Pono ukuleles are no longer available in the UK.

The MGB-K baritone ukulele from Pono, introduced in 2023, is a lovely sounding, fine-looking instrument that becomes the new entry level ukulele from the brand. The Kalele series has been introduced with no frills in terms of decoration in an attempt to produce a more affordable, yet still fine quality instrument, with some more economical appointments. Thankfully, there’s been no compromise on sound.

Pono’s baritones have long been popular and there’s no reason to assume these Kalale ukes will be any different. This MGB-K has a lovely, sweet, warm tone - more mellow (in my opinion) than the mahogany equivalent (the MB-K), which flies against what you’d expect a little. It has plenty of volume and the lightweight built allows the top to vibrate with ease and produce excellent sustain.

Pono ukuleles regularly have a 35mm nut width, and this is no different. They have Grover geared tuners and DGBE tuned Ko’Olau Alohi strings. The nut and saddle are TUSQ and the fingerboard is made from merbau, a nicely patterned hardwood.

Nice quality mango has been used, looking smart with a satin finish, and all solid wood used throughout.

There’s no case with these Pono ukes, but those, and other common extras like strap buttons can be easily added by scrolling down to the bottom of the page.

I’ve made a video demo of the Pono MGB-K baritone uke, alongside a comparison with the mahogany version too. You can find that by clicking additional info below.