new uke----concert or tenor?

ukeandfish

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I am upgrading to a new uke, my second one. i have a makala mk-s but i want to upgrade to a much nicer uke, because i am getting very serious. i want one that i can get as good as possible on. i definatly want something bigger than a soprano, so i was thinking either a concert or tenor. which do you suggest?
 
I think you should play tenor...tenor twenty miles away. DOH!

Seriously, I am all about the tenor..which makes my opinion biased but...it says alot for tenors.
 
You probably need to one or the other. Sizes are personal preference and whatever's comfortable to you. I have cheapy concert uke right now but I'm thinking of upgrading later on to a Tenor. :)

1979
 
I think you should play tenor...tenor twenty miles away. DOH!

Seriously, I am all about the tenor..which makes my opinion biased but...it says alot for tenors.

COncert!
for no reason just to oppose this dude :D ^
 
why? can you convince me


I've played bass and guitar most of my life.
Sopranos are way too small for me.
Tenors seem just right.
There's plenty of frets.
You can hang down near the nut and you can go way up the fret board to hit those high notes.
Plus, you can get to the next octave on the neck before having to start stretching your fingers around the body and such.
Tenor is your friend.
 
I am upgrading to a new uke, my second one. i have a makala mk-s but i want to upgrade to a much nicer uke, because i am getting very serious. i want one that i can get as good as possible on. i definatly want something bigger than a soprano, so i was thinking either a concert or tenor. which do you suggest?

I'm kinda in the same boat right now. I have a cheapy soprano, and a decent concert. I like the concert way better! Now it's time to upgrade, but my concert has got some cracks in it and will soon go the way of the dodo bird. If I go for a tenor, then I may become concertless...and the wife won't go on letting me buy whenever I feel like it. Dang. I think I may go tenor...

BK:shaka:
 
do you use a high or low g

I prefer high g.
I have had some ukes come in with low G and loved the way they sound.
However, I got so accustomed to high G playing it for so long. Everything I wrote just doesn't have the same flavor with low g.

That's another uke something you will have to check out for yourself.
I am keeping one of my ukes at low G just to have that ready to go whenever I feel the need.

They're both good...but my preference is high G.
 
Just commit to buying BOTH. But what you should really be asking is "in what order should I obtain a concert and tenor uke?"
Get the tenor first because a concert is just a bigger soprano, same tuning and only a slightly larger scale length... and you already have a soprano. With a tenor you get more frets, a big jump in scale length, more surface area on the soundboard and you can more easily play around with the nonreentrant tuning. However, I recently discovered the joys of baritone ukes. And don't forget about tahitian ukuleles and long nec sopranos.

So, in summation:
1) tenor;
2) baritone;
3) eight string tenor;
4) Long neck soprano;
5) concert.

After that you have the banjo-uke and the vintage classics.
 
Just commit to buying BOTH. But what you should really be asking is "in what order should I obtain a concert and tenor uke?"
Get the tenor first because a concert is just a bigger soprano, same tuning and only a slightly larger scale length... and you already have a soprano. With a tenor you get more frets, a big jump in scale length, more surface area on the soundboard and you can more easily play around with the nonreentrant tuning. However, I recently discovered the joys of baritone ukes. And don't forget about tahitian ukuleles and long nec sopranos.

Concert just a big soprano? Both of my concerts have more frets then my soprano. Just as many as my Tenor. The body, and soundboard, are also larger. I could say a Tenor is just a larger soprano, and it is. They are all ukulele.

Same tuning? To my knowledge you can tune almost any ukulele of any size nonreentrant (low g) tuning, and actually both my concerts are low g and my soprano and tenor are high g.

I agree that you will have to get one of each, but I wouldn't put the concert at the bottom of the list. Either tenor then concert or concert then tenor. Who knows you may get a larger uke and discover you like soprano the best and want to invest in a nice soprano uke.

I personally prefer Concert but I also like my Tenor and soprano.
 
I have a cheap soprano and a medium price tenor (koa pili koko to be precise) and I have a medium cost concert on its way. I prefer the tenor greatly to the soprano, but the quality of the instruments is such a different level that I don't feel like I can give it a fair shake. Once I get some hands on time with the new one I'll feel better about giving my personal feelings, but for now I like them a little bigger.
 
Concert just a big soprano? Both of my concerts have more frets then my soprano. Just as many as my Tenor. The body, and soundboard, are also larger. I could say a Tenor is just a larger soprano, and it is. They are all ukulele.

Same tuning? To my knowledge you can tune almost any ukulele of any size nonreentrant (low g) tuning, and actually both my concerts are low g and my soprano and tenor are high g.

A tenor should be compensated at the saddle for greater string tension as with most tenors. However I have a soprano that has a compensated saddle. And sure you can tune any uke to any combination of four that your heart desires, but certain ukes won't take to it well. Depends on what you're set-up for. And most tenors are built and set-up to be more versatile than the soprano. IMHO, for whatever that's worth, a concert sized ukulele is the same thing as a soprano just slightly larger and a couple more frets. But I don't think I'd want a tenor with 14 frets to the body.
 
I am upgrading to a new uke, my second one. i have a makala mk-s but i want to upgrade to a much nicer uke, because i am getting very serious. i want one that i can get as good as possible on. i definatly want something bigger than a soprano, so i was thinking either a concert or tenor. which do you suggest?

Tenor tenor tenor! Louder, bigger note range, do it!
 
For the sake of converstion:

And sure you can tune any uke to any combination of four that your heart desires, but certain ukes won't take to it well. Depends on what you're set-up for.

Wouldn't that be more of an issue with the manufaturer, builder, or set up than the size of the uke.

IMHO, for whatever that's worth, a concert sized ukulele is the same thing as a soprano just slightly larger and a couple more frets.

Totally respect your opinion, but I just don't see how a tenor can be seen as a totaly different instrument compared to a soprano and a concert is basically the same when , as I see it, the differences between sizes are similar. (larger body and more frets)

Just my thoughts.

:DGET A CONCERT!!!:D
 
Well if you live in an apartment building like me, you want a concert model. My downstairs neighbor use to complain to the landlord that my tenor ukulele was "loud music".
 
the real scoop

Here's the real way to decide: take time. Go down to a good shop and sit and play some songs you know on both a concert and a tenor. Play for a long while. Then, go home and think about it a couple days. Go back to the store and try it again, or some friend's ukes. Think about it. Feel it. Listen.

Then, when you've found what size you like, take some time to try different brands: Kala, Ohana, Mainland, Lanikai, Applause, Bushman (my favorite) as many as you can find. Take your time and finally get one you like.

Otherwise, be spontaneous. Make a rash decision and maybe luck out or be like the rest of us and buy about twenty of all different sizes that all have good and bad qualities, and then start to worry about what different strings do. You will become a uke nut with a serious case of UAS. I believe Jake only a couple ukes.
 
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