I ordered a cheapo rogue baritone

I was going to get a makala as a practice Bari I mostly play and record with my konablaster solid body electric Bari but I wanted something
just to practice and write on. I needed a new pair of shoes and the wife
I wanted a new tattoo so I ended up getting this one
cos of the low price I'll post my review once it arrives. eventually
I'm saving for an expensive Bari a Mele baritone would be a real dream.

Why not a less expensive, but every bit as good--perhaps even better-- Favilla or Giannini bari?

TheCraftedCow said:

Why not a less expensive, but every bit as good--perhaps even better-- Favilla or Giannini bari?

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I'm actually looking into getting a vintage flavilla too
once I have a little more dough I'm investing in one for sure.

Remember that Rogue ukuleles may be PROJECTS, rather than finished instruments. Be prepared to change strings, adjust action, maybe change tuners and check if the bridge is glued on right. I like the funkiness of these ukes, so I'm not saying this to be mean. Hopefully, you get a nice one. Enjoy your new baritone!

I got a used one of these before getting a Pono baritone. Bridge was in the process of separation, the action was higher than Cheech and Chong, and if I remember right the neck is pretty chunky. I don't touch it anymore, really.

drbekken said:

Remember that Rogue ukuleles may be PROJECTS, rather than finished instruments. Be prepared to change strings, adjust action, maybe change tuners and check if the bridge is glued on right. I like the funkiness of these ukes, so I'm not saying this to be mean. Hopefully, you get a nice one. Enjoy your new baritone!

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I plan on changing the strings
overt all just looking for a beater
to hold me over until I can afford a nice one

The Orange Mage said:

I got a used one of these before getting a Pono baritone. Bridge was in the process of separation, the action was higher than Cheech and Chong, and if I remember right the neck is pretty chunky. I don't touch it anymore, really.

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eh I think it depends on if your ok with having a beater
I'm poor so I'm happy to just have an instrument to play
while I'm saving for a better one. I've played cheap ukes
I can say a cheap diamond head 30 soprano is a great instrument
for the price in fact the intonation is more accurate than my lanikai which is
slightly more expensive

The Orange Mage said:

I got a used one of these before getting a Pono baritone. Bridge was in the process of separation, the action was higher than Cheech and Chong, and if I remember right the neck is pretty chunky. I don't touch it anymore, really.

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Action higher than Cheech & Chong...fantastic.

I am sure after changing the strings, you will be alot happier... do you want to sell me the stock strings... I am serious..
Yes Like doc says, these ukes are mass produced and sometimes you get lucky and some times then need a bit of work...Happy Strummings...

I'm one of those who doesn't much love the baritone. I've got guitars, and some good ones. Baritone uke to me sounds like a bad guitar. But, to round off my collection I tried a cheap Ko-olau off of ebay for a bit over $100 bucks. When I got it, while it was supposedly solid wood, I thought it felt dead. I could not bond with it so I sold it. Then I got one of those Pono's refurbished when they were going cheap on ebay. It's about 100 times better, and I can at least tolerate playing it. But I still can't get excited about baritone.

The Ohanas at our local music store are quite inexpensive, sound pretty good, and play pretty well. I think the Rogue might just be useful as an expensive piece of firewood.

katysax said:

I'm one of those who doesn't much love the baritone. I've got guitars, and some good ones. Baritone uke to me sounds like a bad guitar. But, to round off my collection I tried a cheap Ko-olau off of ebay for a bit over $100 bucks. When I got it, while it was supposedly solid wood, I thought it felt dead. I could not bond with it so I sold it. Then I got one of those Pono's refurbished when they were going cheap on ebay. It's about 100 times better, and I can at least tolerate playing it. But I still can't get excited about baritone.

The Ohanas at our local music store are quite inexpensive, sound pretty good, and play pretty well. I think the Rogue might just be useful as an expensive piece of firewood.

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meh I think if your a talented or creative player
you can make a "piece of firewood" sound good.
I'm starting to see expensive instruments as status symbols
like a Rolex I'm just as happy with my 40 dollar timex vs a 10 thousand
dollar Rolex as I am my 40 dollar baritone vs
a 1000 one. I'm poor and just like all those poor blues man
before me I can make a poor little instrument sing
and sing and express myself even though i can't afford
a kamaka.

Got the Rogue bari myself a few months back-

It is put together well- just a bit of a clunker soundwise I think-
The wood is on the heavier side and the body on the thinner side

I personally wish I'd spent maybe $20 more and got a deeper mahogany body

I ended up taking off the wound strings right away- I don't like squeak on a uke- and that doesn't help the muffled sound

but it makes for a very comfortable and interesting instrument as far as I'm concerned

I left the low E skinny, and tuned up- comparable to a uke C tuning, just lower
all the strings are now nylon

all unwound nylgut would be better as far as I'm concerned
and probably happen eventually


So I enjoy playing around with it- and I can use uke chord forms and I, IV , V patterns- they just have to be transposed lower if I want to add parts or play with someone else-

or I can just still go "guitar" on it and form the partial chords I'm already familar with there-
so as I have it set-up, it really IS a crossover instrument

easy to finger and easy to play- I didn't think I'd like it all at first- and part of the reason I ordered the lowest cost-

but now also part of the reason I wish I'd started with something with brighter sounding wood and thicker diameter body
because I enjoy having it around

I definitely don't agree with katysax. The Rogue is cheap, indeed, but with a little tweaking, it will probably turn out to be cool. And believe me, it WILL make do as a beater.

drbekken said:

I definitely don't agree with katysax. The Rogue is cheap, indeed, but with a little tweaking, it will probably turn out to be cool. And believe me, it WILL make do as a beater.

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I'll be replacing the strings to Aquila red series
for baritone standard g shortly after I get it
I think that will greatly improve the sound
they turned my les paul from good to amazing
so in this cause it should turn ok into pretty good.