Is a 14 fret to the body soprano exactly the same as a long neck/super soprano/soprano with a concert neck?
Also known as a long neck soprano - I would have preferred manufacturers to have called it a mini concert or something similar, as the scale length, size/area between frets, is more important to a players fingers than the body size, (in my opinion).What is commonly referred to a super-soprano these days (silly stuff IMO) is a concert scale length of 15" on soprano body.
Thanks for your answers! Keith's reply is exactly what I meant, I prefer the soprano's to the concert scale with regards to the size of the frets and spacing between them but would like to have 2 extra frets to the body. So what I'm looking for is a soprano with normal scale and 14 frets to the body rather than a soprano with concert size neck. Laura's example of the LoPrizi is what I would like to own but a to bit expensive for me. Anyone suggestions of other brands/models with these configuration?
You may want to take a look at a Sailor brand soprano ukulele. Supposedly they are 14 fret to the body with a soprano scale. They are less expensive than LoPrinzi, I think they have some connection with LoPrinzi. I haven't seen much info about them in a few years. I'd talk to Mike at Uke Republic.
John
Not to confuse the issue - but I have a LoPrinzi soprano that is 14 frets to the body- scale length (nut to saddle) is just over 15 inches (consistent with concerts I have or tried), BUT it is their long neck version. Of the pictures I've seen their standard soprano is just 12 frets to the body.
Now I have a Kanilea Islander AS 4 which is marketed as a standard soprano that is 14 frets to the body- scale length just under 14 inches (but still a bit longer than other standard sopranos I have seen). This is the closest I have found to a pure soprano with the 14 frets although I don't notice a lot of difference playing, for example, the AS4 versus a long neck soprano. Their mahogany version MS 4 of this is only 12 frets to the body (don't know the scale length or why the difference).
I have seen Sailor ukes labeled just as soprano's that have 14 frets to the body but also some labeled super sopranos with this number of frets.
All this to say that there is a lot of variation in how ukes are marketed/labeled- but if you ask the right questions before you buy you should be able to find something that is a good fit.
Now I have a Kanilea Islander AS 4 which is marketed as a standard soprano that is 14 frets to the body- scale length just under 14 inches (but still a bit longer than other standard sopranos I have seen). This is the closest I have found to a pure soprano with the 14 frets although I don't notice a lot of difference playing, for example, the AS4 versus a long neck soprano. Their mahogany version MS 4 of this is only 12 frets to the body (don't know the scale length or why the difference).