Thin necked ukes?

Gmoney

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I had the express pleasure to play a couple of Ko'Aloha ukes last evening at the SEUkers, Java Jam, & was really impressed w/the thin neck profile of these. Also, a Loprinzi had a similar neck. The feel was significantly different from most of the others which seem to have a more "traditional" tiny-guitar neck.

Who else makes ukes with necks w/this type of profile? (unasked question... price point)
 
I prefer thin necks as they are more comfortable and easier to play...
Old martins have them..as for reasonable priced low ones..Rogue soprano
from Musician friend....$24.95...I like mine...
 
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I had the express pleasure to play a couple of Ko'Aloha ukes last evening at the SEUkers, Java Jam, & was really impressed w/the thin neck profile of these. Also, a Loprinzi had a similar neck. The feel was significantly different from most of the others which seem to have a more "traditional" tiny-guitar neck.

Who else makes ukes with necks w/this type of profile? (unasked question... price point)

Wassup G-Money!! Nice meeting you last night. BTW did you get to play May's uke? I don't remember who made it but it had a very thin neck. But after tallking with you last night check out www.meleukulele.com greatimport ukes that are known forhaving thinner necks. I love Mele. almost as much as KoAloha.
 
My Mainland Concert has the thinnest neck I have played. I like it too.
 
My Kamaka soprano has a thin (but comfortable!) neck. I'm not sure how the larger sizes compare.

Maui Music ukes seem to have a pretty flat neck profile, which I've grown to really like.
 
I had the express pleasure to play a couple of Ko'Aloha ukes last evening at the SEUkers, Java Jam, & was really impressed w/the thin neck profile of these. Also, a Loprinzi had a similar neck. The feel was significantly different from most of the others which seem to have a more "traditional" tiny-guitar neck.

Who else makes ukes with necks w/this type of profile? (unasked question... price point)

I think the Mainland is a tad bigger than the KoAloha, but really nice.

How did you like the Loprinzi?
 
I played an Ohana concert and the Mainland tenor neck was WAY thicker. I have a Honu traditional tenor now and the neck is much thinner than the Mainland. The thin neck is one of my fave things about the Honu.
 
I played an Ohana concert and the Mainland tenor neck was WAY thicker. I have a Honu traditional tenor now and the neck is much thinner than the Mainland. The thin neck is one of my fave things about the Honu.

The Mainland Tenor neck is thicker than the Mainland Concert. The Ohana Concert and Mainland Concert are the same.

So are you digging the Honu, eh?
 
Which direction do you mean thin?

From the surface of the fretboard to the back of the neck or the width of the fretboard/distance from g to A?

If you mean the former, Flukes and Fleas have a nice thin, flat back of the neck. Personally I prefer the beefier feel of my Mainland tenor. I have some arthritis in my left thumb and the bigger neck seems to aggravate it less.
 
The Mainland Tenor neck is thicker than the Mainland Concert. The Ohana Concert and Mainland Concert are the same.

So are you digging the Honu, eh?

Melissa has posted a few times that she REALLY likes the Honu. If I remember correctly she had a hard time getting used to the Mainland neck. I will tell you that her Honu is gorgeous, she's posted some pics.
 
Which direction do you mean thin?

From the surface of the fretboard to the back of the neck or the width of the fretboard/distance from g to A?

If you mean the former, Flukes and Fleas have a nice thin, flat back of the neck. Personally I prefer the beefier feel of my Mainland tenor. I have some arthritis in my left thumb and the bigger neck seems to aggravate it less.

Indeed even without arthritis in your thumb, maybe it's also my coming from guitar? but I found that comfort (ex. Flea neck) could suddenly come to discomfort with a kind of jolt into the thumb...or over time, something like muscles slightly cramped from maintaining a "better" position, a kind of in betweeness not accustomed to? even when I thought I'd been playing left hand relaxed. Like everything else, it all depends.
 
Indeed even without arthritis in your thumb, maybe it's also my coming from guitar? but I found that comfort (ex. Flea neck) could suddenly come to discomfort with a kind of jolt into the thumb...or over time, something like muscles slightly cramped from maintaining a "better" position, a kind of in betweeness not accustomed to? even when I thought I'd been playing left hand relaxed. Like everything else, it all depends.

I came from guitar as well (Teles and a Taylor). Maybe there's something to that.

But I have a slight amount of osteoarthritis in the joint where the thumb attaches to the rest of the hand and extended play on the Fluke or Flea can aggravate it a bit. I can play the Mainland longer without discomfort. I guess that's why there's more than one neck profile, huh.

So someday when I order that Moore Bettah I'll request a thicker neck.
 
the width of the fretboard/distance from g to A?
that would be a very important part for me, when choosing a uke. The Flea concert neck is IMO very comfortable!
 
Which direction do you mean thin?

From the surface of the fretboard to the back of the neck or the width of the fretboard/distance from g to A?

I am actually talking about the the overall neck radius (surface of fretboard to back of neck) BUT also the shape thereof. Though the width of the fretboard would certainly be a factor; I've see photos of some ukes which seem unusualy wide; the Ko'Aloha's & that Loprinzi that Mike had all had somewhat of a "squared-off" neck radius. This seemed to do two things for me:

1) it helped position my thumb in the mid-to-lower portion of the neck itself for chording
2) it also seemed to help the "feel" of the instrument - it felt lighter & less neck-heavy

The many comments about the tenor neck & my general observance Tuesday night may have decided for me one of my other inquiries. I wanted to play a few tenors to see if I wanted to make my next uke a tenor. I think that I've decided to stay w/concert sized for now - at least for my next purchase.

Thanks all - great input! Gives me some things to digest as I consider my next "axe".
 
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Who else makes ukes with necks w/this type of profile? (unasked question... price point)
Kala's neck is thinner than many.
 
Kala's neck is thinner than many.

I don't know if Gmoney got a chance to play my Ohana soprano at the meet-up, but the lady (May or Kay?) who owned the very flat and thin necked uke he liked said she really liked the neck on the Ohana, and played it for some time, even though there were much more expensive ukes present. I suspect it was because the Ohana neck is indeed relatively thin. I can't remember who made her uke, but she said he was a former employee of Koaloha.

I do like the fact that the neck profile on my Flea is flat on back. It makes it easier to play, but this lady's uke had a neck that was probably half as thick as a Flea neck. I am not sure how I would like it over long periods of playing. I tend to play with a lazy thumb wrapped around the fretboard, rather than placed directly under it, which is the "proper" way to hold your thumb, so the slightly rounded neck of my Ohana or my Kala fits the curvature of my hand well.
 
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I played an Ohana concert and the Mainland tenor neck was WAY thicker. I have a Honu traditional tenor now and the neck is much thinner than the Mainland. The thin neck is one of my fave things about the Honu.
We have'nt seen your new honu yet? any pic's.....thin necks are way too cool, for comfort and playability....
 
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