall great sustain. If you don’t like flashy ukuleles but still want a nice instrument, you won’t go wrong with this one.
Pros and Highlights
- Great for beginners – This classic ukulele is a great choice when starting to learn how to play because it sits very comfortably in your hand, the features are pretty basic and you’ll learn how to play this instrument in no time.
- Price – This is surely one of the cheapest ukuleles on the list, and if you’re a newbie then you opt to try the Alvarez because at this price you won’t find a better sounding ukulele on the market.
- Good quality – Along with it being a cheap ukulele, it’s also well made and will surely last you for years of playing because the mahogany structure gives it its sturdiness and will only look better as it ages.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Fretboard and bridge –They are both perfectly flat, so you’ll need some time getting used to, but if you’re a beginner it won’t be a problem.
Bottom line
If you want an affordable but good ukulele then the Alvarez is one of your best options to consider when buying ukuleles. It’s cheap, nicely made and sounds really good compared to other ukuleles of the similar price range.
What We Recommend and Why
It’s obvious that after all that praise that the ukulele which we recommend you buy is the Ziricote and it’s because of a bunch of different reasons. The first one is that the quality speaks for itself when it comes to the sound, the wood that it’s made from and the overall resonance it produces when played.
The second reason is that you really can’t find a better ukulele on the market in that price range, and if you’re willing to spend a little extra on your next ukulele then this one is for you. Of course, you’re free to try the rest of ukuleles on this list and see for yourself which one fits you best.