Baton Rouge rECO Ash Tenor Ukulele UTAS-T

Baton Rouge make ukuleles that are reasonably priced, but exceed the expectations for instruments at their price level. Consistently, their models sound better than the many other competitors in their price bracket.

Innovative rECOtimber for a better tomorrow. Once a dream, now a reality. Baton Rouge have developed a unique process which makes it possible to use local woods instead of tropical species all while maintaining the same sound quality.

Sustainability and sound

It was September 1998 when Gunther Reinhardt first met with a university professor in Finland who told him that under a microscope thermo-treated wood looks just like wood from Stradivarius’ time. This comment inspired what would turn into the rECOtimber project: prioritizing sustainability without compromising on sound.

An innovative process

Partnering with the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Baton Rouge have developed a process which exposes the local woods to a minimum heat of 150° C for several hours. Effectively this causes the wood to dry out and become brittle. The success of this process hinges on finding the exact ratio of heat and duration in order to achieve the optimal degree of modification for different types of wood.

Backed up by science

The science behind this project is what enables us to reduce the error rate. By performing quantified sound analyses Baton Rouge’s team of scientists have examined the vibration behaviours of both native and modified woods: concluding that with the right process, musical instrument makers can improve the acoustic properties of all types of woods Very Good in guitar making.

The project has been developed with the aim to eventually replace the practice of using tropical species such as mahogany or rosewood in guitar making with local woods- all while achieving the same sound quality.