Lanikai LU21 Series Baritone Ukulele in Natural Satin Finish with Lanikai Standard Gig Bag

The Lanikai LU21B is a baritone ukulele in the LU Series — and a fundamentally different instrument from the soprano, concert and tenor models in the same range. The baritone ukulele is tuned to DGBE — the same pitches as the top four strings of a guitar — rather than the standard GCEA tuning used by all other ukulele sizes. This single distinction changes everything about the instrument: guitar players can use their existing chord shapes immediately with no relearning, the tonal character is deeper and more guitar-like, and the instrument occupies a different musical role from the classic ukulele sound. Okoume laminate body in satin natural finish, NuBone XB nut and saddle with 38.8mm nut width, walnut fretboard and bridge with ABS white binding, open back chrome tuners, 8-hole no-tie bridge, Aquila baritone strings, two chrome strap buttons and a Lanikai gig bag. Made for guitar players who want a smaller, lighter instrument that plays exactly like what they already know.

Baritone vs Tenor vs Concert vs Soprano — Four Different Instruments

DGBE Tuning — What Guitar Players Get Immediately

The DGBE tuning of the baritone means that any guitarist picking it up for the first time already knows how to play it. Specifically:

• All guitar chord shapes transfer directly: Every open chord, barre chord and voicing from guitar translates to the baritone ukulele without modification. C major, G major, Am, Em, D — all the same shapes, all the same chord names
• Guitar chord books and apps work: Any resource that shows guitar chord diagrams for the top four strings applies directly to the baritone
• Melody and lead playing transfers: Scale patterns, licks and lead lines from guitar are the same on the baritone — the interval relationships between strings are identical
• No relearning required: Unlike the tenor, concert or soprano — which require guitar players to learn entirely new chord shapes — the baritone is genuinely play-from-day-one for any guitarist

What does not transfer from standard ukulele:

• GCEA chord books and ukulele-specific tabs are in a different tuning and will not produce the correct chords on a baritone
• The classic ukulele strumming patterns and re-entrant voicings that give ukulele music its characteristic bright, jangly character are not available on DGBE tuning

Tonal Character — Small Guitar, Not Classic Ukulele

The baritone's DGBE tuning and longer scale produce a tonal character that is closer to a small classical or parlour guitar than to a traditional ukulele. The notes are lower in pitch, the tone is warmer and more rounded, and the characteristic bright high jangle of GCEA re-entrant tuning is absent. This is not a flaw — it is the instrument's design. Players who enjoy fingerpicking, folk guitar, classical guitar technique or singer-songwriter style playing will find the baritone an ideal compact alternative to a full-size guitar. Players who specifically want to sound like a ukulele should choose soprano, concert or tenor.

38.8mm Nut Width — Widest in the LU Series

The baritone's 38.8mm nut width is the widest of the four LU Series sizes, appropriate for the larger scale and the wider string spacing that DGBE tuning benefits from. Guitar players used to a standard acoustic guitar nut of 42-44mm will find the baritone's 38.8mm more familiar than any other ukulele size — the string spacing feels close to guitar rather than the narrow spacing of smaller ukulele sizes.

NuBone XB, Okoume Laminate and LU Series Construction

The LU21B shares all core construction features with the rest of the LU Series:

NuBone XB nut and saddle — Graphtech's resonance-engineered synthetic material producing better sustain and tonal clarity than standard plastic. The XB (Extended Bass) formulation is particularly appropriate on a baritone where the lower frequency range benefits most from efficient vibration transmission.

Okoume laminate body — Warm tonal character in a climate-stable laminate construction. The baritone body is larger than the tenor, producing more resonant volume from the okoume laminate's warm character.

Walnut fretboard and bridge — 8-hole no-tie bridge for easy string changes. Hidden scarf joint for consistent headstock angle and improved sustain.

Aquila baritone strings — Aquila's baritone-specific strings are wound for the correct tension and tonal response at DGBE tuning on the longer baritone scale. Standard ukulele strings are the wrong length and tension for baritone use.

Two chrome strap buttons standard — Installed from the factory.

Who Is the Lanikai LU21B For?

• Guitar players who want a smaller, lighter, more portable instrument that plays exactly like a guitar and requires no relearning of chord shapes
• Travelling musicians who want something more compact than a full-size guitar without giving up guitar technique
• Fingerpickers and singer-songwriters who want a small guitar-like instrument for practice, writing or intimate performance
• Players who want the deepest, warmest tone in the LU Series with a guitar-like character
• Players who want the classic bright ukulele sound should choose LU21S, LU21C or LU21T — the baritone does not produce GCEA ukulele character
• Players who want to play from standard ukulele chord books and tabs should choose a GCEA-tuned size — baritone chord books are guitar chord books

Specifications

Expert Advice at Angkor Music

At Angkor Music Melbourne we stock the full Lanikai LU Series — soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. If you are deciding between the baritone and a GCEA-tuned size, the most useful question is: do you want to sound like a ukulele, or do you want a small guitar? Contact us or visit us in Altona if you want to play both before deciding.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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