It can be difficult trying to keep up with the seemingly ever-changing trends in the world of ukuleles! When I started up my ukulele business back in 2013, I remember Sopranos and Concerts being the big-sellers and the scale length of choice for the majority of players. When heading off to festivals such as GNUF or The Ukulele Festival of Great Britain, the car was generally crammed full with these smaller-size ukes and the tenors and baritones tended to get left at home or just a few made the trip!
As years have gone by, I’ve noticed a gradual change in this regard. So many uke players now seem to gravitate towards the tenor as their size of choice, and models such as the Noah Super Tenor and Noah Tenor X have become my most popular models.
In terms of popularity stakes, hot on the heels of the tenors are the baritones! I’ve noticed over the past 12 – 18 months that more and more people are getting in touch asking for more information about the Noah Baritone. Understandably, the different tuning of DGBE can sometimes be a barrier or at least a concern when considering whether to take the plunge on a Baritone. When I do receive an email voicing these concerns, I generally point them in the direction of this wonderful video from Phil Doleman. Phil is extremely well-known and well-respected in the UK ukulele scene, and he was actually the man behind the design features of the Noah Baritone! In the video, he explains in a really easy-to-follow way the relationship between the chords you will have learnt on your standard GCEA uke, and how these can be utilised on a DGBE tuned Baritone.
In response to the ever-increasing demand for Baritones, earlier this year I decided it was time to start making some different Baritones for the Noah range. The idea was to offer some striking colour options, while still staying true to the Noah way of using all solid woods, and expert handmade, craftsmanship. We went with Mahogany the back and sides, paired with a Spruce top, and a cutaway for easier access to the frets higher up the neck.
Sadly, as some of you might have heard, when these new Baritones arrived in late August 2024, many of them had been badly damaged in transit. Only a small number survived and as a result, this new model has not yet been added to the Noah website.
I do have a small number which are available to buy. The price for these ukes is £299, and that will include a soft padded case and free UK delivery. If you are interested, please get in touch.