NUD, LfdM baritone

Thought I would post a picture comparing the LfdM baritone to other instruments. You can see the Mya Moe baritone body is actually longer at 14" than the LfdM at 13-1/2". But the LfdM is 12" wide and the Mya Moe is 10". These are bracketed by a Blueridge tenor guitar and a Farallon tenor ukulele.

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Nice picture, Dave. Great bunch of instruments.
 
Absolutely stunning instrument, Dave. I know they are different instruments but it would be interesting to compare your new prize with the UL series Pono, at least in terms of dimensions. Thanks for sharing.
 
Absolutely stunning instrument, Dave. I know they are different instruments but it would be interesting to compare your new prize with the UL series Pono, at least in terms of dimensions. Thanks for sharing.

I have lent the UL4-20 to a friend. I will get it back next week and do a comparison picture for you.
 
You didn’t leant it to me.
All I want is your Kala. Ha ha

Brenda is ALIVE!

Thank goodness! :)

I was worried that you were on a cruise ship that got misdirected into the Bermuda Triangle and had somehow time-warped back to play with Bruddha Iz, and decided to stay there....:)
 
Yeah, it’s been a busy summer. Which strings are you using for that scale?

I have been experimenting with classical guitar strings. Right now I have D'Addario NYL035W & NYL030W on the D&G positions and Dogal Diamente extra soft on the E&A positions. I will move to soft then normal tensions and see which I like. I had Oasis GPX carbon classical guitar strings on initially but they were a bit too bright. You read that right.....too bright, great problem to have with a baritone most are too muddy and you can't do much about that. The Dogals have added some warmth and as I go up in diameter they will become warmer.
 
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Nice picture, Dave. Great bunch of instruments.

Thanks Cliff, I like them all. It sounds like you are really enjoying the baritone size. I know your all solid mahogany Kala has a great tone, Brenda owns one and I have enjoyed playing it.
 
Looking at your uke family picture by the stairs , put a smile on my face. Those stairs are where we all found comfort and security when trying out each other instruments.
I have had the privilege of playing this baritone. It sings like a classical guitar. The richness of her voice stayed in my head for days. I don't get impressed easily of an instrument just because of the brand. . This one definitely blew me away especially if you are a finger style player. Each note comes out clean and well balanced. There is something about it that even my lousy playing sounds like a pro! Now I need one of those! ( and your Kala)
 
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I have been experimenting with classical guitar strings. Right now I have D'Addario NYL035W & NYL030W on the D&G positions and Dogal Diamente extra soft on the E&A positions. I will move to soft then normal tensions and see which I like. I had Oasis GPX carbon classical guitar strings on initially but they were a bit too bright. You read that right.....too bright, great problem to have with a baritone most are too muddy and you can't do much about that. The Dogals have added some warmth and as I go up in diameter they will become warmer.

I agree that many baritones can sound muddy- at least to me. You’re getting into classical guitar territory. Every set of carbons that i have tried have sounded too bright for my guitar. I really like Augustine Imperials with pyramid basses. Ramirez and Augustine classics might be a bit warmer.

Is the tension okay? Dogals are really low tension, the strong is like normal tension from most other brands.
 
I agree that many baritones can sound muddy- at least to me. You’re getting into classical guitar territory. Every set of carbons that i have tried have sounded too bright for my guitar. I really like Augustine Imperials with pyramid basses. Ramirez and Augustine classics might be a bit warmer.

Is the tension okay? Dogals are really low tension, the strong is like normal tension from most other brands.

Not sure about the Dogals, but most low-tension classical strings are about 9-10 lbs of string tension and most high-tension strings are about 16 lbs of string tension, and this is PER STRING.

Most 'normal' tension classical strings are 10-11 lbs of string tension PER STRING.

The tension also differs based upon wound vs. unwound and what material the string is composed of, nylon, fluoro or other and what metals are wrapped on the wound strings.

I've observed the following after testing over 100 discrete sets of strings:

  • Thinner strings = more sustain = less tension = less volume = brighter tone
  • Thicker strings = less sustain = more tension = more volume = warmer tone
 
I agree that many baritones can sound muddy- at least to me. You’re getting into classical guitar territory. Every set of carbons that i have tried have sounded too bright for my guitar. I really like Augustine Imperials with pyramid basses. Ramirez and Augustine classics might be a bit warmer.

Is the tension okay? Dogals are really low tension, the strong is like normal tension from most other brands.

You are right about Dogals being low tension strings, the extra soft is too soft even for me. They are actually a hybrid material combining nylon and florocarbon. Once I've gone through the Dogals I have Hannabach nylon classical guitar strings to try. I have the normal tension on my Farallon tenor, 032" on the E postion and. 0285" on the A postion and absolutely love them on that instrument.

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Booli- Dogals are lower tension than typical.

Dave- I also thought that they also lost a bit of sustain compared to my other strings. I’m not sure if that was because of the tension or just my specific guitar.
Hannabach are good strings. They didn’t work out on my guitar but were fine on the mini.
 
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I have had a chance to play this Baritone ... it is so great. Luis did a wonderful job with a superb eye for finishing it.

Every time I visit Dave, I reach for this Baritone as it is a treat to play.

Congrats Dave on a super choice of woods, and Luthier!
 
Absolutely stunning instrument, Dave. I know they are different instruments but it would be interesting to compare your new prize with the UL series Pono, at least in terms of dimensions. Thanks for sharing.

Ask and thou shall receive. The photo pretty much says it all. They are the same over all length at 32" but as you can see the Pono has a much longer body at 15-3/4" compared to the LfdM at 13-1/2". Lower bout on the Pono is 11-1/4" to LfdM 12". Pono scale length is a bit shorter at 21-1/2" to LfdM 22-1/4". Pono has 12 frets to the body while LfdM has 16. Both are comfortable to play for "big ukes"

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Ask and thou shall receive. The photo pretty much says it all. They are the same over all length at 32" but as you can see the Pono has a much longer body at 15-3/4" compared to the LfdM at 13-1/2". Lower bout on the Pono is 11-1/4" to LfdM 12". Pono scale length is a bit shorter at 21-1/2" to LfdM 22-1/4". Pono has 12 frets to the body while LfdM has 16. Both are comfortable to play for "big ukes"

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Thanks a bunch, Dave. I guess asking for a comparative sound sample would be pushing my luck.
 
Dang Dave, that is one spectacular bari. I thought the UL was big but your LfdM looks larger in volume. I bet it sounds like a canon. For myself, the higher the tension the better.
 
Congratulations Dave! It really is a fantastic looking instrument. I have only had one experience participating in the design process on a custom build. I really enjoyed it, and could not be happier with the outcome of my Ono. It sounds like, being close to Luis, you really had a lot of fun participating in the build process. I would love to hear how it sounds when you have a chance.
 
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