This a nice quality laminate mahogany, gloss finish baritone from Snail, the SUB-M1. Before talking about the good value, neatly made ukulele, a quick word on the tuning which is supplied from Snail with gCEA tuning, re-entrant tuning with a high G like a regular uke (and, no, I don’t understand why there’s a lower case g in gCEA for a high G, and an upper case G in GCEA for a low G either…) If you’d like this supplied fitted with DGBE tuning (D’addario Titanium strings), just let me know at the time of order. Or, if you fancy GCEA with a low G, head to the accessories section and add a Low G (the Fremont option works best).

So, now that pre-amble is out of the way, onto the Snail SUB-M1, which is a extension of Snail’s very popular and well thought of line of gloss laminate mahogany instruments. The tenor and concert in this series have been established for a number of years as good quality ukes, and once that definitely demonstrate that laminate instruments need not be a big compromise in terms of tone. The sound is crisp in the trebles still, with a good ring from the fluorocarbon strings - but the bigger body size definitely increases the bass response. Even with gCEA tuning it sounds like you’re playing a baritone, rather than a big tenor. But with a regular ukulele nut width of 35mm, it feels familiar to tenor players.

There are good quality chrome geared tuners and an ebony fingerboard and bridge, while the SUB-M1 is provided with a nice quality grey gig bag with the Snail logo on it.

The relatively modest price, coupled with the tuning, make this an ideal first step into baritones for someone trying one out for the first time having played smaller ukulele sizes. And, with the option to switch the strings to DGBE if you like, you can increase the depth with an excellent rolling tone if you wish.

For common accessories and customisations (like strap buttons / low G fitting) scroll down to the bottom of the page where you'll be able to add these common items to your basket.