Custom Kevin Mason Baritone Ukulele
New. Beautifully handcrafted full custom baritone ukulele handcrafted by master luthier, Kevin Mason, of Wheeling, IL . In 2002, Kevin Mason began building musical instruments after having played guitars, lutes, and other stringed instruments professionally for over 20 years. Since then, he has made mostly acoustic guitars, but also resonator, classical, and jazz guitars. In 2006, he built his first ukulele, and today he focuses on making high quality ukuleles for professional and amateur players alike.
As a small shop craft builder, Kevin believes in making instruments that are beautiful to the eye, using only the best quality solid woods. Because he was a player long before he was a builder, Kevin is sensitive to the touch and easy playability of his instruments, and to the tone and sustain of the instruments he makes. He does not settle for anything less than the best musical instrument possible and is work is gaining in popularity among professional musicians such as Kimo Hussey and recreational players alike. His instruments are known for their light weight, wonderful tone, and exceptional response.
This wonderful custom baritone ukulele was handcrafted from gorgeous flamed Ovangkol wood back and sides with a Lutz spruce soundboard. A Tropical West African wood, Ovangkol bears an overall appearance similar to curly Koa wood to the untrained eye, with varying shades of yellow to reddish brown with darker brown, gray, or black stripes. It is a plentiful wood, visually similar in tone to rosewood and falls somewhere between Indian rosewood and koa, with the strength of rosewood and the sweetness of koa. Lutz is found in the Pacific Northwest of the USA and is a naturally occurring hybrid of Sitka and White spruce. It is known to grow in climate zones between where Sitka spruce and White spruce are found. Sitka spruce is most commonly found along the coastal areas, while White spruce thrives in inland areas.
Often compared to Adirondack spruce, the Lutz spruce gives the ukulele a warm and dynamic sound and is an excellent pairing with the low end and midrange provided by the Ovangkol. Ziricote top and back binding with a matching musicians grade Ziricote wood fretboard and bridge. The top head-plate was also done with a Ziricote wood veneer in keeping with the theme of the instrument. Stylish black-white-black purfling lines on top, back, sides, fingerboard, and more, giving the contours of the instrument greater definition while attesting to the skill-level of the luthier, Kevin Mason. The neck was carved from Honduras Mahogany wood and reinforced with a graphite rod, adding to the tremendous sustain of the instrument. 13 frets to the body and 18 overall frets to the soundhole and a 12″ radiused fretboard for ease of play in higher positions on the neck. Side sound port for monitor-like experience. Slotted headstock and pinless, string-through bridge. Vintage amber bone nut and saddle and professional slotted headstock Rubner Matte Brass tuners with ebony wood buttons for precise tuning and a hand-rubbed french -polished shellac finish are a few more amenities to this beautiful instrument. Gold mother-of-pearl fretboard inlay and matching shell rosette sandwiched between two Ziricote rosette inlays.
Termed the “High Baritone”, this instrument has a scale length 18 3/8″ inches and is a response to musicians who want a baritone tuned high. It’s a baritone body with a scale length that falls in between a traditional tenor scale of 17″ and a traditional baritone which is usually around 19″, 20″, or 21″ inches. The scale length and unique bracing pattern affords the player tremendous versatility as the instrument can be tuned up to normal ukulele pitch–GCEA–or down a step to Bb tuning (FBbDG). Kevin also creates a 19 1/2″ scale baritone that he has coined a “medium baritone“, and a 21” scale baritone called a “low baritone” tuned to DGBE. In doing so, Kevin has kept the body shape the same for all models but has altered the scale to accommodate the three different possible pitch levels–DGBE, FBbDG, GCEA–or low, medium, high. This ukulele is the “High Baritone” but does allow for the flexibility in tuinng with GCEA or FBbDG tuning.
A truly wonderful piece of art themed perfectly on a beautifully functioning and professional grade recording instrument. Wonderful depth of tones from this wood combination with remarkable warmth and low end, sharing many of rosewood’s tonal properties with a slightly fuller midrange and top end. Excellent sustain and projection and a true joy to play. The instrument is also very well center balanced which makes for a very comfortable instrument as you cradle it up against your body. A wonderful piece for professional musicians, weekend giggers, and the uke-lover at heart! ID#:200081
Price: SOLD