Baritone ukuleles are known for their rich and deeper sound. The sound is fuller and deeper, perfect for many songs. It is also a good choice for beginners as it is easier to maneuver and simpler to play. With baritone ukuleles, there is plenty of room in between the frets, so it’s easier to play.
Baritone ukuleles are tuned similarly to the top 4 strings of an acoustic guitar, which is D, G, B, and E. it is simply like a regular guitar minus the two low strings. If you are looking for a good baritone ukulele, we have some good news for you. You can find great value online, especially when you check out these top baritone ukuleles this year.
What are the best baritone ukuleles?
1) Kala KA-B Mahogany Baritone Ukulele
Editor’s Rating: 4.3 out of 5
Best Baritone Ukulele from Kala
You’ll instantly fall in love with this Kala baritone ukulele. The KA-B is a wonderful uke for a first-time player. Because it’s a baritone, the frets are adequately spaced, and every sound is low, warm, and loud.
A baritone ukulele like the KA-B is played almost the same as a standard acoustic guitar but without the two smallest strings. You can also guarantee that this uke will stand many years of playing because it’s made from one of the most durable tonewoods: mahogany.
So the Kala KA-B has a mahogany top, sides, and back. The neck is also made from mahogany and thus it’s very sturdy even when you play this instrument regularly. The fingerboard is made from walnut creating a smooth and perfect surface where your hands can slide easily.
The Kala KA-B is a traditional baritone ukulele and it may be a good uke for you.
Tech Specs
- Type of Ukulele – Baritone
- Material – mahogany top, neck, sides and back, walnut fretboard
- Special features – easy to play, light to carry
- Bundle? – NO
- Accessories – none
2) Luna Vintage Pineapple Mahogany Ukulele
Editor’s Rating: 4.2 out of 3
Best Pineapple-Mahogany Vintage Ukulele from Luna
Despite the name, there’s nothing fruity about the Luna Vintage Ukulele. The pineapple in this uke’s name refers to the instrument’s size which is also available in tenor size. This uke is very durable as it’s made from very strong and warm mahogany.
The Luna Vintage has a mahogany body, the top is dark and perfect for any style of playing. It comes with a c-set neck which means it’s easier to play and stronger as well. The top is flat while the fretboard is made of very strong and extra-durable walnut. And on the surface is a red satin finish which protects the uke from scratches, dents, and marks.
The Luna baritone ukulele is one of the easiest to play because of its banjo-like size and shape. It may look different from other ukuleles but this is what makes it stand out from the rest.
Tech Specs
- Type of Ukulele – pineapple, flat top contour
- Material – mahogany body and top, walnut fretboard
- Special features – with a C-set neck and a red satin finish
- Bundle? – NO
- Accessories – none
3) Alvarez Regent Series Ukulele
Editor’s Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Best Natural-Satin Ukulele from Alvarez
The Regent Series from Alvarez ukuleles has a classic style and design. The RU22C model comes with a strong body as it is made from one of the most resilient tonewoods: mahogany. You’ll get a uke with a mahogany top, sides and back while the fingerboard is made of very warm yet durable rosewood.
The Alvarez baritone uke is also one of the most efficiently constructed with a fan bracing inside the body of the instrument. The tuners are made of chrome which is very durable, ideal for first-time users. Overall, the Regent Series RU22C is one of the easiest baritone ukes to play. The sound is loud, warm, and perfect. If you’re learning how to play the ukulele then this might be the best baritone uke for you.
Tech Specs
- Type of Ukulele – concert ukulele
- Material – mahogany top, sides and back, rosewood fingerboard and chrome tuners
- Special features – fan bracing, natural satin finish
- Bundle? – NO
- Accessories – none
4) Diamond Head Deluxe Mahogany Baritone Ukulele
Editor’s Rating: 4 out of 5
Best Natural Mahogany Baritone Ukulele
The Diamond Head Uke is a part of the company’s deluxe natural set. This baritone uke has a distinct shape that allows it to produce a full-bodied sound. It comes with a satin finish which enhances its warm and rich appearance.
The body and the neck are made from very durable and warm mahogany. This tonewood offers an amazing tone and lovely resonance. The tuners are gold-plated and are very resilient; this guarantees that your instrument will remain in the correct intonation. And for people who travel with their uke, this Diamond Head ukulele comes with a special gig bag to easily store and travel with your instrument. This is one of the easiest to play and is guaranteed perfect for novice users.
Tech Specs
- Type of Ukulele – distinct ukulele shape
- Material – mahogany body and neck, gold-plated tuners
- Special features – with a lovely satin finish
- Bundle? – NO
- Accessories – comes with a gig bag
5) Hilo Acoustic Upright Bass Ukulele
Editor’s Rating: 3.6 out of 5
Best Bass 4-String Ukulele from Hilo
The Hilo ukulele is a 4-string acoustic bass uke. This is a baritone-size ukulele that’s perfect for first-time users. This is made from a very strong natural material that makes this uke very durable and perfect for long-term use.
The fingerboard is easy to play with geared machined frets along the surface. With this, you’ll be able to practice and play better. This instrument is lightweight, easy to take anywhere.
Tech Specs
- Type of Ukulele – baritone size
- Material – strong, resilient tonewood
- Special features – with machined frets on its fingerboard, lightweight
- Bundle? – NO
- Accessories – none
6) Kmise Baritone Ukulele
Editor’s Rating: 4.3 out of 5
Best 30-Inch Baritone Ukulele from Kmise
The Kmise Baritone Uke is a 30-inch instrument with a GCEA classic four-string. Baritone ukuleles are known to be more resonant, can sustain lower notes, and has a warm and lower sound overall.
The Kmise uke has a mahogany body with bone saddle and nut. It is one of the most durable baritone ukes because of its protective light stain. The fingerboard is made from rosewood therefore it’s very resonant and durable and comfortable to use.
This uke is fitted with Aquila strings, high-quality ukulele strings that provide the best sound and the most precise tone. It is easy to press and play with no unwanted buzzing. It is also lighter and thus easy to take anywhere. And if you’re new playing the ukulele, this Kmise baritone ukulele may be the best one for you.
Tech Specs
- Type of Ukulele – baritone ukulele
- Material – mahogany body, bone saddle and nut, and rosewood fingerboard
- Special features – comfortable to play, Aquila strings for accurate tone, best sounds
- Bundle? – there is a bundle available
- Accessories – does not come with accessories but a bundle is available with all the accessories you need.
7) Kala MK-B Makala Baritone Ukulele Set
Editor’s Rating: 4.3 out of 5
Best Bundle for Baritone Ukulele from Kala
The Kala MK-B is a baritone ukulele that comes in a complete set. With a complete bundle comprising of the instrument and its many accessories, you’ll get more value with your purchase plus, you can immediately learn how to play as soon as you get your ukulele bundle home.
The baritone ukulele comes with a very durable mahogany body and neck. Mahogany will remain in shape and will retain its dark and warm color even when you play it over and over again.
The body and neck may be mahogany but the fingerboard and bridge are made from walnut, another strong and resilient tonewood. This uke has s18 brass frets and very efficient geared tuners. These are easy to use (tighten and loosen) by turning the tuners to accurately tune your instrument.
The Kala MK-B Makala uke comes with all you need to learn how to play the ukulele. First, you have a padded gig bag where you can place the ukulele and all its accessories. Zip this up and you’re ready to go wherever you need to go with your ukulele. You’ll get a free set of Aquila ukulele strings, a digital tuner, a ukulele strap, a cleaning cloth, and some instructional material.
Tech Specs
- Type of Ukulele – baritone ukulele
- Material – mahogany body and neck, walnut bridge and fingerboard, brass frets
- Special features – with geared tuners, with 18 brass frets
- Bundle? – YES
- Accessories – gig bag, ukulele strings, digital tuner, strap, cleaning cloth, instructional DVD, and online lessons card.
8) Caramel 30-Inch High-Gloss Baritone Ukulele Zebra Wood
Editor’s Rating: 4.4 out of 5
Best Baritone Caramel Ukulele in Zebra Wood
The Caramel CB 103 is a 30-inch baritone electric ukulele. It was made out of a very shiny tonewood called zebra wood and has been polished by hand. It comes with a truss rod, a piece of long metal that keeps the neck straight and strong. This may be adjusted from the inside of the ukulele body in case you need to manually tune your ukulele.
Because this is an acoustic-electric ukulele, this has a built-in 3 band equalizer tuner with a colored LCD. This Caramel ukulele is so easy to tune and very easy to play. It is also available in acoustic-electric tenor varieties
Tech Specs
- Type of Ukulele – acoustic-electric baritone
- Material – zebra wood
- Special features – with a 3-band with LCD screen, hand-polished surface, with an adjustable truss rod.
- Bundle? – NO
- Accessories – none
9) Cordoba Baritone Ukulele
Editor’s Rating: 4.1 out of 5
Best Cordoba Baritone Ukulele
The Cordoba Baritone Ukulele 20BM is a beautiful uke with a stunning top and neck. It is made from solid mahogany from the top, sides, and back. This means that this ukulele is very strong, very resilient to warping, and will withstand regular use. The fretboard and bridge are made from rosewood, another tonewood that’s tough and has unique musical qualities.
This baritone uke shines and is resistant to marks and scratches as it comes with a natural surface finish. The strings are perfect as it’s Aquila Nylgut ideal for baritone instruments
Aside from this baritone guitar, Cordoba also has tenor, concert, soprano, tenor electric, and other uke models.
Tech Specs
- Type of Ukulele – baritone
- Material – mahogany sides and back, rosewood fretboards and fingerboards
- Special features – with a natural satin-like finish
- Bundle? – NO
- Accessories – none
10) Luna Guitars Uke Bass-Baritone Ukulele
Editor’s Rating: 3.3 out of 5
Best-Looking Baritone Ukulele with An Etched Design from Luna
The Luna Uke Baritone is a lovely ukulele with unique tattoo markings all over the body. If you feel like Moana with this Luna ukulele then you’re not alone! It has a spruce top making it gleam like an acoustic guitar. The body is made from very durable mahogany while the fingerboard is pure rosewood so it’s very strong. The neck is set and is very easy to play.
This Luna baritone produces a rich and endearing sound. It is easy to tune and will be lighter and easier to carry anywhere. It comes with a pre-amp so you can connect this to some speakers and you’re ready to perform in no time.
Tech Specs
- Type of Ukulele – baritone
- Material – spruce top, mahogany body, and rosewood fingerboard
- Special features – with a set neck, black hardware, and a lovely stain.
- Bundle? – NO
- Accessories – none
Why Choose A Baritone Ukulele?
There are many advantages to using a baritone ukulele making it one of the most favorite types of ukes by players and listeners alike.
The baritone ukulele is a portable and lightweight string instrument and can even replace an acoustic guitar. Yes, it only has four strings but do you know that playing a baritone uke is similar to playing a regular guitar without using the final two notes. If you’re tired of lugging around a heavy dreadnought to your gig destinations then you might consider baritone ukulele.
Another reason why a baritone ukulele is better because it is lightweight. This means you can carry it better as you perform on stage or as you commute. Because it’s light, you can easily move your hands on the instrument’s body and neck. It’s flexible too as you can play all kinds of tunes with this uke because it’s light and comfortable to use.
A baritone ukulele is for people who have large hands. The tenor and soprano ukes have slimmer necks and thus can be hard to play for people with large hands and fingers. There’s a lot of room between the frets too and thus, you can practice positioning your hands on a ukulele as well.
• What Is A Baritone Ukulele?
A baritone ukulele is a ukulele with a 30-inch length, sometimes longer. Tuning it is in the DGBE or GCEA keys. It’s like tuning a standard guitar’s bottom strings. A baritone has 19+ frets and because of this, it is the biggest of all ukuleles.
Baritone ukuleles produce a very deep sound. A baritone is for blues music and players who prefer fingerpickers for a full and deep sound.
Is Baritone Ukulele Good For Beginners?
There are many reasons why the baritone ukulele is the best for beginners.
- The baritone uke has large fret distances and thus, beginner players can practice finger placement easily. There will be plenty of room to make mistakes.
- The baritone uke is a good transition instrument from a regular acoustic guitar to a ukulele. As mentioned, tuning the baritone is like tuning a regular acoustic minus the two lowest strings. If you’re used to playing the guitar then switching to a ukulele won’t be a problem at all.
- The baritone uke has a low and loud voice. It may not fit most songs but when you’re learning how to play the uke, it pays to listen to a low and loud tone made by a baritone ukulele than a soprano.
- The baritone uke is like a mini acoustic and thus, you won’t find it awkward to hold it if you’re used to playing an acoustic guitar before.
Buyer’s Guide
Consider the following when buying a baritone ukulele:
• The baritone ukulele shape
All ukulele types are available in different popular shapes. Among the most popular shapes are Figure 8 or the Guitar Shape, Pineapple Shape, and Boat Paddle Shape.
Among these, the Guitar Shape is the most common.
The Guitar Shaped Ukulele has an upper-body or the shoulder which is smaller compared to the lower body. The narrow part is the waist. A Pineapple shape is similar to the profile of a pineapple. This was first used by the Kamaka Ukulele Company. Finally, the Paddle shape is like the shape of a boat paddle and this is seldom used.
• Ukulele wood and construction techniques
Consider whether you want a ukulele made from natural or synthetic materials. High-quality ukuleles are made from high quality and solid woods. Cheaper or more affordable models are constructed from laminated woods or thin layers of wood that are glued together. Natural wood ukuleles are more resonant and will have distinct tones depending on the type of wood used. Meanwhile, laminated ukuleles tend to be stronger as the lamination process strengthens the instrument. Also, wooden instruments tend to change shape depending on the climate. Laminated or synthetic instruments tend to stay the same shape and size despite climate changes.
A few of the most common tonewoods used in constructing ukuleles are Koa, Mahogany, Spruce, Cedar, Redwood, Rosewood and Maple.
- Spruce – this tonewood is mostly used on ukulele tops. It is a wood with a dense grain and hence produces loud and very bright tones.
- Cedar – this natural wood is softer compared to spruce and will provide a mellow and round tone. It is the bests for bringing out lower tones created by baritone and tenor ukes.
- Redwood – this type of wood has qualities that are between cedar and spruce woods. It has the same clarity as spruce wood and the wonderful warmth of cedarwood and thus it’s perfect as material for ukuleles. But due to overharvesting, redwood has become very expensive and scarce.
- Maple – this tonewood has a tight grain that usually has attractive patterns. Most ukulele fretboards and bridges are made from maple wood.
- Mahogany – this is a dark tonewood that creates a warm tone. Most ukuleles have mahogany necks.
- Koa – this is a tropical hardwood native to the islands of Hawaii. It is the most common type of tonewood for constructing ukuleles. Koa has lovely patterns on its grain and comes in several colors.
- Consider specialty ukuleles
Just like a guitar, ukuleles also come in hybrid forms like an acoustic-electric ukulele. The instrument has a built-in pickup to transform string vibrations to electrical signals which are transmitted to an amplifier. Most ukulele artists use this kind of specialty ukulele.
Another form of a specialty ukulele is a six-string and an eight-string ukulele. This instrument is based on a tenor or a baritone uke and has a compact size. These are perfect traveling companions because of their size and lightweight.
• Ukulele accessories
Aside from the ukulele itself, consider if you’re getting free accessories with your purchase. Just like buying beginner acoustic guitars, some ukulele makers and distributors have bundled products as well.
You’ll get more value for your purchase if you also get accessories like a ukulele bag, a tuner, ukulele string, picks, cleaning cloths, and extra ukulele strings. Some distributors also offer ukulele lessons with your purchase. You may get a lesson book or a DVD.
When it comes to ukulele strings, make sure to use only quality strings. Cheap or poorly manufactured strings can affect the way you play your instrument. There is a wide variety of replacement strings including nylon, aluminum, titanium, and fluorocarbon strings.
Finally, a basic ukulele songbook is a good accessory. A songbook will help you learn to play basic songs, how to play most-loved ukulele hits and popular songs in ukulele chords.
FAQs
Can a baritone ukulele be tuned to GCEA?
A baritone ukulele may be tuned to the GCEA notes as with all other uke types or to the DGBE with the D higher than the non-reentrant tuning. To tune it following the GCEA, you need a different set of strings to match the baritone strings used for regular tuning. The high D tuning of the baritone needs a different D string.
In some baritone ukulele, these come with re-entrant strings. It is rare to find baritone ukuleles sold in the DGBE tuning set.
Are baritone ukulele chords the same?
Baritone ukuleles have their strings tuned to the DGBE and a low D. Compared to tenor ukuleles, the strings are in the GCEA setting. You’ll find it easier to tune a baritone ukulele if you know how to tone a standard acoustic guitar.
Consider that the C-major chords on a tenor uke are played similarly with the G-major of a baritone uke. If you don’t know how to tune a guitar or a ukulele yet, consider learning how to do so before you start to play your instrument.
Which ukulele sounds most like a guitar?
The baritone ukulele is the type of ukulele that sounds almost identical to a guitar. This is because of the size of the baritone, the biggest ukulele size which is already the size of a mini acoustic.
Also, tuning a baritone is like tuning an acoustic guitar but only four strings are tuned as with the baritone.
Is it easier to play ukulele than the guitar?
Many people say that it’s easier to play a ukulele than a guitar because you are only working with four strings while some say that it’s easier to play a baritone ukulele after knowing how to play a regular acoustic. This is because the baritone sounds like a regular guitar. It is even tuned the same way minus the two farthest strings.
Conclusion
Based on our review of the top ten best baritone ukuleles, we have selected the Kala KA-B as the best instrument. There are many reasons why this is our best bet. First, the Kala baritone ukulele is a great ukulele for a beginner player as the frets are adequately spaced creating a low, warm, and loud. A KA-B is will stand many years of playing because it’s made from durable tonewoods: mahogany. It has a mahogany top, sides, back, and neck. The fingerboard is walnut and thus it’s a perfect surface where your hands can slide easily. The Kala KA-B is a traditional baritone ukulele and with all its amazing features, we recommend this as your next baritone ukulele. And if you think that the Kala KA-B is the best baritone ukulele, check this out from this link.
Based on our review of the top ten best baritone ukuleles, we have selected the Kala KA-B as the best instrument. There are many reasons why this is our best bet. First, the Kala baritone ukulele is a great ukulele for a beginner player as the frets are adequately spaced creating a low, warm, and loud. A KA-B is will stand many years of playing because it’s made from durable tonewoods: mahogany. It has a mahogany top, sides, back, and neck. The fingerboard is walnut and thus it’s a perfect surface where your hands can slide easily. The Kala KA-B is a traditional baritone ukulele and with all its amazing features, we recommend this as your next baritone ukulele. And if you think that the Kala KA-B is the best baritone ukulele, check this out from this link.
