The Barnes & Mullins UBJ2 Open Back Soprano Ukulele Banjo delivers a sweet, mellow acoustic voice, charming old-time character, and effortless playability for ukulele players and folk musicians. Scaled and strung in standard soprano ukulele tuning, this open-back banjo-lele provides an accessible crossover path for players wanting to incorporate percussive banjo textures into traditional folk, acoustic strumming, and intimate living room jams.
Maple Open-Back Construction for Mellow Projection
Crafted with a solid maple rim and an open-back pot design, the UBJ2 produces a warmer, more subdued tonal response compared to resonator-equipped banjo-ukuleles. Because the open back allows acoustic sound to dissipate naturally against the player, it yields a soft, intimate voice with sweet harmonic overtones. Outfitted with a Remo UT soundhead and a 10-bracket tension system, the pot assembly provides a consistent percussive attack while keeping overall instrument weight remarkably low.
Solid Maple Neck and Soprano Ukulele Ergonomics
The solid maple neck features a 35 mm nut width and a compact 13.4" (34.0 cm) soprano scale length, offering familiar hand positioning for ukulele players. Topped with a smooth ovangkol fingerboard housing 19 frets and mother of pearl dot inlays, the fingerboard allows effortless navigation for traditional ukulele chord shapes, fingerpicking patterns, and rapid rhythm strums without requiring adjustments to technique.
Chrome Hardware and Open-Gear Tuners
Adorned with durable chrome hardware throughout—including a clean tailpiece and sturdy tension hoop—the UBJ2 provides long-term structural reliability. Open-gear machineheads offer smooth, accurate tuning control, keeping standard soprano GCEA ukulele tuning stable during practice sessions and acoustic gatherings. A maple bridge topped with an ovangkol tip completes the setup, ensuring clean string vibration transfer directly into the Remo head.
Barnes & Mullins UBJ2 Soprano Ukulele Banjo Specifications
- Model Name - UBJ2.
- Instrument Type - banjo ukulele / banjo-lele.
- Style - open-back soprano banjo ukulele.
- Rim Material - maple.
- Head Type - Remo UT.
- Bracket Quantity - 10 brackets.
- Neck Material - maple.
- Fingerboard Material - ovangkol.
- Number of Frets - 19.
- Fingerboard Inlays - mother of pearl dots.
- Scale Length - 13.4" (34.0 cm).
- Nut Width - 35 mm.
- Bridge - maple with ovangkol tip.
- Tuners - open gear.
- Tailpiece - chrome.
- Hardware Finish - chrome.
- Tuning - standard ukulele tuning (G, C, E, A).
- Overall Length / Dimensions - 34.0 cm scale length.
- Instrument Weight - 1.4 kg.
A dependable choice for ukulele enthusiasts, old-time folk players, and acoustic musicians seeking sweet open-back warmth and lightweight portability, the Barnes & Mullins UBJ2 earns its place in practice rooms, acoustic circles, and home studios.