The Four-Neck Ukulele

How many times have we been playing something on a soprano ukulele and thought, wow, this would sound great on a baritone? At least twice, surely. But we have probably often entertained the thought of trying another size, or wished it were possible to have several different sizes of ukulele within reach at the same time.

The picture and video below show how one inventive instrument maker responded to this gap in the market by creating a four-neck ukulele. Unfortunately I see little chance of getting to test one in person, although I would gladly try this mutant beast .

Even at first glance the body does not promise too much in terms of tone, but in compensation we can at least shred on four necks. I suspect the concert and baritone necks cannot be especially comfortable to play because the soprano and tenor necks immediately below them are so close. The proximity would certainly bother me.

One of the best things about the ukulele is how easy it is to carry around: after all, it is a tiny instrument. This four-necked version is an exception, of course, because it needs a rather substantial case. And to produce a proper baritone sound you already need a full-sized body, so that particular neck does not make a great deal of sense. I would therefore try this instrument mainly as a curiosity, but if I had to put together a collection of 50 ukuleles, I would definitely include one of these for its novelty value .

What do you think of this unusual ukulele?