Pineapple/Bell/Regular Shaped Ukuleles

Hello,

I've recently been researching the different kinds of ukuleles out there and noticed that besides the standard sizes (soprano, concert, tenor, etc.) there are several common shapes for ukuleles (regular S, pineapple, bell, etc.) as well.

In your experiences, how much of and what kind of difference do these different shapes have on the ukulele's sound?

Thank you.

Thank you for that link. It was interesting to read about the sound theories involved. From that discussion, I gathered that the two chambers of a traditional hourglass shaped uke has a more harmonically complex sound, and the boxy single chambered (pineapple for example) uke has a more "focused and pure" tone.

I believe much of what we individually perceive has a far greater relationship to personal preference and tastes than it does to any scientific analysis of vibration. And such perceptions will change over time to exposure of the sound itself along with the experiences we have therein, good or bad. I say this having been a longtime member and enthusiast of several hi-fi audio forums where sound is scientifically graphed and analyzed ad nauseam. Such forums make UAS look like a small drop in the bucket in comparison. And this is mostly because a difference in anything, including the sound and looks we've become accustomed to can alter our preferences and tastes to such a drastic degree.

Keep in mind the recent threads here showcasing the luthiers for a cause ukes which demonstrate that the player him/herself also has the power to greatly color and alter sound. What I'm getting at, in other words, is to get and enjoy not only what sounds best to you, but also what feels and plays and looks best, while not discounting things such as historical or vintage provenance, brand, luthier, or even specific tree used.

While some prefer to experiment and learn from a variety of choices, others stick to what they know and make it sing regardless of what's in vogue. After all, would Willie Nelson play with anything other than his trusty Trigger?

In very basic terms, a larger volume body will give a larger fuller sounding tone, whilst a longer scale length will give more sustain of that sound. The player will get used to how a uke sounds & use his knowledge of it to make it sound its best.

Well said Peace Train

To the OP - take all of the opinions as a they are (including my own here), 'opinions', which as per Peace Train's post, you will hopefully understand are very subjective and relative to each individual's hearing perception (deficits and all) as WELL as the PLAYER's ability to adapt their technique and interface with the instrument to produce a (subjectively) pleasing tone.

We can endlessly whinge about physics and acoustic resonance, but it seems this is usually futile, since many folks will ignore a 'wall of text' especially if science is involved, and just follow whatever hearsay they like from the Hive Mind any way...

I would encourage you to try many different shapes/styles of ukuleles, and then form your own conclusions.

Buy one you'll certainly buy another. Soon you may have a plethora of different style ukuleles as some of us do.

Inksplosive AL said:

Buy one you'll certainly buy another.

Click to expand...

Ha, very true. That's pretty much why I was asking. Quality ukuleles are very inexpensive compared to quality guitars or drums. I'm setting my sights on a next one.