Tenor vs Concert

While I am not the expert player that many of you are, I have at least one of each size in my relatively new collection (picked up a Gambler's Special Lanikai Baritone for $40 shipped on eBay).

I have size L men's hands (not looking to get into the Trump/Rubio debate) and Soprano fretting can be a little tight. I would like to try a long neck Soprano--which I believe marries a Concert neck to a Soprano body. The Soprano sound is unique...and probably historically more "true," but who cares? Have fun with it.

There are a lot of fun Soprano instruments out there, and those are the instruments that appeal to the new players. Sure, experts might go towards the tenor...but the masses are buying the entry level Dolphins, Waterman, Ukadelics, LU-21s, KA-S, amd so on.

I like switching between al of the sizes as it makes my playing more versatile. I'm never going on tour, so I might as well have fun. I do know there are some finger patterns on the Baritone that I am incapable of playing (the stretch is too far). No issues on Soprano, Concert, or Tenor.

As for your Concert vs. Tenor debate, do what you want to do. At worst, you can always sell or give away a ukulele at a later time. Or leave it as a family heirloom.
 
I think Soprano (aka Standard) ukes have the most authentic ukulele sound, and I think performers tend to favor the Tenor size, because it has more room on the fretboard, along with more volume and projection which is nice to have in group settings such as jam sessions also.

To me, the Concert size is a nice happy medium. It still has that "true" ukulele sound while providing a bit more room on the fretboard. My number one ukulele is a Kanile'a Concert from HMS, because it has all the goods: looks, sound, and play-ability.

Lately however, I've been playing guitar again, and switching from a giant guitar to a tiny uke (and back again) has been a challenge, so now I mostly play Tenor ukuleles and short-scale guitars, which minimizes the difference in scale lengths and seems to be a nice compromise for me.

As for Concert or Tenor ukulele? I say both! If you like both, that is. Nothing wrong in sticking with one or the other. In that case, maybe consider what style of music you want to play, and which size feels more comfortable for you when deciding. Aloha! :cool:
 
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I started out on a tenor, but bought a concert after I had problem reaching some cords. Playing the concert helped me play better but now I prefer my tenors. I bought a baritone last month and found I liked the fingering, so I re-tuned my Tenors to dGBE and have been having a ball with them. But I swap out to a concert for the C6 tuning and to keep my cord knowledge current. After a month of playing both styles I can play in key on either tuning, mostly.

A tenor give you more flexibility but that may not be of interest to you. Play what makes you happiest.
 
I don't want a tenor uke, I had one once and went right back to a concert. My spouse doesn't want a concert uke, she only plays tenors. It doesn't have anything to do with gender or age or entry level.

I guess the most important question to me is "Does this uke make me look fat?"
 
I don't want a tenor uke, I had one once and went right back to a concert. My spouse doesn't want a concert uke, she only plays tenors. It doesn't have anything to do with gender or age or entry level.

I guess the most important question to me is "Does this uke make me look fat?"
Haha, for me the question would be, "Does this ukulele look good enough that no one will notice that I have a big belly?"
 
tenors are what real ukulele players play. [ popping the corn now and luckily shielded by ciberspace from the tomatoes]:nana:
 
Lost in this conversation is the hybrid. Although not many are made, I like the sound of the concert and the scale of the tenor, sometimes called a long neck tenor, sometimes called a super concert. Best of both worlds for some.

It's importance is validated by Kamaka, Kanile'a, KoAloha and others such as Ono, Cocobolo and Pepe Romero's Tiny Tenor that have reduced the size of the body and yet still uses the longer neck. (Ono and Cocobolo use a 16 inch scale on some of it's models, and the Tiny Tenor has a smaller body with a tenor scale.)
 
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Lost in this conversation is the hybrid. Although not many are made, I like the sound of the concert and the scale of the tenor, sometimes called a long neck tenor, sometimes called a super concert. Best of both worlds for some.

It's importance is validated by Kamaka, Kanile'a, KoAloha and others such as Ono, Cocobolo and Pepe Romero's Tiny Tenor that have reduced the size of the body and yet still puts uses the longer neck. (Ono and Cocobolo use a 16 inch scale on some of it's models, and the Tiny Tenor has a smaller body with a tenor scale.)
I've got a mahogany Mainland Pineapple with a Concert body and a Tenor neck. It gives me the bright sound of a concert with the fret spacing of a tenor for my fat fingers. I probably wouldn't want it as my only uke, but it's definitely a nice addition to my sonic toolbox.
 
I have a recently acquired a Koaloha long neck concert [thanks Lenny] and I think it is now my favorite ukulele. I still like the sound of my low g tenor[also a Koaloha] but strummed the concert size re entrant combo is stellar. I have had Koa;oha concerts before and have always admired their tone and spark, and now I have lots of room up the neck, think I'm in love. at least until I get the Collings tenor I just bought.
 
I have a recently acquired a Koaloha long neck concert [thanks Lenny] and I think it is now my favorite ukulele. I still like the sound of my low g tenor[also a Koaloha] but strummed the concert size re entrant combo is stellar. I have had Koa;oha concerts before and have always admired their tone and spark, and now I have lots of room up the neck, think I'm in love. at least until I get the Collings tenor I just bought.

Excellent Andy. I am so glad you've come to love it. Last time we talked you weren't sure where it fit in with your stable. I am very interested in how it performs against your newly acquired Collings. Congrats on that.
 
Having played both 18" scale and 17" scale tenors, and my wife's concert, some of what you ask depends on how you will be playing the uke. And you need to decide how many frets you need. I think tenors have a minimum of 15 frets and concerts a minimum of 12 frets. Usually both go beyond that, but it is something to think about before you buy.

Despite not having one, I personally feel a concert size is about the perfect balance of body size and fretboard. But as you move up the neck and real estate diminishes and it is a little more challenging playing above the 12th fret. Notwithstanding John King, who had the ability to play exceedingly well anywhere on the fretboard on an even smaller instrument, that has been one of the things that has stopped me from really going after one. But it is on my to do list.

John
 
As for "fat fingers" the 1.5" nut is they key to that. Just my rough experience but for chords it seems like sopranos run out of space ~7th fret (like 787-) or so, and concerts ~10th (10/11/10/-) fret or so. A chord like (852-) gets a touch dicey on a tenor.

I think all this does is convince me that you need at least one of each :p
 
Thanks folks.

Went and tried out a couple tenors today, at least for a little while, a $59 as is Cordoba 22T with a cracked top, and a pair of way way out of tune Fenders (note to self, bring along the tuner next time). No negative issues with the tenors, I really did want to play one of the Cordoba's as they have the 1-1/2" nut, not enough change in width for me to tell. Did find out Guitar Center carries a lot of crap and nothing decent, not worth going back there. Hard to tell anything about how tenors sound as opposed to concerts using these fine examples. I like Jellyboy's idea of picking up a lower cost tenor to try out before buying a good one. Don't think I'll be happy with an entry level, so maybe one of the low end Pono's or the Cordoba 30T.
 
Went and tried out a couple tenors today, at least for a little while, a $59 as is Cordoba 22T with a cracked top, and a pair of way way out of tune Fenders (note to self, bring along the tuner next time).

No need to always have the tuner on you. As long as you have a smart phone, you will always have it with you. Download one. There are plenty and they do a pretty good job. Most are free.
 
No need to always have the tuner on you. As long as you have a smart phone, you will always have it with you. Download one. There are plenty and they do a pretty good job. Most are free.


:agree: Yep yep! The two I use on my Android are DaTuner Lite and Pano Tuner. Both work well.
 
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