Loud?

Rllink

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I'm still thinking about buying a soprano. I don't jump into things. I'm looking at a spruce top. The reason that I'm looking at a spruce top is because I heard that they are loud, and I like to reach out and touch people. I busk a lot. Is Spruce the way to go?
 
It is also the build as well as the wood. My loudest is my sapele Opio. It has a bigger lower bout.
 
I'd say spruce is 'brighter' than cedar or mahogany, but there isn't really that much between the ones that I have.

I just bought myself a Kala concert acacia, & that is 'brighter' still, but costs more in general.

Suggest you take a look at the KoAloha acacia if you can afford it, (I was very tempted with their long neck soprano & long neck concert).
 
If you want an all-wood instrument, my Ohana SK-35 really sings. Incredible projection for a small instrument.

Soprano Fleas project awfully well, too.
 
If you want an all-wood instrument, my Ohana SK-35 really sings. Incredible projection for a small instrument.

Soprano Fleas project awfully well, too.

Was actually looking at an Ohana SK-70MG.

Nyah! Nyah! Rollie has UAS! Rollie has UAS! :eek:ld:
Yes Dick, have your fun. You know that I've had a big want going on for a soprano all summer. ;)
 
The loudest unamplified ukulele I've heard was a Kala spruce top. On the other hand, my favourite ukulele is actually pretty quiet. It sounds sparkly, though.
 
The loudest soprano I have had (still have it) is the Famous (Kiwaya) FS-5 (G, with geared tuners). It's louder than the KoAloha pineapple koa soprano I once had, surprisingly. If that's an indicator for how loud the Kiwaya KTS-* models are, those would be contenders also. It's also one of the best sounding and playing sopranos I know, and it's "just" a laminate.
 
I was also seeking volume, in a soprano. I recently lined up my 5 sops, 2 solid mahogany, 1 solid koa, 1 lam mahogany, 1 thinline lam hog. I played them all hard, and they all came in at about 87db max on a sound meter. Despite rather equal volumes, some sound fuller, probably due to more midrange. Favilla sounds best: loud, very full and sweet. The Famous FS-0 laminate thinline has big volume, great tone, but sounds less full. So, I guess volume isn't everything.
I did the same, and included a concert and baritone, with similar results. What we call loud may just be that our ears perceive certain pitches or ranges louder than others. The baritone was the quietest. One of the sopranos was second quietest, and two other sops and the concert were all nearly identical. It had nothing, that I could see, too do with their prices.
 
ahoy

loudest soprano
have played Fluke Flea

busking
quite sturdy
can take more hard knocks
than most wood ukes

dit dit
mac
 
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