Re-appreciation

Marcy325

Active member
Joined
Dec 11, 2010
Messages
29
Reaction score
0
Location
Westchester County, New York
Been mostly playing my tenors this summer, but today I pulled out my concert and just started strumming slowly and listening. No song, no singing, just listening. It has a combination deep tone, I suppose it's the solid construction, yet it still has a bright tone, and rings like one of my tenors. So many layers to listen to! Let's talk about how cool it is to really listen to a uke after not playing it for awhile.
 
Yeah, once you can pick up the subtleties you can really begin the hear the personalities of your ukes. I just picked up my old concert kamaka a few weeks ago after not playing it for a year and I could really hear the difference between my tenor kanilea. Both good, but very different.
 
I hear y'all. I just got a solid spruce topped tenor and love it, but I still love my all laminated concert. They both have their place and I love them both equally. The concert has a brighter tone where the tenor has a slightly deeper, and more woodsy tone (Sorry, best I can describe it). Volume-wise, they are fairly equal, both sporting Aquila strings. I can't wait to get my soprano going (avitar picture) to hear what a solid birch uke will sound like.

Dan
 
And not wanting to start a big old discussion, strings effect these various ukes also. I pick up one and rediscover why I bought. Change strings and you get delights also. Okay, let's admit it: Most uke-players are polygamists when it comes to their ukes.
 
I've lately been appreciating the differences between my three ukes. The most recent one is a soprano yellow makala dolphin that caught my eye at the local guitar shop. Being cheaper than my other two, it has a coarser and tinnier sound, almost grating. But it's great for blues improvisation. Partly it's that rougher sound, but it also does amazingly easy bends. And having that to play with also makes me appreciate my classier non-re-entrant fluke and kala baritone.
 
I played a tenor the first time the other day. Well, the first time for more than 30 seconds. Went back to my concert, and it was like putting on an old shoe.

Ahhhhhh.

Of course my regular ukulele is a longneck soprano, but that's much more like my concert. Similar depth, same scale of course. The tenor also had thick strings.

Also tried some stretches I had been curious about on the tenor. Ouch... Definitely sticking to concert necks. Love 'em.
 
Top Bottom