After playing only soprano ukes almost exclusively, I've decided to dabble into something a bit different, the baritone. I'm looking for a mid-range solid or solid top baritone in the $500 price range but preferably a bit lower. My main candidates so far are either standard or deluxe mahogany/acacia Pono or solid mahogany / solid top cedar Kala. My conundrum is that the Kalas go for around $400 whereas the Ponos are around $500 for the standard and $600 for the deluxe. My question to people with experience of these instruments is, is there a discernible difference between these to justify the higher price for the Ponos. I know Pono is regarded as one of the best mid-range uke brands but the Kalas I've had in the past have been decent quality as well. Unfortunately, trying these instruments out before buying is out of the question since none of my local music shops carry them, so any comments regarding the build quality, volume, sustain, playability, etc. would be appreciated.
Need opinions on mid-range baritones
- Thread starter Dohle
- Start date
Kala KA-SMHB which is the all solid mahogany baritone it is an excellent instrument that punches way above its $329.00 price. A friend owned one which I played a number of times and I was very impressed, so were a bunch of others that played it. This instrument gets recommended a lot and for good reason. Hey I love Pono and have owned a few of their instruments, if you want to spend the extra money you will be happy with those as well.
Croaky Keith
Well-known member
Cedar topped Kala, great tone. 
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Dohle
Well-known member
This is the one from Kala I'm most interested in. I like everything about it - especially the slotted headstock that isn't available for the cheaper Ponos - except the satin finish. I'd prefer gloss myself but that's not a deal breaker. The price for me wouldn't be quite that low as I live in the EU where ukes (and instruments in general) are often a tad more expensive but it's still at a fair price compared to the Ponos and often comes with a case as well depending on where I'd order. Seems like very good value for money which is why I'm asking for reasons whether a Pono would be worth the extra money.
Couldn't agree more with this! One of my friends I regularly jam with has this one, and I pick it up and enjoy playing it every time I visit her home. I think it can be found for as little as $299 sometimes ~
Down Up Dick
Well-known member
I have a spalted, spruce top Kala KA-FMB which went for $300 a while back, but I paid less than that. I like it a lot.
So many UUers buy baritones, but then retune them to GCEA, which doesn’t make sense to me. Have you considered a tenor?ld:
So many UUers buy baritones, but then retune them to GCEA, which doesn’t make sense to me. Have you considered a tenor?
ld:
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Dohle
Well-known member
So many UUers buy baritones, but then retune them to GCEA, which doesn’t make sense to me. Have you considered a tenor?
I can assure you I'm not going to do that.
I'm intentionally looking for something different to GCEA tuned ukes as I have plenty of sopranos for that already, and the lower tone of the baritone is specifically what I'm after. I could do with a super tenor with DGBE tuning but I bet I can get an actual baritone for less money.
So far most recommendations have been for the solid mahogany Kala which certainly is tempting. Still waiting for those Pono fanboys to turn me around.
Down Up Dick
Well-known member
Okay — good. As I said before I like mine. However, I like my Kala KA GTR tenor guitar way better, and one could always change the strings to Aquilas. It seems to me that it’s a lot more versatile.
I thought that I might not like steel strings, but it turns out that I like ‘em a lot better.ld:
I thought that I might not like steel strings, but it turns out that I like ‘em a lot better.
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Gary52
Well-known member
I've had the Kala KA-SMHB for a year and a half and am very happy with it. It's an excellent instrument for the price. One difference between Kala and Pono is the neck profile; Pono necks are thicker. Neck profile is a matter of personal preference.
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Dohle
Well-known member
Neck thickness hasn't really bothered me. I can deal with regular or thinner necks as well as some thicker ones such as with Magic Fluke ukes. However, I did notice that Ponos usually only have a 35 mm wide neck at the nut which seems a bit narrow for such a large uke. Not that I'm not used to that width, in fact it's probably my sweet spot for a neck width on a soprano. But I genuinely want something different from a baritone, including the nut/neck width, just so I can challenge myself to try something new. That might be another point for the Kala since it has a wider 38 mm neck width at the nut.
Also, having now listened to a few videos where the Kalas and Ponos are played one after another, I really like the sound of the solid mahogany Kala as well. I think I'm veering towards the Kala at the moment but I'm not rushing things yet. I'll probably wait for my next paycheck in a few weeks before pulling the trigger.
Here is my thought on nut width. Everything I own is 1-3/8” except my Kamaka baritone, it is 1-1/2”. This can cause unwanted issues because my fingers are so conditioned to form chords in a memorized size and shape. When I play the Kamaka I do not play clean for the first song or to until I mentally adjust. Even then I still flub the occasional note of chord.
Trust me you don’t NEED this type of challenge. Find more complicated pieces to play for a meanful challenge
Trust me you don’t NEED this type of challenge. Find more complicated pieces to play for a meanful challenge
Arcy
Strummin' in the Rain
Aren't GCEA Baritones usually an octave below Tenor GCEA? That'd give it a pretty good difference from a tenor tone. I went the other way and have a tenor tuned DGBE, but the driving force there was to make sure I liked playing the baritone tuning before buying a bari.
To avoid a complete thread hijack: I debated baritones most of last year and was looking at similar models to Dohle. I really wanted the Pono Mango Baritone, but was concerned enough about the love-it-or-hate-it opinions on the neck that I didn't want to spend that much without trying one. I flip flopped between that, the cedar topped Kala, and a Bonanza Oreo from December '18 until November '19 when Bonanza broke the tie with the Homestead line that was essentially the Oreo spec I wanted at a lower price. Mine should arrive tomorrow and will be left DGBE (or DGBD).
ripock
Well-known member
I am an owner of a cedar top Kala baritone and I say go for something else. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it, but it is a Kala. For the amount of money you're willing to spend you should get something a little more special than the most ubiquitous, standard ukulele. I bought my Kala because I got the bee in my bonnet one day, so I drove up to Elderly Instruments and got the Kala because it was a baritone and because it was cedar (I wanted some reddish wood). However it leaves me cold and it has no mojo. Plus, it has no cutaway. What's the point of having all that scale-length if you can't access it?
If I were in your position I think I would look at the Pono or look for a used Kanilea or try a Mainland mango or even an acacia Cordoba.
And totally disregarding you and focusing on me, if I weren't in so much hot water with the spouse, I would either get a custom Mya Moe or commission Rob Collins (a favorite luthier of mine) to build something for a little over thrice your budget.
If I were in your position I think I would look at the Pono or look for a used Kanilea or try a Mainland mango or even an acacia Cordoba.
And totally disregarding you and focusing on me, if I weren't in so much hot water with the spouse, I would either get a custom Mya Moe or commission Rob Collins (a favorite luthier of mine) to build something for a little over thrice your budget.
Down Up Dick
Well-known member
Actually, I don’t know what a GCEA baritone is or how to tune it an octave lower than anything. A baritone ukulele is tuned to Lo D GBE, and that’s why it’s a baritone Uke. I suppose one can tune it to whatever he/she chooses though, and play it as he/she likes.
My baritone is tuned to Lo D GBE — “Chicago” tuning, and that’s the way I play it. I have a coupla good books, and my Kala tenor guitar is also Chicago tuned but with steel strings of course. One of my banjos is tuned gDGBD which is close.
I guess one can do as he/she pleases with his/her stuff. I’m really more interested in playing than in buying and changing things.ld:
My baritone is tuned to Lo D GBE — “Chicago” tuning, and that’s the way I play it. I have a coupla good books, and my Kala tenor guitar is also Chicago tuned but with steel strings of course. One of my banjos is tuned gDGBD which is close.
I guess one can do as he/she pleases with his/her stuff. I’m really more interested in playing than in buying and changing things.
ld:
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Dohle
Well-known member
I understand the sentiment but here's the thing, I'm not really looking for anything particularly special. I'm looking for a mid-range baritone to get me started on the scale. I mean sure, Kala is probably the most ubiquitous uke manufacturer nowadays but they are pretty much as close to the mid-range as it gets. Price and quality meet fairly well in my eyes. I'm still looking at the Pono because I see the appeal but the narrow neck is currently what I'm concerned about. And in no way could I ever consider something like a Kanile'a at this point. Even a used one would be way out of my budget currently. Regarding other brands, they aren't really available for me where I live. The selection for baritones in the EU is definitely a lot worse compared to the other sizes. Pono is basically the most high-end brand I could find within my budget over here.
But in any case, I'm not considering the cedar top Kala anyway. The sound seems a bit too mellow for my tastes. Currently it's either the solid mahogany Kala or probably the acacia Pono.
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As I said earlier I have owned a few Pono ukuleles and have always been very pleased with the build quality, appearance and most importantly the sound. It might be fun for you to try a different brand because you already own a Kala. If you do go for a Pono pay the extra and get the high gloss finish, just looks so much better, really makes the grain pop.
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No, same as tenor.
Ukecaster
Well-known member
Wow, those solid hog Kala baris look great, and are $299.00 with free shipping on Reverb! Looks like a nice wide string spacing at the nut too, which I like.
Anthroterra
Well-known member
Have you also listened the acacia Kala bari (Kala KA-SA-B)? It comes in at $399. I'm rather fond of mine, particularly with Uke Logic high tension strings. The instrument really sings for me, and you can see from my list below that I'm used to some pretty nice ukes. I thought for sure the width of the neck would be an issue (my hands are so tiny I have to buy children's gloves), but the necks on these feel nice. I understand some people are partial to mahogany, too, though.
John boy
Well-known member
Dohle, I have a Kala bari with solid cedar top and lam acacia back and sides. I realize this isn't the Kala bari you are considering, but I'll just mention that I think my Kala is very well made, has good intonation, sounds strong and clear, and has only one thing I don't like about it. The neck is quite thick (from front to back, as opposed to width at the nut). It's a chunky neck and somewhat uncomfortable when my hand is in certain chord positions. But I put up with this one disadvantage because it is so nice in every other way. I don't have any experience with Ponos. Good luck with your eventual choice.
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