Bardo

Bardo is a trusty travel companion and I see it like the culmination of my quest for simplicity: it’s  designed to be strong, portable and affordable.
All this thanks to a careful and out-of-the-box choice of alternative materials and construction methods, the result of years of experience in experimenting, optimizing and seeking a minimalist essence.

Bardo is designed to deliver the richest sound possible that the most minimal form can give. Crafted with precision-cut beech plywood components using CNC technology, each part is assembled by hand with care and attention to detail.

At the heart of Bardo is a finely crafted soundboard—built with the same luthier-level expertise as all my ukulele models. It’s the true engine of the instrument, and where the tonal magic happens. Everything around it is intentionally simplified and minimized to reduce cost without compromising performance.

SPECIFICATIONS

Body: beech plywood
Soundboard: walnut or Red Spruce
Neck: beech plywood
Fretboard and bridge: beech plywood
Available sizes: soprano, tenor and Octave

Bardo is the latest addition to the Antica Ukuleleria models, but it is the culmination of a project that I have dreamed of since the beginning of my journey as a luthier: building an instrument that can accompany its owner on all his adventures without too many worries.

Often artisanal instruments are characterized by a certain fragility, moreover their price is rightly high due to the huge amount of hours required to build them following traditional methods. These 2 factors often discourage their owners from carrying them around too much, so it is not uncommon for them to be sadly used mainly at home or in protected situations.

I have always dreamed of being able to build an instrument free from these worries, which can be a trusty travel companion and can be fearlessly used at festivals, crowded pubs, on a picnic, on the stage or to sing happy birthday to a family party. In short, that he can be part of those situations that will become a beautiful memory.

Bardo ukulele is therefore based on these 2 concepts:

• Robustness – the particular design and material makes it much less delicate than my other models. The beech plywood of body and neck is extremely stable and tough, and it is hard enough to be used for the fingerboard too, making it virtually non-deformable by humidity, and so immune to typical problems such as fret sprout (sharp fret ends).
  I carefully researched a supplier that gives me beech plywood compliant with the most modern health and environmental certifications (CARB / TSCA).
• Lower price – I focused my work for years on studying and implementing alternative construction methods, looking for a minimalistic essence of the instrument by harmoniously optimizing its look to the construction needs. I decided to pour all this experience in designing Bardo and take it to the limit. This model was intentionally created with the idea of combining the greatest ease of construction with the best possible sound. Every smallest part of this instrument, every curve, shape and choice, are carefully studied to follow this quest for simplicity.

Please note that while the beech plywood is high quality, minor imperfections can occasionally appear in the inner layers, as with any plywood. I carefully avoid major issues like voids or large knots, but some small flaws—such as minor knots or internal overlaps—may only become visible after carving. I discard pieces that don’t meet my standards and keep only those with slight aesthetic imperfections.

Options

Please note: these are the current options for the first batch of Bardos I made. Since I can never stop thinking about improvements and further optimizations to the process, there might be some variations in the final options and appearance, but the core of the instrument will remain the same.
I’m aiming to finalize the design by the end of summer 2025, so if you decide to order before then, just keep in mind that there might be small differences compared to the photos shown on the page.

Bardo is available in three sizes to match your playing style and sound preferences:

• Soprano – compact and classic.

• Tenor – fuller tone with more room for your fingers.

• Octave – a larger body tuned GCEA one octave lower, for a deeper, resonant voice. Do we really need a big bassy ukulele? Yes, I think we do!

Each size can be customized with your choice of soundboard wood:

• Walnut (Style I): Offers a warmer, darker tone with slightly softer projection. It’s also more resistant to scratches, for this reason, it aligns better with its main concept of robustness.

• Red Spruce (Style II): Delivers a brighter, louder, and more powerful sound. While it’s more delicate, it brings out the instrument’s full acoustic potential—perfect for those seeking maximum resonance and clarity. A thin black veneer is added between the spruce and the body, to give more contrast with the color. A little vanity 🙂