A Baroq-ulele is a ukulele built with a round-back lute body in place of the usual flat back. Roosebeck designed it, drawing on the old German round-back guitar, and paired a European spruce soundboard and a museum-sourced rosette with standard ukulele tuning. You play it exactly like any ukulele, the same chords, fingering, and songs, but the bowl back gives it a warmer, more resonant voice.
If you have ever wanted a ukulele that sounds a little deeper and looks like it walked out of a Renaissance painting, the Baroq-ulele is that instrument. Here is where it comes from, how it sounds, and how its sizes and woods compare.
Where the Baroq-ulele comes from
The design borrows from the German round-back guitar, an older form with a rounded, staved back instead of a flat one. Roosebeck built the ukulele on that idea: a bowl-shaped back made from wood staves, topped with a European spruce soundboard. Each size carries its own rosette, the decorative ring around the soundhole, and each rosette is taken from a 16th or 17th-century instrument in a museum collection. The tenor, for example, uses a rosette based on a 1607 lute by Magno Stegher. This is a Roosebeck original design.
How it sounds
A flat-back ukulele projects off a single flat plane. The Baroq-ulele's bowl back works more like a lute, sending resonance around a curved chamber. The result is a warmer, more three-dimensional voice with more sustain than a comparable flat-back uke. The spruce top responds quickly to both strumming and fingerpicking. On the variegated models, each wood adds something of its own: lacewood brings clarity, rosewood brings warmth.
The three sizes
Roosebeck offers the Baroq-ulele in three sizes. They share the same bowl-back build and spruce top, and differ in scale length, depth of voice, and who they suit best.
| Size | Scale length | Voice | Tuning | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concert | 375 mm (14.75 in) | Bright and balanced, compact | Standard ukulele (GCEA) | Players who want the classic uke feel in a fuller body |
| Tenor | 430 mm (17 in) | Sweeter and more resonant, more room to sing | Standard ukulele (GCEA) | Players who want more volume and sustain |
| Baritone | 480 mm (19 in) | Deep and guitar-like, rich in bass | DGBE, like a guitar's top four strings | Guitarists, and players who want the lowest voice in the family |
What it is made of
The soundboard is European spruce across the line. For the bowl back, the Baroq-ulele comes in three wood choices: solid rosewood for warmth, lacewood (also called chenar) for a brighter, clearer voice, or variegated, with alternating staves of rosewood and lacewood that blend the two. The neck and bridge are rosewood, fitted with a cattle-bone nut and saddle for clean, accurate intonation.
Tuning and playing
If you already play ukulele, you already play the Baroq-ulele. The concert and tenor use standard ukulele tuning (GCEA), so the chords, fingering, and songs you know carry straight over. The baritone is tuned DGBE, the same as the top four strings of a guitar, which makes it an easy step for guitarists. All models use friction tuners with a tension screw on top of each one, so you can set how firmly they hold, light and quick or snug and stable, to your own feel.
How it differs from a standard ukulele
Underneath, it is still a ukulele: same tuning, same technique, same repertoire. What sets it apart is the build. The round-back bowl replaces the flat back, the spruce soundboard carries a museum-sourced rosette, and the whole instrument has a sweeter, more resonant voice and a historical look that no production ukulele offers.
Setup, strings, and care
Each Baroq-ulele comes set up for its standard tuning. You will want to tune it before your first play, since strings settle during shipping. A padded gig bag is included, and the owner's guide (PDF) walks through tuning and maintenance. Strings are wear items: makers suggest replacing them every three to four months, wiping them with a dry cloth after playing, and keeping a spare set on hand. Strings are not covered under warranty.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Baroq-ulele hard to play if I already play ukulele?
No. The concert and tenor use standard ukulele tuning, so your chords, fingering, and songs transfer directly. The bowl body changes the voice, not the technique.
What sizes does the Baroq-ulele come in?
Roosebeck offers three: concert (375 mm scale), tenor (430 mm), and baritone (480 mm). The concert and tenor tune GCEA; the baritone tunes DGBE like a guitar's top four strings.
What is a Baroq-ulele made of?
A European spruce soundboard over a round-back bowl of rosewood, lacewood, or variegated staves, with a rosewood neck and bridge and a cattle-bone nut and saddle.
How is a Baroq-ulele tuned?
Concert and tenor use standard ukulele tuning (GCEA). The baritone is tuned DGBE, the same as the top four strings of a guitar.
Does the Baroq-ulele come with a case?
Yes. Every Baroq-ulele includes a padded gig bag and an owner's guide.
What makes it different from a regular ukulele?
The round-back lute body, the spruce soundboard, and a rosette drawn from a 16th or 17th-century museum instrument. It plays like a standard ukulele but sounds warmer and more resonant.
Watch: what is a Roosebeck Baroq-ulele?
A short walkthrough of the instrument, its history, tuning, and how to play it.