My husband Geo plays the baritone, here is his suggestion. "I have 4 baritones that I play on a weekly basis; I play several hours a day so I am very familiar with these instruments. My baritones are: Martin Style 1; a Black Bear;a Pono Pro-Classic Rosewood and a Kanile'a Model K1 Premium. It is difficult to choose which is the best player considering playability, tone and sustain. On playability I consider neck shape, neck width, overall weight and setup. On Neck Shape the Martin and Kanile'a are 1 and 2. On tone and sustain I like the Black Bear. Still, the one I like the best, and the one I play the most, is the Pono PC Rosewood sides and back with a Spruce Top; and it is by far the cheapest especially if its used."