thinking of buying a Collings concert-some ?

I've never held or played a concert size-only tenor. I do play mandolin so I'm used to small tight areas I guess you can say.

I'm stricken with UAS on a burst Collings Uke that gryphonstrings has in stock.



So fill me in on going from a tenor size to concert size-what to expect, what changes will be noticed (positive or negative).

this will have to be shipped in, nobody for hours carries ukes where I live.

thank you
d

I like tenors..but here is another concert you may like....

http://www.theukulelesite.com/shop-by/brand/collings/collings-concert-uc2-spruce-rosewood-u1576.html

I'm a newbe and probably not much help, but since it involves Collings, I'll chime in. Also a lifelong guitarist that just picked up uke. I also picked up mandolin about a year ago.

I first bought my Koa Concert size and thought, man this thing is small! So I ordered up a UT3K. It sure was sweet and a little easier to play, but figured I may as well be playing guitar as that thing. So, I sold it and bought another concert. I like the smaller size now and am happy with my decision.

That sure is a nice one you're looking at.....the one above too!!

Good luck!~

I have a mandolin (I don't really play, got it for my daughter) and if you're comfortable with that I don't think you're going to find a concert uke to be too small. The concert string spacing will be quite a bit wider, so to me it feels bigger than a mandolin.

And I should mention that I'm a total sucker for concert size ukuleles. To me they have a lot more of the "bark" that I look for from a ukulele when strumming - I think this is because they have less string tension than a longer scale instrument. When I was just starting I went back and forth between a tenor and soprano ukulele and found that changing sizes actually helped my playing. The different sizes make different things easy. Since then I've gone through several different ukules, but the two I play the most are concert.

I have the same burst collings in the tenor size. they are gorgeous , play like butter, and sound terrific. you won't be dissapointed. going from tenor to concert, you get a smaller fretboard and more treble, less bass. both + and - , that's why you need both. I like the tenor low g and the concert high.

I am the last guy to rain on anybodies UAS parade but................

If you have a low G tenor (you didn't say) going to a reenetrant concert will be a big sonic shock. Even if your tenor is high G you will notice less resonance and sustain with the concert, if your tenor is like quality. The fingerboard/fretspacing gets noticably tighter when played above the 7th fret.

Those were the negatives. The positives are, smaller more comfortable size for some, easier stretch across frets, different sound if strung high G and your tenor is low G.

My UC2 is pretty warm and smooth sounding and I generally find many tenors to be brighter and punchier. I find it great for accompaniment and fingerstyle.

Collings does great work with Mahogany.

I've said this before, but I feel that Collings' "sweet spot," so to speak, is their concert model. Their tenors are very nice indeed, but I've played many of each size of Collings, and always felt that the concerts simply had more tonal character. To my ear, they just have such a great vintage vibe to the tone, while still having the clarity and response you'd expect from a modern high end instrument. I've owned/tried several concert Collings over the years, including mahogany, koa, spruce/maple, and walnut. While each wood has it's own characteristics, that vintage character came through in all of them.

I wasn't sure if you were stating that you had played Collings ukueles, but only their tenors, or if you had only played tenor ukuleles in general. If you've played Collings instruments in the past, you know all of this already, but in addition to the great tone and volume, Collings ukes have impeccable fit and finish (really, the finish is crazy good on the UC2 and up), they're super light, and super balanced. The first one I owned changed my perception of ukuleles entirely. I had previously owned several hawaiian ukuleles (Kanile'a, Kamaka). I loved them, and they are great instruments for sure, but very different. Collings ukuleles feel and sound like they are more rooted in folk, bluegrass, and guitar, than they are Hawaii. That said, they are top quality instruments and I don't think you'd be disappointed with one.

Hope you get it!

-Steve

hawaii 50 said:

I like tenors..but here is another concert you may like....

http://www.theukulelesite.com/shop-by/brand/collings/collings-concert-uc2-spruce-rosewood-u1576.html

Click to expand...

Oh, and I second this post. The spruce topped ones are incredible.

Huge Collings fan here. Have had two concerts and one tenor. All were excellent. I've also played quite a few others. Generally speaking, my personal opinion is Collings concerts tend to shine more vs. their tenor counterparts. What I mean is Collins concerts are hard to beat. Collings tenors can be excellent, but there are a lot of excellent tenors on the market. This doesn't always hold true when comparing any two particular instruments but it is generally what I have found.

I have a spruce/maple that is absolutely incredible in looks and tone. I will never, ever, ever sell it.

If this one grabs you, go for it. They are a reputable dealer and I they offer a two-day return period (https://www.gryphonstrings.com/return-policy/).

thanks folks
spot on info and things i wanted to hear.
i'm a long term fingerstyle guitar player, actually my go to guitar is a 02H Collings, and i've had a few of the Collings mandos-so i know the quality and fit will be there.

i've had only tenor ukes, Breelove and Kanilea-both very nice, but i'm looking for a different sound/feel. thinking this Collings may be it.

thanks again
d

I should've noted that personally I am not that wild about the Savarez strings that come on the Collings (they are higher tension than I like, but with your guitar background you may be just fine with them). I put light medium gauge Southcoast strings on my concert Collings and for me it improved the playability notably.

Let us know what you decide!!!

Ukulele Eddie said:

I should've noted that personally I am not that wild about the Savarez strings that come on the Collings (they are higher tension than I like, but with your guitar background you may be just fine with them). I put light medium gauge Southcoast strings on my concert Collings and for me it improved the playability notably.

Let us know what you decide!!!

Click to expand...

thanks Eddie and will do when i make a jump.
on my tenors i ended up liking Daniel Ho PHD strings-i had the Kanilea strung in high G and the Breedlove in Low G-using the PHD sets. i had tried different Worth and Aquila sets but the PHD sets really worked for me. i will have to sort this all out if i get a concert.

ok, crazy question, does anyone string a concert with a low G? does that work for that size?
and are the string sets the same gauges for Tenor and Concert-just shorter in length? (as in, if i have some PHD Tenor sets left over , can they be used on the concert size?)

thanks
d

Sure, lots of people string a concert low G, myself included. I have two concerts, neither is a Collings, one is low G and one high. Either of them would be fine with low G, but I preferred to leave it on the uke with a deeper, more tenor-like sound (I don't own a tenor). I did a low G "battle" when I got my second concert, stringing both that way to compare directly.

As for string gauges, I think it depends on the maker. Some sets you can use on multiple sizes, some not. I don't know if you can generalize. PHD strings, specifically, I don't know offhand.

Low G works well on concert size. Both my Moore Bettah and Kamaka concerts are low g. They are strung with Fremont Soloist low g strings and PHD 1-3.They both sound great. Both my Kanile'a and Talsma concerts are high g. The kanile'a with Southcoasts and the Talsma with Oasis Bright.
Wayfarer is correct that the string length and size varies by manfacturer.

Laura and Stevejfc

thanks!
d

stevejfc said:

Low G works well on concert size. Both my Moore Bettah and Kamaka concerts are low g. They are strung with Fremont Soloist low g strings and PHD 1-3.They both sound great. Both my Kanile'a and Talsma cotncerts are high g. The kanile'a with Southcoasts and the Talsma with Oasis Bright.
Wayfarer is correct that the string length and size varies by manfacturer.

Click to expand...

A wound low G string like the Fremont soloist Steve mentioned above is the way to go. It has a much better ring to it then a floro low G on a concert. The scale length is too short and tension too low for the floro and it sounds real dull and thuddy.