Concert vs Tenor

I was wondering if a tenor ukulele has any advantages, like playing more advanced songs up the fingerboard?

All things equal in build and technique, a tenor will sound clearer with more sustain when you play up the fret board.
The physics of a longer string... just do that.
Then again... you might not need a longer sustain, or want that sound, or want to deal with the higher string tension.

As people say, there is a different sound and character to a tenor.
It's one I prefer, but different strokes for different folks.

There's no right or wrong answer, but there is a difference.
 
So much of this is personal - finger and hand size, ability to fret chords on a small instrument etc - then come issues of the size of your wallet. I now have four sopranos and two tenors. I had a concert but did not really connect with it, it was personal. If you have decent strings on a quality instrument you will never be let down. On the other hand a poor instrument poorly set up will be horrible whatever the size. In the middle of that there will be difficulties with a quality instrument that is badly set up. I have bought and sold several instruments before deciding on my preferred instruments.
Play lots and make decisions carefully.
 
So much of this is personal - finger and hand size, ability to fret chords on a small instrument etc - then come issues of the size of your wallet. I now have four sopranos and two tenors. I had a concert but did not really connect with it, it was personal. If you have decent strings on a quality instrument you will never be let down. On the other hand a poor instrument poorly set up will be horrible whatever the size. In the middle of that there will be difficulties with a quality instrument that is badly set up. I have bought and sold several instruments before deciding on my preferred instruments.
Play lots and make decisions carefully.
That is so true. I bought a concert to start, and then I bought another concert upgrade. I just figured I was a concert kind of guy. Then after four years of playing concert ukuleles, I bought a soprano just to have around and as maybe a backup. I've only played the concert a few times since. But the question was concert vs tenor, and in my case anyway, I had to draw the line in regards to how big I wanted to go and still feel like I'm playing a ukulele. I drew the line at concert. Of course, that could change. I try not to become so committed to something that I am not open to change.
 
I have probably offended owners of fleas, sopranos and sub $1500 instruments.

GRRR, I'm SO offended, both of my most expensive ukes cost just over 1500 total!




(JK)
 
This is a bit off topic, but I really like satin necks on all my instruments (coming from violin). Do I run the risk of scratching a satin/oil finish on a ukulele over time with strumming techniques? I wish ukulele companies made gloss bodies with natural/oil/satin necks.

I hear ya, I hate gloss finish necks. UGH!
The 1st thing I did to my guitar and banjouke was take the finish off!
 
I hear ya, I hate gloss finish necks. UGH!
The 1st thing I did to my guitar and banjouke was take the finish off![/QUOTE

I hate gloss full stop. Always looks like plastic to me.
 
I have a new ukulele in route from Mim, Gary Gill "short neck" tenor. Pear shaped tenor body with a concert scale neck. I had a regular tenor and loved the sound, but struggled with the scale size. I have shorter fingers. I know the pear shaped body will give a different sound, but should I expect a mainly tenor sound, or will the concert scale affect the sound? I'm hoping for the best of both worlds.....tenor sound with a more comfortable scale.
 
I have a new ukulele in route from Mim, Gary Gill "short neck" tenor. Pear shaped tenor body with a concert scale neck. I had a regular tenor and loved the sound, but struggled with the scale size. I have shorter fingers. I know the pear shaped body will give a different sound, but should I expect a mainly tenor sound, or will the concert scale affect the sound? I'm hoping for the best of both worlds.....tenor sound with a more comfortable scale.

Please let us know what you think after you play it. That's an uncommon combination.
 
Please let us know what you think after you play it. That's an uncommon combination.

Yes. I have never seen a “short neck” version of any scale. My hope is for the tenor sound with the concert scale that works better for me. I will definitely report back and do a NUD.
 
I have a new ukulele in route from Mim, Gary Gill "short neck" tenor. Pear shaped tenor body with a concert scale neck. I had a regular tenor and loved the sound, but struggled with the scale size. I have shorter fingers. I know the pear shaped body will give a different sound, but should I expect a mainly tenor sound, or will the concert scale affect the sound? I'm hoping for the best of both worlds.....tenor sound with a more comfortable scale.

wouldnt that be a large body concert rather than a short scale tenor?
 
wouldnt that be a large body concert rather than a short scale tenor?
Seems like most ukuleles with different sized necks are called by the name of the body and not the scale. For example, a long neck soprano isn't called a short body concert. I'm sticking with short neck tenor, since the body is a tenor. Although, you have a point, since I've already decided that the uke's name will be.....Fat Bottom Girl. :)
 
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For that "traditional", percussive ukulele sound, go with a soprano (or a concert); for a more "modern" and versatile sound, go with a tenor.

I sort of agree with this but think there's more to it and wonder if anyone can chime in. I've found that this statement applies to most modern ukes (sopranos = more percussive, concerts = slightly less percussive, tenors = more like a higher-pitched classical guitar, though of course there's more nuance to it than that) but doesn't apply to vintage ones.

To my ears, all vintage ukes sound more percussive, and it's almost as if something changed with modern construction, where sopranos are still built very lightly, but concerts and tenors are perhaps built more heavily. This is a mere speculation based on my ears. To me, all older ukes sound bouncier and more percussive than modern ones, but modern sopranos still have that bouncy/percussive sound like their ancestors.

Wondering if anyone else has a take on this.
 
maybe ive been using percussive wrong, to mean shorter sustain, and more attack focused playing.

I think heavier built.. does the opposite of of what you say. The heavier builds I've tried tend to have shorter sustain, and less projection. It's like they can't hold the energy together, and it sputters out faster, which is what I also associate with sopranos generally speaking,

Longer scales start with more kinetic energy, and hold it longer because of higher tension, and mass of the strings, not the body.
 
Wondering if anyone else has a take on this.


Here's my conjecture:

Vontage ukuleles have a brighter, janglier bite to them than newer instruments due to the materials used and the construction.

Modern instruments have more variation in materials and also have undergone an evolution in construction. The tools available today are far more precise than the tools available 100 years ago. This enables modern instrument makers to have more choice and more control over the sound their instruments will produce. Thus, new instruments are of better quality and can have a warmer, richer tone than their predecessors. These characteristics may have been more difficult for instrument makers of the past to attain.

UU member Timbuck makes ukuleles modeled on vintage Martin ukes, one of which I am lucky enough to own. It has a bright, punchy tone just like the old Martins do.
 
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I was wondering if a tenor ukulele has any advantages, like playing more advanced songs up the fingerboard?

Here's my experiences if you haven't already gotten an answer that you like:

I started out with a soprano (probably like everyone else, lol). Then I visited a music store and played around with several, found that I liked the concert better- tenor was too big. I was a 'concert player' and bought a whole bunch of concerts. Then after playing about a year and a half, my playing has evolved. As my skills improved, my ability to play higher up the neck became more natural and now I like the option of playing higher octaves. Now I am selling some concerts to make way for more tenors. I do also notice that my hand can stretch more and my fingers have become stronger so I can barre notes more easily. but the caveat to that is that the tenor has to have a good set-up- low action. Now when I try to play the concert after the tenor, it's like a different instrument to me, the concert is almost like a toy!

So to answer your question:

+
Concert
1. more compact frets for smaller hands, beginners, those who don't want to put a whole lot of finger pressure. to me, easier to strum than to pick
2. probable lower action does seem to make it easier to play as far as finger force goes
3. easier to transport, good in smaller spaces like car (waiting for kids, not while driving!)
4. sounds more like a soprano for that traditional ukulele sound

Tenor
1. louder/more resonant due to bigger body
2. bigger body makes it easier to hold now, concert feels like I'm fumbling a football, lol
3. able to reach higher notes
4. more space between strings, to me better for picking
 
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