I haven't noticed anybody mention bass fiddle. If you can hear chord changes you can get enough music out of it to get by in a week or two. Like everything else, though, the more you learn the more there is to learn. I've been playing since 1957, and I still hear guys who make me want to go home and shoot my instrument.Baritone uke is good, but why not tenor guitar? Don't have to pull your fingers in so tight. I've got an old tenor banjo that I tune the same as a uke (strings 1-4 on guitar). Four strings are easier than six, and you can learn to play it badly in a very short time.
Whip