In Praise of Inexpensive Barritones

pdxuke · Mar 22, 2018

Hello Friends:

I have Martin, Favilla and Kamaka baritones. Lovely, wonderful instruments.

But I gotta tell you,I get a heck of a lot of fun out of my cheap Barrys, especially the Kala/Makala variety. When it came time to buy a uke to ship to my family home in tampa, where I visit several weeks a year, it was a no brainer: Makala MK-B. Under $90, nice sound, pretty bomb proof. I notice no sharp edges on the frets--nice. Well set up from the factory.

Not crazy about the strings. Aquilla, which are fine, but I may try something else. I think I'll string it in C instead of the traditional Baritone stringing. It sounds better on higher frets with these strings, and I think it might improve with a C tuning.

Anybody else play an inexpensive Baritone, and if so, what tunings and strings do you like?

Steedy · Mar 22, 2018

See my NUD - Kala Baritone thread that I posted about the same time as you!

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?132154-NUD-Kala-Mahogany-Baritone

I wouldn't call mine a cheap Baritone, but it was relatively inexpensive.

drbekken · Mar 22, 2018

Got a Rogue baritone...cheapest there is (at least it used to be..), an instrument I will never part with! Then I have a Romanian 'Hora' baritone...quite inexpensive, but solid mahogany. That's a winner. Won't buy any other baritones.

maki66 · Mar 22, 2018

I'd like to have a nice all mahogany baritone, like a Favilla or Pono.
But I've been amazed how much I LOVE my Kala laminate KA-B.
http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com...la-KA-B-Baritone&highlight=kala+baritone+ka-b

The stock Aquila stings were very good, but the Living Water FC stirings were just fantastic.
I can't speak to other tunings, but South Coast strings has much to say, as does this forum of course.

river_driver · Mar 22, 2018

drbekken said:
Got a Rogue baritone...cheapest there is (at least it used to be..), an instrument I will never part with! Then I have a Romanian 'Hora' baritone...quite inexpensive, but solid mahogany. That's a winner. Won't buy any other baritones.

I bought a Rogue a little over a year ago. I think I paid about $34 US, didn't expect much, but was really quite pleasantly surprised. Apart from a dead fret (14th fret on the E string), I have no real complaints. I never play that high up the neck anyway, so I can't really complain about that either!

bsfloyd · Mar 22, 2018

I've got the same Makala baritone and find the same as you - very well made for such little money they sell for. I'm still using the factory shipped Nylgut but they are wearing out. I actually don't know what I will try next.

Croaky Keith · Mar 22, 2018

I love the sound of my baris, just don't get on with the scale (20.125").

Maybe I'll find it easier, when I come back to them, (been learning chromatic harmonica this past year).

pdxuke · Mar 22, 2018

Steedy said:
See my NUD - Kala Baritone thread that I posted about the same time as you!

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?132154-NUD-Kala-Mahogany-Baritone

I wouldn't call mine a cheap Baritone, but it was relatively inexpensive.

I've been looking at that uke! Nice. Let us know how it grows with you!

frolicks · Mar 22, 2018

I'm all with you, ubulele! The only Baritone I own, is one I bought used for about 100 Euros (seems like around 120$ theses days), and I only did so after playing it for quite some time. It's a Brueko Baritone, I think made of Okoumé wood, all solid. It sounds quite nice - for a Baritone.
Nevertheless, I don't play quite often, as I have the same ttrouble with the scale as Croaky Keith, plus I don't like the sound too much. Too much guitar-like, and not enough ukulele-like, for my ears.

Anyway, the point is, I also recommend watching for a better but used model. Problem is, of course, that it should be in a good shape. BUt the problem with nearly unplayable instruments or instruments with a horrible intonation is one you're quite likely to face in the cheapest price range as well.

JonThysell · Mar 22, 2018

A year ago I bought a Kala KA-BE so I'd have something to practice on that I wasn't worried would crack in the low humidity of my house most of the year.

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com...-Kala-KA-BE-Mahogany-Baritone-Ukulele-with-EQ

That instrument gets lot of play, and was totally worth the little extra to get the electronics built-in, especially the tuner.

hendulele · Mar 22, 2018

Lanakai LU-21, bought on eBay for about $80. Great uke! Put Worth Clears on it, tuned to open G. It's a blues-strumming monster.

hendulele · Mar 22, 2018

Speaking of ... just on the Marketplace ...

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?132167-Kala-Makala-Baritone

plunker · Mar 22, 2018

I bought a lanikai 21 B for my son. He didn't play ity so now its mine. I am interested in the C tuning. How does that work out.

pdxuke · Mar 22, 2018

I like my barrys tuned in C. I keep one tuned traditionally, a couple in C, and one in Cuatro tuning (Southcoast strings.)

mingus · Mar 22, 2018

Honestly, had no idea that this thread was happening when I posted my Makala baritone in the marketplace, funny!

OhioBelle · Mar 23, 2018

Yay! Baritones! What a great thread!

So after my close-encounter with a Harmony bari purchase that wasn't meant to be, I bought an Enya HPL baritone! LOL! Two totally different creatures, but a comment on my other thread got me thinking in another direction. For now, LOL!

Love hearing about everyone's experiences with different models. Keep 'em coming!

BTW, I have my Mainland bari tuned reentrant G. Absolutely enamored of it this way. I use it for Daniel Ward's Arpeggio Meditations. Heavenly. I can almost convince myself I'm playing a classical guitar. Lovely, soothing, deep mellow sounds.

SA Condor · Mar 23, 2018

hendulele said:
Speaking of ... just on the Marketplace ...

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?132167-Kala-Makala-Baritone

And I swooped in and claimed it! Now I have two Ukes waiting for my return to the USA in June. If only there was teleportation technology available

drbekken · Mar 23, 2018

two examples of inexpensive baritones....
The Rogue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJivJjJim8s&list=PLRPt1qsbwbBkgB-luWiO0YhYomOc7g8aP&index=1

I've had two Rogues, both wonderful, believe it or not. Changed strings, and tuners on one of them.

And here's the Hora, a solid mahogany baritone made in Romania. I like it a lot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOmC0Cw8kjk&index=5&list=PLRPt1qsbwbBkgB-luWiO0YhYomOc7g8aP

(I have posted these before, but they show off the instruments in question, so here they are again...)

greyghost · Mar 30, 2018

I love my Caramel rosewood laminate with Ovation-style mini soundholes! Fantastic for well under $100.

In Praise of Inexpensive Barritones

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