Oscar SchmidtOU52 Baritone Ukulele,Satin

The OU52 is a good starter baritone ukulele and will allow a new player a chance to get a feel for the instrument without spending a lot more money for an expensive one.I changed the strings to a better quality Aquila brand which improved the overall sound of the instrument. Although the factory installed tuners are OK, I also upgraded the tuners to a set of enclosed geared tuners which helps keep the strings in tune easier and longer.The OU52 makes for a good "pub beater', travel or camping ukulele where one might be concerned about possible damage which is why I purchased the OU52. Oscar Schmidt by Washburn makes high level ukuleles as well but the laminated body OU52 fit my needs for a "pub beater" and buck for buck you can't beat it.

I'm very happy with this uke. I own a solid koa wood baritone that cost several hundred dollars and frankly, I like this a little better. It's not as 'boomy'.I don't work for Oscar Schmidt and I don't get paid by them. I own five Oscar Schmidt instruments (all from Amazon) and would never hesitate to buy another. In their price range they offer remarkable value. Obviously, these are mass-produced instruments and not hand-crafted masterpieces. Yet I see some very unfair comments in these reviews. When dealing with mass-produced instruments bought sight unseen from an internet dealer you can expect to hear bad reports once in a while. You will get poor reports from inexperienced players who expected more than they should have, and from experienced players who compare them to much more expensive instruments. Here's what my experience tells me to expect from Oscar Schmidt:Top quality laminated woods. Not hand-selected solid tone woods, but really nice laminates that work well, lay well, and sound good. If you see 'solid wood' advertised at this price point you can expect garbage. Great quality solid wood is expensive! I've seen 'solid wood' ukuleles at this price made out of old packing crates, but they are solid wood.Good fit and finish. No cracked or open seams or misaligned joints. A neck might bow or warp but this is usually due to how they are handled after they leave the factory. The manufacturer can't control that. That's what return policies are all about. It's a risk we take buying online.You may find a tight or rattling tuner. I really wish Oscar Schmidt (Washburn) would use better tuners and increase the price a couple of dollars. It would avoid a lot of disappointments. That's my strongest criticism of the products.All instruments need to be set up. That's the process of making small adjustments to get it playing its best. Getting rid of little buzzes and rattles, getting the strings just right, and so on. That doesn't get done at a factory, it gets done at a music store. But if you buy online you have to do it yourself or take it to a music store and pay extra. That's how it works for any brand at any price. It's normal and expected.One of the most common complaints is that the ukulele won't stay in tune. Ukuleles use nylon strings. They need to stretch out for a few days. There's nothing wrong, it's supposed to be like that. Don't be upset, just keep tuning and playing and everything will be fine. Another complaint is that the strings are 'bad'. The Oscar Schmidt ukuleles use Aquila strings, one of the most famous brands. But instruments can sit around a long time before the sell. The strings may be old by the time you buy your instrument. Old strings need to be replaced, even if they haven't been played. Again, nothing to be upset over. You will replace the strings lots of times over the years.Look, if you want a well made ukulele for not much money that is better than 99% of the junk out there selling for more, don't hesitate to buy an Oscar Schmidt. You'll get a good product and if there's really a problem it will be dealt with. They are a 100 year old company with a top reputation, not a fly-by-night brand that won't be there tomorrow.

Great instrument. I'm disappointed because the when I received the product, the strings are rusted and there is a bow in the nose. I had to wait over a week for this instrument and I'm very disappointed to receive it in damaged order

I WAS BEGINNING TO THINK THAT THE PACKAGE WITH THE UKULELE AND TWO OTHER SMALL ITEMS MUST BE TRAVELING TO ME MY ROWBOAT THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL. IT CERTAINLY DID NOT ARRIVE PER THE PROMISED DATE. THE OUTER BOX WAS RATHER A MESS OF SLOPPY PACKING. I DON'T THINK THE OSCAR SCHMIDT COMPANY WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR EITHER THE OUTER PACKAGING OR THE IRRITATING DELAY IN DELIVERY. THE UKULELE, SOMEHOW MANAGED TO OVERCOME THE PATHETIC LOOKING OUTER BOX AND APPEARS TO BE UNDAMAGED. THE UKULELE IS GOOD FOR THE PRICE. MY ONLY ADVERSE CRITICISM IS THE ROUGH FINISH ON THE INSTRUMENT. BUT THEN AGAIN I HAVE TO CONSIDER THE PRICE.

Outstanding uke for the money. I did have to send the first uke back as it had a small depression in the wood - looked to be a shipping issue. Packing is only average on this product. I had to lightly sand the back of the neck to even out the uneven feel - only slight issues here. That said, it plays great, intonation is right on and set up is good. Not sure you can find a better uke for the $.

This baritone ukulele is great for those who don't want to bother with a six string guitar and those, like myself, who don't have the finger spread (my fingers are short and my hands are small) to play a classical guitar. It is easy to tune and for the cost, has a nice sound. I already had played a baritone uke about 15 years ago but decided to relearn the instrument and so far am satisfied with the Oscar Schmidt by Washburn model. For the price, it seems like a good value.

I'm a long time guitar player and since I saw the movie 'The Concert for George' in which Joe Brown played theuke and sang 'I'll see you in my Dreams', my curiosity piqued. Then I saw McCartney sing Something playing theuke.. then 'Somewhere over the Rainbow'.... thought I heard it in a Jason Mraz song... So I purchased this baritonewhich has the same tuning as the standard guitar minus the 5th and 6th string, so the chording is the same. Thisis a quality instrument with a nice tone. After a couple tunings, giving the strings time to adjust, it stays intune. Kudos to the music store in Austin Texas that sold it to me! Instead of driving all over Houston, I orderedit on the weekend and had it on Monday. I'll probably get a tenor in the future and take the time to learn ukulelechords, 'cause it's a fun little instrument and it's cool taking the songs I know and playing them on a uke!A highly recommended instrument. [Austin Bazaar is the company that sold it to me, btw.]

FIRST THINGS FIRST: SHOP AROUND, AS I BOUGHT THIS FOR £85, BUT I'VE SEEN IT GOING FOR STUPID MONEY!As a gauge of my experience, I have 33 years experience playing a variety of stringed instruments, mainly acoustic guitars (classical, flamenco, steel string, premium marques such as Ramirez, Conde Hermanos, Takemine, Ovation) with some electric (Fender, Ibanez), but also others (e.g., Spanish Laud, electric bass).However, this is my first Uke, so take note! ;)Being used to good quality instruments, I was pleased to find that this instrument was very well made, certainly upto the standards of Jasmine acoustics (Takemine's low cost Indonesian brand). It won't win any beauty contests, but it is convincingly made, and looks solid. Body and top are laminated Mahogany, no edge binding, but I believe this is not unusual at this price point. It will certainly make for a robust instrument.Action for me seemed good, tone defintely nice and intonation accurate. The neck is a gentle V and very playable.Delivery was very quick and instrument arrived in pristine condition. Overall, very pleased and good value for money at the £85 I bought it for.