Concert Neck Length / Fret count

kdmccullum

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Try as I might, UAS has crept in just a bit and I am looking at concerts. But I noticed that some manufacturers have 12 frets to the body and others have 14. I have a tenor with 14 frets to the body and 19 total and a soprano with 12 frets to the body and 15 total. Is it safe to assume that a concert with 14 frets to the body has a neck similar in length to a tenor whereas 12 frets to the body would be a shorter neck? :confused:

At the local store I only have 4 or 5 brands to look at and all of them have 12 frets to the body. With the exception of the Martin C1k, the others just don't do it for me. I wish they stocked Ohana because my little SK-25z is a joy to play and I believe Ohanas have 14 frets to the body on all their concerts.

Kurt
 
Try as I might, UAS has crept in just a bit and I am looking at concerts. But I noticed that some manufacturers have 12 frets to the body and others have 14. I have a tenor with 14 frets to the body and 19 total and a soprano with 12 frets to the body and 15 total. Is it safe to assume that a concert with 14 frets to the body has a neck similar in length to a tenor whereas 12 frets to the body would be a shorter neck? :confused:

At the local store I only have 4 or 5 brands to look at and all of them have 12 frets to the body. With the exception of the Martin C1k, the others just don't do it for me. I wish they stocked Ohana because my little SK-25z is a joy to play and I believe Ohanas have 14 frets to the body on all their concerts.

Kurt

No, it's not safe to assume that a concert neck is similar in length to the tenor. Each size gets a little longer neck as you go up from soprano. The distance from the nut to the saddle (the scale) is longer on each size as you go up, and the frets are spaced farther apart with the longer scale length. Here's a picture of a soprano and concert, both with 14 frets to the body, to show you what I mean: http://www.sprucetreemusic.com/lopukes_mahogany.jpg

As for # of frets to the body, I find it isn't that big a deal. I thought it was, and I have a concert with 14 frets to the body. Getting my hand around the upper bout to reach frets past the body isn't an issue for me, and I have teeny hands.
 
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