This baritone sounds just as good as the last one with pistachio back and sides. It might have a little less raw power of sound, but it feels a little more elegant in the lap. It also has a more subtle color palette, featuring the more muted tones of the Wabi-sabi ideal. Old growth Port Orford Cedar, striped Myrtle and Pistachio from woodfromthewest.com and a hemlock neck salvaged from a barn in The Dalles, OR.

“Dear Aaron and Nicole,
I wanted to take a couple of days after I’d received my new Baritone, to sit and play, and to get to know it before I wrote. First let me say, I LOVE IT!!! In fact I’ve been trying to squeeze in extra practice time because it’s such a pleasure to hold it, feel the finish, and the smoothness of the neck makes playing such a wonder.

I love the beauty of the workmanship. The details are exquisite, especially along the fretboard, rope binding, etc. etc. etc. The over all weight is perfect (light) and the balance is amazing. I have an old Giannini baritone, that I love the sound of but the weight is weird/unbalanced and the fret board/neck is a narrow “C” shape that is at times very challenging to play. The slight radius of my new Beansprout Baritone’s fretboard and the fact that the string height is set and adjusted has made making barred chords so much easier.

I guess the one thing I’d have to say that your ukes should come with a warning, “Beware that you will want to play longer and finger soreness may develop”: All kidding aside, everything about the subtle sound and color, the wabi-sabi inclusions, make for a “well worth waiting for” experience. I also loved seeing the pictures and the final video when it was complete. This new Baritone #408 is a dream. I look forward to many years of playing. My only dilemma now is how long can I wait before I order a low G tenor?
Thank you and All the best,
- B. F. ”