A lute ukulele is a ukulele built with the rounded, bowl back of a Renaissance lute in place of the flat back of a standard ukulele. It tunes and plays exactly like a tenor ukulele, so any uke player is at home on it right away, while the lute body gives it a warmer, rounder, more resonant voice. We build ours as the lute-kulele, the name we gave this instrument, in rosewood and walnut.
It is not a novelty. It is a real, playable instrument that takes the friendly size and tuning of a ukulele and pairs them with the voice and shape of a much older tradition. If you already play ukulele, you lose nothing and gain a sound most uke players never get to hold.
The lute-kulele at a glance
- What it is: a tenor ukulele with the bowl back of a Renaissance lute
- Tuning: standard tenor ukulele, so any uke player can pick it up
- Woods: rosewood variegated or walnut variegated
- Voice: warmer and rounder than a flat-back ukulele
- Price: around $399, with a gig bag included
What makes the lute-kulele different
The difference you hear comes from the back. A standard ukulele has a flat back and a bright, punchy sound. The lute-kulele has a rounded, staved bowl back, the same construction that gives a lute its depth. That shape lets the body breathe differently, and the result is a rounder tone with more warmth under the melody.
The variegated wood is the other thing people notice. Each bowl is built from staves of rosewood or walnut with natural variation in the grain, so no two are marked exactly alike. It is a genuinely handsome instrument, the kind that earns a second look when you take it out.
Roosebeck Tenor Lute-kulele around $399
A tenor-scale lute ukulele with a bowl back, offered in rosewood variegated or walnut variegated, with a gig bag included. Choose your wood on the product page. See the lute-kulele.
Where the lute-kulele comes from
To understand the lute-kulele, it helps to know the instrument it borrows from. The lute is one of the central instruments of Renaissance and Baroque music, built with a deep bowl back of thin wooden staves and a voice that is soft, warm, and intimate. Roosebeck has built lutes for decades, from travel lutes to full multi-course concert instruments, and you can see the whole family on our lutes collection page.
The lute-kulele takes that bowl-backed body and shrinks it to ukulele scale with ukulele tuning. You get a taste of the lute's warmth in an instrument that is far easier to pick up and far friendlier to learn.
Lute-kulele or baroq-ulele: which should you choose?
The lute-kulele has a close cousin in our shop: the baroq-ulele, our line of Baroque-styled ukuleles. Both are lute-inspired, and both reward a player who wants something with more character than an ordinary uke. The practical difference is choice of size.
The lute-kulele comes in one scale, tenor, which is the size most players find most comfortable. The baroq-ulele line gives you three scales to choose from, so you can match the instrument to the hands and the sound you want:
- Concert baroq-ulele, the most compact, bright and quick under the fingers.
- Tenor baroq-ulele, the middle size, with a fuller voice and a little more room on the neck.
- Baritone baroq-ulele, the largest, deepest, and closest to a small guitar in feel.
If you want the truest lute look and feel, reach for the lute-kulele. If size and range matter most to you, the baroq-ulele line lets you pick the scale that fits.
Who the lute-kulele is for
It suits three players especially well. The ukulele player who wants a step up in tone and beauty without learning anything new. The lute-curious musician who wants that old-world warmth in an instrument they can actually play tonight. And the gift-giver looking for something genuinely distinctive for someone who already has a shelf of ordinary instruments.
Not sure it is the right fit? Tell us a little about the player and we will point you the right way. Send our workshop a note.
Frequently asked questions
Is a lute ukulele the same as a regular ukulele?
It is played and tuned the same way as a standard tenor ukulele, so anyone who plays uke can play it. The difference is the body: a lute ukulele has a rounded, bowl back like a Renaissance lute rather than a flat back, which gives it a warmer, rounder sound.
Does the lute-kulele arrive ready to play?
It arrives needing tuning, as every fine stringed instrument does, and it ships with a gig bag. Tuning a ukulele takes only a minute or two, and once it is in tune it is ready to enjoy.
What is the difference between a lute-kulele and a baroq-ulele?
Both are original designs from Roosebeck. The lute-kulele is inspired by the lute, made with a bowl back and some of the strings doubled up in "courses". The baroq-ulele is inspired by the baroque guitar and comes in three scales, concert, tenor, and baritone, so you can choose the size and range you prefer.
What wood options does the lute-kulele come in?
Two: rosewood variegated and walnut variegated. Both use staved bowl backs with natural grain variation, so each instrument looks a little different from the next.
Do you ship free?
Orders ship free to the 48 contiguous states.
The lute-kulele is proof that an instrument can be easy to play and still have real soul. If you want the best of both worlds, the Roosebeck Lute-kulele is waiting for you.