Lanikai CK-B Curly Koa Baritone Ukulele  

The Lanikai CK-B Curly Koa Baritone Ukulele is a full-featured, high-level instrument.  Quality woods, professional finish, beautifully crafted, but very simply appointed without a lot of decoration and fancy inlays.

A little stray glue seen around the kerfling (the inside bracing around the edge) earns it a 9, but that doesn't hurt anything or show.

By their nature, ukuleles reach their 'Point of Diminishing Returns' pretty quickly.  That is to say, there comes a point where you have to spend a LOT more money to get just a little bit better quality.  This uke is right at that point.  While it might seem a bit pricey compared to the other baritone ukes you'll see around, this is the best value you'll find in an affordably-priced instrument. Not a penny is wasted, and every bit of effort and money has gone into making a great sounding uke. There are no fancy decorations here; all the value has gone into materials and workmanship where they really count.

Some stuff that isn't clear in the description:

The finish is natural.  That means there's no glossiness.  The finish is very, very thin.  It almost seems like there's no finish at all.  Such a super light finish is found on many of the world's best instruments and allows the wood to resonate freely, resulting in a full, rich tone that is soft and well balanced, yet projects wonderfully well.  The instrument has a BIG voice for a ukulele without a hint of harsh brassiness.  Sweet highs, rich mids, and resonant bass.  Just a beautiful tone. The instrument has excellent sustain (for a uke) and is very responsive.  A heavier gloss finish would show off the grain a little better, but that also dulls the tone, volume, and responsiveness.

If you're not used to koa wood, you're in for a treat. Traditional Hawaiian Koa is THE wood for ukuleles!  Nothing sounds like it or looks like it.  But be aware that, if you're used to spruce or mahogany, koa is a highly figured wood with lots of streaks and specs.  This is perfectly normal and signifies a good piece of koa.

It comes well set up.  It's important to remember that Musician's Friend doesn't set up instruments, they just sell them at fair prices.  But the set up is fine right out of the box.  A professional set up might make it better, but not that much.

The tuners aren't labeled, but they look and feel like Grover Mini-Rotomatics (I'm not saying they are, but they seem like it).  They are quality tuners that work perfectly for a baritone uke, no matter who made them. Remember to let the strings stretch in for a couple of days before you pass judgement.  All ukes are like that, at any price.

You'll want protection for an instrument of this quality, and the Musician's Gear baritone case is a perfect fit.  For quality solid-wood instruments you also need to keep them humidified.  Laminated ukuleles and bargain-priced plywood instruments can take a beating, but fine instruments need a little love in dry weather.  Any of the case humidifiers offered at Musician's Friend will work, but I personally like the Planet Waves products.

In a nutshell, you just aren't going to get much more at such a reasonable price than the Lanikai CK-B Curly Koa Baritone Ukulele.