Long neck soprano

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crisson

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Hi. I am thinking about a long neck soprano and would like some feedback on various models. I would like one that keeps the true soprano sound but with a little more room for my fat fingers. I have looked at the Kala SSLNG and SLNG, and the Ohana 30L, 250M, and 270M. I would like to keep the price down below $400 (and the lower the better since I am retired). Any comments on any of these or any suggestions for others I should look at is appreciated. Thanks, Jim.
 
I bought my first long neck around about December 2015, this was a Kala KA-SLNG (concert scale soprano body, laminate mahogany), & that became my go to uke ever since - (right up until I bought some tenor scale ukes, toward the end of last year). :)

As well as my SLNG, I now have the Ohana SK30L tenor scale soprano body solid mahogany, it's a great uke.

(I also bought an Ohana CK35L, tenor scale concert body solid mahogany, which I am finding to be just about the right size & tone for me,)
 
I have a KPK soprano pineapple with a concert neck well under $200, very fancy acacia, on the darker side. Some of the best sounding soprano long necks I've heard were solid cedar topped mahogany Sailor brand (best), Ohana, and Mainland. I believe the last two are cousins.
 
I have the Mainland cedar top/ rosewood LN soprano that I really like and it's in your price range. It has a real soprano "bark".
 
I don't want to be that person who makes a suggestion that is over (but slightly) the buyer's price limit, but . . . for $408 you can get an all-acacia KoAloha Opio longneck soprano. I have the concert version, and I love it even more than the first day I played it. And KoAloha has a lifetime guarantee/support, so you'd be buying peace of mind, too. It comes with a gig bag, but maybe (?) in North Carolina you could get by with that and not need a hard case for humidifying the instrument. Here's a link: http://www.theukulelesite.com/shop-by/brand/koaloha-opio-soprano-long-neck-ukulele-package-kso-02.html
 
DaveY said:
I don't want to be that person who makes a suggestion that is over (but slightly) the buyer's price limit, but . . . for $408 you can get an all-acacia KoAloha Opio longneck soprano. I have the concert version, and I love it even more than the first day I played it. And KoAloha has a lifetime guarantee/support, so you'd be buying peace of mind, too. It comes with a gig bag, but maybe (?) in North Carolina you could get by with that and not need a hard case for humidifying the instrument. Here's a link: http://www.theukulelesite.com/shop-...soprano-long-neck-ukulele-package-kso-02.html
Click to expand...

I'm inclined to agree with DaveY - while I haven't played the Opio, I did own a Koaloha longneck pineapple soprano and it was a pretty great little instrument! I ended up selling it to fund a Kamaka longneck instead, which I realize is over the OP's price limit but is worth the money if you can swing it.
 
I'd grab River Driver's pair of ukes (one a long neck) in the Marketplace. $110 including shipping is a good offer and will get you something that'll be just fine for quite a while. The Opio may be better (different) sounding, but at four times the price, so I feel that especially if you don't know if that is the size you'll settle on long term, the used option is more sensible. And if you do upgrade later, you could skip the Opio and get the KoAloha LN pineapple some day.
 
Thanks for all the great reviews on the long necks I am considering and also for the suggestions of ukes I didn't think of. Decisions, decisions, decisions...it's tough. I need to keep looking at some of the suggested ukes. Thanks again.
 
I've got a Kala SLNG and totally love it. I still marvel that such a good instrument (it projects, has great tone) could cost $92. Can't go wrong there
 
I have Ohana's SK-30L and can vouch for the fact that it's a really good uke. The tenor-scale neck paired with the soprano body is a different kind of look, but it is really comfortable to play and absolutely sparkles with sound! I string it with Martin M-620's.
 
I would LOVE to try a long neck soprano with a 1.5" neck. Too bad Islander doesn't make one...
 
bnolsen said:
I would LOVE to try a long neck soprano with a 1.5" neck. Too bad Islander doesn't make one...
Click to expand...

Check out the Islander AS4- not marketed as long neck but has 14 frets to the body. MS4 has only 12 frets.
 
Jim Hanks said:
No, scale length is nut to saddle distance. This post claims the scale length is 13.75" which is still squarely in soprano territory as far as I'm concerned.
Click to expand...

Apologies for not being clearer. I was only trying to offer an alternative to someone wanting a long neck Islander Soprano. The AS4 is not marketed as a long neck Soprano, and is not. However it does have more frets to the body than most sopranos (and even other Islander sopranos) and the 1/2 inch fretboard width. Most of my long neck sopranos measure just over 14.5 inches nut to saddle. My AS4 just under 14 inches. My other sopranos measure less.

Just ignore my suggestion.
 
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