At first glance the Uma UBU-20 isn’t the world’s most exotic looking ukulele, with its relatively plain laminate mahogany body - but it is a nice addition to my range, given the pleasing tone it has. You can get similarly specced ukes for less, true, but the Uma is well made by this Taiwanese company, with good quality Der Jung tuners and has the edge on those cheaper rivals in terms of sound.

For that little bit of extra money, you avoid that slightly muddy laminate tone you can get with basic instruments, with this one matching the deep rolling tone that a larger body and DGBE-tuned strings give you with some crisp trebles which stand up well to all that bass. It also plays very well up the neck, with the B and E strings ringing nicely still, without significant loss of volume, to the 12th fret and beyond.

It is also nicely set up with a low action making it easy and light to play. That lack of excitement in the looks department is definitely made up for with the tone and playability. It comes in a decent Uma branded gig bag too.

If you fancy a dabble with the baritone, but are usually a player of regular ukes, the sound of this one won’t disappoint, and it’s at a budget where a bit of experimentation with the addition of a baritone to your collection isn’t out of the question.

There's a video demo of the Uma UBU-20 baritone ukulele as part of a comparison video of the Uma range, if you click additional info below.

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.