Chris Perkins All Solid Spruce and Bog Oak 18" Scale Tenor/Baritone Ukulele #M8
This was a one off instrument, which has now been sold.
Is it a tenor ukulele? Is it a baritone ukulele? No! It’s a super-uke. Silliness aside, this is a cross between the two. It has the body of a baritone, with an 18 inch scale length - about halfway between the length of a tenor and a baritone. What does this do? It gives you a deep bottom end, with lots of rolling bass, singing trebles of a top end uke and an ability, if you choose, to change strings from the current low G GCEA (with Worth Clears and a Fremont Low G), to baritone DGBE tuning, if you wish - as it is capable of taking both.
That said… I would leave it as it is. Perhaps it would sound just as fab in baritone tuning but as a low G tenor? Wow. To be honest, I am not generally a low G player, preferring high G - but if ever there was an instrument to make me question that preference, this is it.
Made in England by the very talented Chris Perkins, it is a statement in excellence in every quarter. Lovely Swiss spruce delivers sustain and strength on the treble side of the sound spectrum. The back and sides are made from 5,000 year old bog oak from the Lincolnshire fens. ‘Bog Oak’ doesn’t sound such a nice term but it certainly looks nice! There’s a thick ovangkol soundhole decoration which looks so classy, and cherry binding on the body and fretboard. And the unusal bridge, which houses a corian saddle, is made from satin wood, with ebony inlays. The tuners are made by Grover. The serial number is #M8.
The 38mm nut width lies at the end of an ebano fingerboard that is smooth and free-playing. The action is slick and it is a real pleasure to play. I always say I set instruments up before they go - but to be honest, Chris has left me nothing to do here - it’s perfect!
Honestly, the sound is so deep and rich, it’s incredible. But amazingly that depth is matched by the trebles which are superbly crystal clear and sweet. A marriage made in heaven. This Chris Perkins ukulele is so good, you’ll not want to put it back in its tweed hard case, but at least it’s there if you need it.
There’s a video demo if you look at additional info below. You’ll also find there a video from Chris playing this ukulele and discussing his build.
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.