Kanile'a SUS-B Solid Alaskan Rainbow Cedar & Mahogany Baritone Ukulele (SUS Exclusive) #24214

As a Kanile'a dealer of nearly ten years, and their biggest overseas dealer, our love for Kanile'a ukuleles is unquestionable. To be able to offer this SUS-B baritone ukulele model really is a dream come true for us.

Rob began discussions with Kanile'a about a model unique to SUS way back in 2016 during an annual visit to Joe Souza at Kanile'a HQ. Our recent visits to see them at the NAMM show were also a great opportunity to go back and forth on the specifics. And although it took a while to get to this point, we are proud to offer a Kanile'a baritone ukulele that offers a beautiful look, beautiful sound, exquisite build quality - and excellent value for money.

We all know how excellent Kanile'a are at handling koa and spruce. But, we have always loved the way that cedar looks and sounds on ukuleles. So, we asked Joe if he could get some good cedar, and without compromising on any aspect of quality, make the range of sizes to include a baritone Kanile'a that we could retail for less than their koa models.

So - what is the result?

In short - utterly glorious. You will notice that the Alaskan rainbow cedar top is gorgeous; not quite as uniform in grain as traditional Western red cedar but rather more textured, with gorgeously defined rainbow shapes in browns, purples and blacks in the figuring. The grain may not always run completely straight but the complex streaks have personality and make the instrument both look and sound mature and inviting like good wood should.

The back and sides to this Kanile'a baritone ukulele are a little more conventional (not a bad thing). Mahogany is not a wood commonly associated with many contemporary Hawaiian instrument makers but its history with the ukulele going back to early Martin sopranos of the teens and '20s make it an elegant choice for our SUS Kanile'a model. The fact that Kanile'a have carefully matched the stain on the mahogany to compliment the cedar tops is a lovely bonus. Don't be tricked into thinking the back and sides are koa because of that lovely gold and amber tinge under the UV gloss finish.

How does it sound?

It sounds deep, big, bold and beautiful (like Alex the manager). We went through a few different popular string sets before settling on Kanile'a's original choice of the folk nylon style bronze wound/black nylon strings. These are perfect at recreating an authentic deep and rich baritone sound, and the ukulele just resonates in your hand seemingly for days!

The UV cured gloss finish does several key jobs as well as protecting the wood from scratches and play-wear, like dampening some of the natural boominess of mahogany, focusing and tightening the sound, and finally working visually to bring all of these gorgeous materials together to resonate in just the right way.

What else is there to know?

This Kanile'a baritone ukulele has a CITES friendly ebony fingerboard, bridge and dark chocolatey figured headplate. Kanile'a have also allowed us to use their popular and very identifiable sand inlays on the fingerboard and headstock logo. Some players get put off by a satin neck but fear not because despite having Kanile'as environmentally friendly UV gloss finish on the body; the neck remains satin with a slight 'played in' feel from new.

The SUS signature Kanile'a will not replace the look and tradition of Hawaiian koa. Still, plenty of players the world over are on the hunt for something different - a unique sound, a different look. Whether you are the ultimate bedroom musician or opening act at the royal albert hall - the SUS model is a ukulele that can inspire you and grow with you.

Specification:
Solid Alaskan rainbow cedar soundboard (top)
Solid South American mahogany back and sides
Mahogany neck
38mm nut width
Bronze wound back nylon strings
Ebony fretboard, pin bridge and head plate
Position markers and Kanile'a logo inlayed in sand
Kanile'a open geared chrome tuners
New TRU-R bracing system
NuBone nut and saddle
UV high gloss body/satin neck
20" scale length
Kanile'a hard case included

Photos show actual Kanile'a baritone ukulele you'll receive.