Help - Beginner with UAS - Tenor or Concert

I recently got a Pono Acacia Tenor (satin finish). I like it a lot, & I am comfortable with its size.

I'm thinking about getting another Pono or a Hawaiian made Uke from HMS. Looking at what HMS has in stock, it might be either a Kanilea or a Pono.

My question is should I get another tenor or a concert? If it's a tenor, I'd get it with the low G since my Pono has the high G.

If I get the Concert, which should get the low G (tenor or concert)? My concern about getting a Concert as a beginner is confusion with the left hand given that the spacing between frets is different. Do you think this is a concern?

bildio said:

I recently got a Pono Acacia Tenor (satin finish). I like it a lot, & I am comfortable with its size.

I'm thinking about getting another Pono or a Hawaiian made Uke from HMS. Looking at what HMS has in stock, it might be either a Kanilea or a Pono.

My question is should I get another tenor or a concert? If it's a tenor, I'd get it with the low G since my Pono has the high G.

If I get the Concert, which should get the low G (tenor or concert)? My concern about getting a Concert as a beginner is confusion with the left hand given that the spacing between frets is different. Do you think this is a concern?

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Never had a problem switching from Soprano to Concert-scale and vice versa. No experience with tenor-scale, but would think an adjustment between concert and tenor would be comparable. Buy what you feel is right for you.

You really just need to try a concert and see how you like that size. As a long-time guitarist, I couldn't adjust to the concert size. It was just too small for me. I love my tenors and have decided that from now on, all I will own is tenors and maybe a baritone.

But that's just me. Many, many people prefer the size of a concert or soprano. The size you like is a personal decision that only you can make.

I wouldn't worry about spacing as you'll be able to adapt...secondly, are there any local stores where you live? You can see if you like the size of the concert before you buy. If you want a brighter sound, you can consider getting a concert and putting a low G on the tenor.

Depends on the instrument itself. I have a Kanile'a satin concert. It puts out as much sound with both lows and highs as my Pono tenor. Fretboard is comfortable on both. Strings on a concert are lower tension so it may be more comfortable to play. Thought I would like only tenors but my concert has changed my mind. Haven't tried another concert so don't know if it's the concert size in general or specifically the Kanile'a that I like so much. If I had to choose between the two, it would be the Kanile'a, hands down and clapping. I have no doubt that a Kanile'a tenor would produce even more complex sound but there's that cost difference.

Yeah, no problems for me going back and forth between a concert and tenor fretboard. My Kanilea is a superconcert so it has a tenor neck, and with tenor strings, a lower voice than many tenors I've played. But anyway, the Koaloha and Kanilea necks are different.. The KoAloha more rounded in the palm, the Kanilea flatter with more distance between the strings. Each approach is comfy in its own way. I tend to prefer whichever is in my hand.

I don't currently have any proper tenors because the body shape too big and the sound not approaching what my mind's ear hears as ideal for uke. I want to get one someday again though.

All this is a roundabout way of saying, I prefer concert, but in terms of neck size, tenor is just fine too. I think the younger crowd may gravitate more towards tenor, but concert for me seems to be the best of all worlds.

Try them all, that's what UAS is for.

Ps - don't have the strength for bar chords on a guitar. Tenor ukes used to be problem there too, but not any longer.

Pps - in terms of strictly concert scale, Koaloha has killed all UAS for future concert ukes. Don't need one, it's my benchmark. OTOH, can't imagine a superconcert better than the Kanilea. But I'd only buy a concert scale uke if I had to buy a Koaloha to replace my Koaloha.

I play soprano uke up through long scale (35") electric bass and have no problems adjusting. A bigger deal for me is how the body feels and sounds to me. I prefer a concert scale neck for a little more room, but like the soprano body size better. (My favorite format is longneck soprano.) My tenors hardly get touched since I put pickups in my other ukes and got a couple of baritones. Seems like the soprano and baritone body sizes just sound "right" to me while concerts and tenors don't tickle the magic nerve. (Oh...and to be fair...I kind of think of my standard-tuned baritone as a "little guitar" - only the reentrant one is "really a uke" - I'll probably take a lot of flack for that...)

John