Soprano or Concert

guitharsis

guitharsis

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After one year of playing, still trying to decide which one I like the best.

Now, I've aquired a longneck soprano. Just adds to the confusion. :)
 
You really don't have to like one the best, you know. Perhaps what you like is simply ukuleles, especially smaller ones.

Longneck soprano, IMO, is the best of both worlds. Real soprano tone, easier to get in tune, a little more room to work with.
 
Thanks. Guess that's true. When playing fingerstyle, concert seems the best. For strumming, soprano.

The longneck soprano is great. Love the tone and the playability of my aNueNue. Good for both fingerstyle and strumming.

Do like the concert tone on some things though.

Guess I'm really thinking about what would be the best size for a luthier-made uke in the future.
 
I have a concert and a tenor and find that which one I've been playing most at any given time is the one I like best. I really am wanting to get a soprano and think that the super soprano (long neck) would be the ideal choice. I just haven't found any that knocks my socks off.
 
Love my aNueNue super soprano, but if I had unlimited funds, the Deluxe Kanilea solid koa super soprano MGM just had on ebay would be on its way here. :)
 
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I think soprano is my favorite. It has more "pop" to the sound... it's a classic uke sound.
 
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The soprano is simply too small for my hands. In fact the concert is a bit small, but I can play it.
 
RevWill said:
You really don't have to like one the best, you know. Perhaps what you like is simply ukuleles, especially smaller ones.

Longneck soprano, IMO, is the best of both worlds. Real soprano tone, easier to get in tune, a little more room to work with.
Click to expand...

AMEN, 'Ukuleles are like having children, each new one you get you find you still have enough love to go around. I've got a sopraninio, a few sopranos, a super soprano, a few concerts, a super concert, a tenor, and even a baritone, luv um all equally though differently. ;)
 
Concert is definitely my favorite size. If I could only have one uke, yada, yada.

That said, my most played uke is a Risa stick soprano. Why? Because I can use it and abuse it, leave it lying in the sun (and occasional rain shower), toss it in my backpack, etc. It's virtually indestructible and is always in reach. But I really miss the extra frets of a concert. And I never "perform" with it.

In a perfect world I would have a Risa stick concert with peghead tuners.
 
Count me in as a concert uke fan. I have a Kala soprano that's so cute and playable, but I find myself drawn to my Ohana concert uke more often. I have an Ovation (Applause) electric tenor that's cool for performing plugged-in, but sounds utterly vapid acoustically. On the other hand, I have a Kala travel tenor that I love: it plays great and sounds sweet. But I digress... :p :cool:
 
I think that if I could have only one ukulele it would be a concert. But, if I had more than one (and I do), the concert gets played the least. Only the soprano seems to ring with that unique ukulele sound that transports you to Hawaii, and the tenors give you bigger sound, more frets, and more room on the fretboard.
 
I have one concert and the body is just a little too big - I find it bumps into things more than my sopranos.

Also I do fingerpicking and find the extra reach I have with the soprano is very necessary.

But, when I sat down to do recording tests, the concert sounded more lush and balanced than the sopranos - just that extra scale and soundboard size works if you want that guitarish sound. If I were strumming and not concerned with the size (playing in the car on lunch break) I'd go with a concert. For melodic picking I'll stick with the soprano sound as well as the size and weight.
 
I thought I preferred my concert, but played my pineapple again just the other day and it's got a much better sound for lots of the songs I do and if feels great to play. There isn't a best uke any more, just the best one for the job.
 
SailQwest said:
In a perfect world I would have a Risa stick concert with peghead tuners.
Click to expand...

I thought the same thing a few months ago... and guess what?
There IS such a thing as a Concert uke-stick with geared tuners, and I HAVE ONE!!!

I emailed Rigk at Risa about it, and they have indeed been fitting on geared tuners (though not pegheads, they're Planetary geared tuners commonly used on Banjos) on their new batch of concerts.
So if you want one, email him in advance to send you a Concert with the new geared tuners when purchasing.

And it works bloody well. I sold my Soprano uke stick in the past because I couldn't get used to the frictions, but the Concert uke-stick with geared tuners works like a dreaM!
Same old Risa uke-stick goodness, but now with geared tuners!!

newukesolid.jpg

left: New concert uke-stick with geared tuners. right: Soprano uke-stick with the original friction tuners.
 
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kissing said:
I thought the same thing a few months ago... and guess what?
There IS such a thing as a Concert uke-stick with geared tuners, and I HAVE ONE!!!

I emailed Rigk at Risa about it, and they have indeed been fitting on geared tuners (though not pegheads, they're Planetary geared tuners commonly used on Banjos) on their new batch of concerts.
So if you want one, email him in advance to send you a Concert with the new geared tuners when purchasing.

And it works bloody well. I sold my Soprano uke stick in the past because I couldn't get used to the frictions, but the Concert uke-stick with geared tuners works like a dreaM!
Same old Risa uke-stick goodness, but now with geared tuners!!

newukesolid.jpg

left: New concert uke-stick with geared tuners. right: Soprano uke-stick with the original friction tuners.
Click to expand...

Where can you can Risa ukes in the states?
 
RevWill said:
You really don't have to like one the best, you know. Perhaps what you like is simply ukuleles, especially smaller ones.

Longneck soprano, IMO, is the best of both worlds. Real soprano tone, easier to get in tune, a little more room to work with.
Click to expand...

RevWill... I understand the tone and room....but why easier to tune?
 
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