Long neck soprano

RafterGirl

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Final piece to my ukulele family may be a long neck soprano. Does anyone know anything about the Famous FLS-1G? What wood is it? Is it solid or laminate? I posted these questions on Amazon and got no answer. I can't find a review of it either, at least not in english.
https://www.amazon.com/KIWAYA-Famou...20451&sr=8-11&keywords=famous+soprano+ukulele

Other thoughts would be the KoAloha Opio longneck, or an Ohana SK-30M. Any other thoughts? I prefer a satin finish, or at least not a heavy gloss.
Thanks
 
I just received a Koaloha Opio Soprano Longneck from HMS.

I have owned a few longnecks, including a Mya Moe, but this is my favorite.

Great volume, tone and it plays perfect. Review will be coming in a week or two.
 
That one is laminate mahogany, similar to their standard soprano FS-1. Many believe that the laminate used by Kiwaya/Famous is the best available, and that these ukes sound better than even some solid ukes.

I have a laminate Kiwaya KS-1 and it is really amazing! If I didn't know it was laminate, I would have never guessed. The sound is full and complex. It has wonderful volume. It also has a 1 7/16" nut width giving you extra room. I would highly recommend it over many solid wood ukes at the same price point. The other long neck soprano that gets a lot of positive comments is the Kala KA-SLNG. I have not played one, but people that have love it.
 
Definitely laminate, but as others have noted, very good laminate.

I have a laminate hog Famous FLS-2PG pineapple longneck soprano that I bought via J-guitar (you can search my previous posts for the details, it got here from Japan in 2 days for a very good price). It's not my main player, but it's very good - my initial comment when it arrived was that if it had been my first uke, I may never have drifted into checking out higher-end instruments! It has a very good tone and decent intonation.

The only downside to the Famous that I've found is that the neck is chunkier than that on the pricier Kiwaya line (I have a couple of those too and they are GREAT). I can't recall if I ever measured the nut width or not, but the actual thickness of the neck is a bit beefier than what I'm used to and for me, that affects playability slightly.

 
That one is laminate mahogany, similar to their standard soprano FS-1. Many believe that the laminate used by Kiwaya/Famous is the best available, and that these ukes sound better than even some solid ukes. I had an FS-5 (lam koa) and still have an FS-0 (thinline mahogany sop), and they both sound great, with excellent volume and tone. I notice on Rakuten they also offer the FLS-60 for much less, both mahogany ply, not sure of the difference. The translation issues in the Rakuten listings are often amusing. :D

https://global.rakuten.com/en/store/kurosawastore/item/n-fam-fls-60/

Thanks. That one looks like a satin finish mahogany long neck soprano. How is the buying experience from rakuten?

I truly love my KoAloha concert, so the long neck soprano Opio calls to me.
 
So two folks have responded in this thread that the FLS-1G is definitely a laminate, but in another thread someone who is in Japan says it's a solid wood. Does anyone know for sure which it is?
 
I have the Ohana SK30M, it's a nice uke, typical mahogany sound, & I've just bought an acacia KoAloha long neck concert, & I'm liking it's clarity & sustain, they are two quite different sounds/tones though.

Kala also have three long neck sopranos, the laminate mahogany, a solid top spruce, & a laminate koa.
 
I have a KoAloha concert and a cedar/rosewood Loprinzi concert on order. For the long neck soprano, I'll go with mahogany for some variety.
 
I have a KoAloha concert and a cedar/rosewood Loprinzi concert on order. For the long neck soprano, I'll go with mahogany for some variety.
I think you'll be happy with these. I have a KoAloha Opio concert, a Loprinzi mahogany long neck soprano and a Kinnard bear claw spruce/Honduran rosewood soprano. These three give me the diversity/range I was looking for- although I had to kiss a few frogs to get here LOL.
 
I think you'll be happy with these. I have a KoAloha Opio concert, a Loprinzi mahogany long neck soprano and a Kinnard bear claw spruce/Honduran rosewood soprano. These three give me the diversity/range I was looking for- although I had to kiss a few frogs to get here LOL.
I agree about the frogs. Not that any of my choices have been total duds, but it does take some trial & error to fine tune what works best for each person. Getting it perfect on the first try doesn't always happen. Although, my first step up from my starter uke was the KoAloha which has proved to be a total winner. Unlike some folks, I'm trying to keep my ukulele herd to 3-4 that get played regularly. Each with a different sound & purpose.
 
I think fls-1g and fls-60 are the same the fls-60 being some sort of limited anniversary model as the fls-60 marking on the headstock is a different marking on the headstock. I also think you can tell the difference between the Famous laminate wood (silk screened "Famous" on the headstock) and the solid wood models (an abalone "F" on the headstock). I am only guessing that because I have a Famous FC-5 all solid mahogany with the abalone "F" on the headstock and abalone fret markers. It is very similar to my Kiwaya KTC-2 except the headstock is slotted with Gotoh micro mini stealth tuners.
 
I agree about the frogs. Not that any of my choices have been total duds, but it does take some trial & error to fine tune what works best for each person. Getting it perfect on the first try doesn't always happen. Although, my first step up from my starter uke was the KoAloha which has proved to be a total winner. Unlike some folks, I'm trying to keep my ukulele herd to 3-4 that get played regularly. Each with a different sound & purpose.
ROTFL. Ditto. I'm trying to stick to these 3 daily players with the Kinnard strung low g. I have a some laminates - long neck concert, a couple of ln kala sopranos, a couple of Islanders - that aren't duds, but certainly not in the same class. I'll hang on to them for now just because they can be convenient to grab and go and it would cost more in shipping to give them away to anyone not local. Looking forward to hearing how you like the Loprinzi! The cedar should sound very nice.
 
I decided to order the FLS-1G from Amazon. I had some other things to order from them, so decided to go that route. My guess is that this is a solid top/laminate back & side ukulele. But even if it's all laminate, that's ok. The Kiwaya/Famous laminates get such high praise that it will be just fine. Once it arrives I'll have to decide about making it my outdoor uke, and selling or gifting the Islander soprano I just got. The Islander is nice, but I truly am trying to get my ukulele family down to just three, and I'm most comfortable with the concert scale. Or then again.......maybe I'll fudge a little and stretch my family size to 4????
 
Update on the famous FLS-1G

I'm saddened to report that this uke and I aren't getting along. janeray1940 mentioned in post #5 that she has issues with the neck, and I'm sorry to say that I'm having the same problem. It's not that it's a deep neck, but it is more squared off in a D-shape. This shape is affecting my playing and bothering my left hand. Not terribly, but it is noticeable. I did switch out the stock strings to Living Waters which I really like. After a week of playing this ukulele a lot, I've decided to sell it. I'm afraid that it won't get played as much in favor of my other soprano and concerts. That would be a shame for such a nice uke. Oh well, live and learn. I now know that D-shaped necks aren't for me.
 
Update on the famous FLS-1G

I'm saddened to report that this uke and I aren't getting along. janeray1940 mentioned in post #5 that she has issues with the neck, and I'm sorry to say that I'm having the same problem. It's not that it's a deep neck, but it is more squared off in a D-shape. This shape is affecting my playing and bothering my left hand. Not terribly, but it is noticeable. I did switch out the stock strings to Living Waters which I really like. After a week of playing this ukulele a lot, I've decided to sell it. I'm afraid that it won't get played as much in favor of my other soprano and concerts. That would be a shame for such a nice uke. Oh well, live and learn. I now know that D-shaped necks aren't for me.

Sorry to hear it didn't work out, but I get it - I like my Famous as a beach uke, but the neck would frustrate me endlessly if it was my main player. On the other hand though, my tenor-playing friends think it's a dream to play, so I'm sure you'll find someone who find sopranos challenging that this may appeal to.
 
I’m looking for a soprano long neck with a nut wider than 35mm aka at least 1 7/16 inches. Are any of the Famous brand long necks that wide at the nut? I’m basically trying to find a long neck version of the FS-5 (in Kiwaya form that would be the KS-5) because i really love the wide nut/fretboard on it. Curious to hear if the Famous long necks from Japan, both regular shape and pineapples, might fit the bill.

Also curious to hear if any other ukes might fit the bill!
 
I’m looking for a soprano long neck with a nut wider than 35mm aka at least 1 7/16 inches. Are any of the Famous brand long necks that wide at the nut? I’m basically trying to find a long neck version of the FS-5 (in Kiwaya form that would be the KS-5) because i really love the wide nut/fretboard on it. Curious to hear if the Famous long necks from Japan, both regular shape and pineapples, might fit the bill.

Also curious to hear if any other ukes might fit the bill!

I don't recall the measurements but neither my Kiwayas nor my Famous have a wider nut. My two Kiwayas have the standard nut width and a very slim neck; my Famous has the standard nut width and a chunkier neck.

I'd suggest looking into LoPrinzi ukuleles. I was considering one a while back, and while it was a beautiful instrument at a great price, it did have a wider nut, which for my little hands was a problem (my pinky couldn't fret the G string cleanly, it was just too far of a reach).
 
KoAloha long neck sopranos are 1 7/16 I believe. HMS has them in koa, mango, and mahogany. I'd check with them. I think my long neck Famous was also 1 7/16??? I'll see if I can find the info.
 
I have a solid mahogany Ohana long neck soprano and love the sound. Very rich and good sustain. A good deal and the action is great. However, you would have to get past the high gloss. I was like you before and would never get a high gloss but now I am getting use to it and actually it is good protection.
 
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