This is the Kala KA-20TH-KOA-B, an all solid baritone ukulele that is part of a 20th anniverary celebration for Kala Ukulele, with a range of limited edition models to mark the occasion. The biggest complaint I have about this baritone is that it is a limited edition. If I had been in charge of Kala, I’d have got rid of any mention of the anniversary and put this model into production full time, going forward. I say that as it’s got a really beautiful tone - with a softness, richness and warmth that’s somehow not at all subtle - that depth seems to bounce out of the ukulele somehow. I am not sure I am doing the sound justice, but suffice to say it’s full, bouncy and gorgeous enough for me to lament the decision to make it a limited edition after just one strum!

OK, there are lots of aesthetic aspects to look at too. And while there’s plenty going on and it’s a very pretty uke, I have to get across that the biggest positive for me is that sound. Starting at the top, there’s a very pretty black-faced headstock (not the type to get you cancelled!), with a pretty inlay of a Californian poppy. The edges of the ebony fingerboard have inlaid abalone, with that sparkle added to with purfling and a soundhole rosette.

The KA-20TH-KOA-B baritone ukulele from Kala features a 38mm nut width, great quality geared tuners, an attractive and practical chamfered comfort edge and D’addario fluorocarbon strings, tuned DGBE. In that DGBE, the G is unwound - which seems to be a modern trend. That gives a softer, rolling and rounded tone - but the longer baritone scale doesn’t mean the unwound G feels floppy, as it can on smaller ukes. The D is wound to deliver a pop and some extra definition, while the fluorocarbon B and E have enough life and sparkle to compete with all that richness and make your melodies standout.

The back and sides are solid African mahogany which, while not as pretty as the Hawaiian koa top, still looks smart under the gloss finish.

It’s certainly a fitting ukulele to mark a big birthday. I hope they re-release it as a 21st birthday edition next year, and so on!

This Kala baritone ukulele comes with a nice padded gig bag, so, when you look at the selection of add-ons you can see at the bottom of the page, you can ignore that (as well as the low G option - these are standard selections on every page, and this has a low G, and a low D, for that matter). The bag is good quality but if you a dedicated hard case person, then you can add one of those, or strap button(s) if you wish