CONCERT ukes - What's good about them?

Pete F

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Ok, well excuse the abrupt thread title. I'm intrigued by this size uke. I play soprano and tenor - the tonal difference is obvious. I did try a concert size when I first started playing and didn't get on with it, which was probably more the fact that I was a beginner more than anything constructive otherwise.
Anyway, I now have various soprano and tenor size ukes and find myself looking at concert ukes, more likely as a reason to get another instrument over any need or void. I appreciate some people prefer one size over another for personal reasons but: are there any areas the concert excels over the soprano and tenor; does anyone play tenor and concert and likes them equally?

Thanks, look forward to the replies

Pete
 
When I was in my "concert phase", for me the chief advantage was that the concert size combined different aspects of the smaller soprano (portability, ability to perform wide stretches, traditional sound) and bigger tenor/baritone (sustain, room on fretboard, higher volume, better suitability for the low notes, more "usable" frets) that I liked and wanted in just one instrument. I found a longneck pineapple-shaped soprano to be the best compromise, with a regular concert being a close second. I still believe this, too, though right now I'm a "baritone phase" where I get all giddy about the fullness of the sound.

The "a bit of everything" aspect of the concert size is both its strength and weakness. It checks a lot of boxes, but in a manner of speaking lacks its own identity. That sounds a bit strong, though, and isn't exactly what I mean to convey. It may well be the perfect size, or the least distinctive one. It all depends on what you want, and how many ukes you are comfortable owning. :)
 
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I guess all ukukeles have different sound, and some prefer that of the concert size.
I understand that you play more sizes than one, and hence enjoy that they sound more different from each other being in either end of the scale. But that doesnt mean that the "in between" sound is not enjoyable on its own.

And there is the matter of hand and finger sizes compared to the fretboard. With big fingers a soprano can difficult to play, with small hands on a tenor some things are hard to play. For some the size othe fretboard just feels more natural to play.

I got my first uke, a concert, last year. Since then I also bougth a soprano and tenor. Now I mostly play the tenor, because it has the best intonation, but getting used to the longer neck is still difficult. I will probably upgrade my concert so I can enjoy good intonation with a comfortable fretboard.
 
Many "variables separate the various size ukes. I prefer concert because it is the most comfortable size for me to hold and fret. I also play tenor and soprano, but I can't say I enjoy playing them as much as most of my concerts......except for my Kamaka soprano....in a league of it's own re: playability. This is only based on my personal preferences.
 
When I started, I quickly settled on the concert scale, it was right for me, still a small uke, better quality of sound when picked than a soprano, & the fretboard size was what I needed, however, my most played uke was a long neck soprano! :)

I've just moved up to a baritone sized uke because I love the tone of them, my old tenor, which used to feel too big, now feels quite small, & a concert feels like a soprano, ;)
(So my soprano now feels somewhat like I had imagined a sopranino would feel like. :biglaugh: )

They all have their place.
 
I play tenor and concerts and do like them equally but I really got my concerts for portability (traveling is a bit easier in some smaller planes (puddle jumpers) but my tenors travel just fine domestically and on larger international flights. There is a misnomer that concerts don't sound as big or full as tenors and I have found that to not be true with my Pohaku or Moku which sounds exactly like a tenor size (linear tuning) and if you closed your eyes you would not think it was a concert. I had my Pohaku concert made for massive sound based on how we designed the depth and curvature of the back of the body. Thus I love my concert and play it a lot. With that said my entire collection is mainly tenors and having a few smaller scale ukes to travel meets my needs.

The ukulele is really all about personal preference and having fun. For me, the soprano is just too small for what I want to do and how I play. I actually like the sound but I just don't play my ONE soprano which is my 1932 Martin 2M. Thus, I play concert and tenors and both have a spot in my heart and hands. I really don't find any "weakness" in any scale, it's more about sound, limitations on fretboard size. The only weakness in any instrument in my opinion is one that does not have good intonation or you don't enjoy playing, or doesn't have the sound you like to hear. Other than that, it's all about what floats your boat.
 
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Q: "CONCERT ukes - What's good about them?"

A: For me, it fits in my big old paws better than a soprano.

But you gotta find your own thing. I've been obsessed with ALL the sizes at one time or another. I PREFER the tenor, but play them all about the same. I'll grab each one for a bit pretty much every night. Well.. maybe not the sopranos so much, but concert/tenor/baritone mostly every night for a song or two.
 
I have the concert size. I can't say that I got into a really deep thought process about it. I think that when I decided to play the ukulele I looked at them, thought that the soprano looked kind of small and the tenor looked a little too big, so I bought a concert size ukulele. But the question was, what is good about them? What is so good about the concert size is that is what I have.
 
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What makes the concert special? It both FEELS and SOUNDS best to me. Isn't that what we are all aiming for?
 
My two main players are a concert, strung low G, and a concert-neck soprano, strung reentrant. I've got small hands so soprano is really most comfortable for me, but I find the soprano sound lacking for what I do. I play a lot of fingerstyle, often high up the neck, and soprano scale gets pretty plinky up there, whereas concert scale offers a bit more sustain and volume. So I'd say what makes it special for me is that it's a bigger-uke sound in a smaller-uke package. But the truth is, if my hands would let me, I'd probably be playing tenors because that's the sound I like best.
 
I have two concerts, two sopranos--no other ukes. My two concerts are very different in sound. My Kelii is bigger, heavier, and has an extra half inch on the scale. It sounds very tenor-like and is strung low G. My Barron River is much lighter in weight and more soprano-like, just with more sustain, particularly up the neck. It is strung high G. I use both for fingerpicking.

Then my sopranos are for playing the fast songs (I'm more nimble on a soprano), chord melody, or for traveling (the beater).
 
It is another size and that is reason enough to buy one if you have UAS
 
When Goldilocks was in the Three Bears' house, she saw three ukuleles hanging on the wall. First, she tried Papa Bear's Tenor ukulele and quickly said, "Oh no, this uke is too large!". Then she tried Baby Bear's Soprano ukulele and quickly said "Oh no, this uke is too small!". Then she saw Mama Bear's Concert ukulele shining on the wall, took it down and started playing, and said "Oh my, this sweet uke is just right!". After that, Goldilocks tried the beds and fell asleep playing Mama Bear's Concert uke. When the Three Bears came home and found Goldilocks asleep with a ukulele in her arms, they welcomed her to their ohana and then had a big kanikapila that lasted all night long! :cool:
 
Great replies everyone - thanks!

I love the full richness of my Tenor, for playing fingerstyle, and conversely the soprano for racing through a quick paced song. Listening to many Youtube samples, I can't seem to find a niche for the Concert to satisfy my UAS. I find it not as satisfying a sound as a tenor playing fingerstyle and not as racy as a soprano. The concert does literally sound in the middle of the two which is it's point I guess. I must try another soon....
 
Ok, well excuse the abrupt thread title. I'm intrigued by this size uke. I play soprano and tenor - the tonal difference is obvious. I did try a concert size when I first started playing and didn't get on with it, which was probably more the fact that I was a beginner more than anything constructive otherwise.
Anyway, I now have various soprano and tenor size ukes and find myself looking at concert ukes, more likely as a reason to get another instrument over any need or void. I appreciate some people prefer one size over another for personal reasons but: are there any areas the concert excels over the soprano and tenor; does anyone play tenor and concert and likes them equally?

Thanks, look forward to the replies

Pete

I started on tenor, then tried soprano, and then found my sweet spot, concert. I didn't like the spread on the tenor - too much for my fingers/hands, so I needed the frets just a wee bit closer. Yet, I still wanted a great sound, and a strong sound. This led me to the Blackbird Clara, which has a wonderful, strong tone, feels and plays great. I still love soprano, too.

For me, concert was the bridge of perfection between the ease of playing a soprano and the sound you can get with a tenor body.
 
For me, main consideration is that concerts are close as they come to sopranos (my favorite) but just have larger fretboards. Of course, the long necked sopranos solve that. But I don't own one of those.

I can just get around on them better when it comes to less strummy, more fingerpicked things, and I like to play in that way, alternative genres to the old jazz standards and vaudeville types of things I tend to use my soprano for.

I keep my soprano re-entrant but intend to move to low G on my concert.

I also have a baritone (linear, DGBE) that I usually use for more folky, cowboy sorts of songs and things like gypsy jazz (which I am trying my hand at) and a few classical pieces.

Oddly, though I've owned a few, tenors are the one uke size I just don't personally feel a need for.

Don't get me wrong--I love all ukes, see the appeal and am all for anything anyone wants to play. Different strokes and strums! But for me, I just don't feel the need to add a tenor to the gang.
 
...The only weakness in any instrument in my opinion is one that does not have good intonation or you don't enjoy playing, or doesn't have the sound you like to hear. Other than that, it's all about what floats your boat.

Hear, hear. I absolutely agree, and preach this all the time. Holding tuning, good intonation and comfort (ergonomics re: size, shape, string action) and, on electric instruments, reliable electronic components, is 99% of the battle. After that, it's all down to personal preferences.

To me, country of manufacture, date of build, materials such as wood type, name brand and price tag have little bearing on what may be good for a player, and none of these things make an instrument inherently or objectively "better." Each player has his or her own tastes, goals and objectives, likes and dislikes.and overall interests.
 
I'd rather give a specific example than a general answer. I own a tenor, a concert, and a soprano. I can only play the song in the link below on my concert. I can't stretch my finger far enough for the hammer pull in the intro on the tenor scale, and I can't play the E maj 7 chord on the soprano because it's too squishy.

 
If you play an Ukulele reentrant C tuning, then this is the only standard Ukulele actually designed for that. It fits like a glove.
 
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