Advantages of super size

BIGDB

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I see lots of people with super instruments like super soprano and i dont see why anyone would get one of those instead of just getting a concert. Is there any advantages to them? Is it that the different size bodies sound different?
 
I like more room on the fretboard, and the smaller sound box has more of a ukulele- like tone... less like a guitar. When I compared some super concerts to tenors (of the same brand), I found that the super concert was actually louder. Sometimes the longer scale/ smaller body gives you more volume.

–Lori
 
Super Sopranos exist because some people love the sound of a Soprano but have rather large hands... :)
 
The play style I'm gravitating towards (campañella) goes very well with long-sustain notes. I found that high-tensioned strings rang out for a little while longer than lower tensioned strings. Since tenor scale-length strings have to be pulled tightest to arrive at the same notes as on shorter ukes, the choice of tenor is made for me.

After trying out several body sizes at last year's NY Ukefest (2013's starts May 30!), I found that I disliked the boominess of the usual concert and tenor bodies (which got closer and closer to a guitar-like sound).

Put all that together, and the uke for getting me to where I want to be is the "giraffe-style" tenor-necked soprano body. Now to save up first for a giraffe Flea, and then a KoAloha one!
 
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I feel that concert and tenor ukes are so far away from a guitar that saying they sound more "guitar like" is not useful. They sound way more like a soprano uke than a guitar.....but that's just my take on it.
 
Well, you do get more frets to play with and still keep a soprano size body.
 
I prefer the tenor size body and neck. I've tried concert sized and liked the body but not the neck so I got a super concert and really like it. I like to play it from time to time because tho I prefer the tenor sometimes it's nice to hold the concert with the luxury of the tenor neck and it sounds really good.
 
Volume, tonal quality and complexity, fretboard space primarily.
 
great conversation. i don't think the last word has been written.
 
I like super sopranos because it sounds so clark kent to say "super soprano".

And that's the last word.:rofl:
 
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I feel that concert and tenor ukes are so far away from a guitar that saying they sound more "guitar like" is not useful. They sound way more like a soprano uke than a guitar.....but that's just my take on it.

I concur and will go a step further in the analogy. If you have a ukulele that sounds like one of your guitars - get rid of that guitar because it is no good.
 
I tend to think that a super size gives more sustain than standard size from what I've tried and owned in the past.....and my favorite one is the super concert size.........same fretboard as tenor but with the sound of a concert plus more sustain....


https://soundcloud.com/baouke/star-filante-by-caro-bao
 
I feel that concert and tenor ukes are so far away from a guitar that saying they sound more "guitar like" is not useful. They sound way more like a soprano uke than a guitar.....but that's just my take on it.

I think you are taking the phase "guitar-like" too far. It is very difficult to describe tonal differences with text and words alone. There are many shades of grey between black and white. The same is true with musical instruments. It would be pretty uninformative to just say that ukes sound like themselves, no matter what size they are. Sure they all sound like ukes... but there are distinct differences. As the sound box and string length get bigger/ longer, the tone will shift naturally to be more like it's larger cousin. It won't ever sound just like a guitar, just a couple of steps closer to that sound, and away from the plucky bright ukulele standard.

–Lori
 
I think you are taking the phase "guitar-like" too far. It is very difficult to describe tonal differences with text and words alone. There are many shades of grey between black and white. The same is true with musical instruments. It would be pretty uninformative to just say that ukes sound like themselves, no matter what size they are. Sure they all sound like ukes... but there are distinct differences. As the sound box and string length get bigger/ longer, the tone will shift naturally to be more like it's larger cousin. It won't ever sound just like a guitar, just a couple of steps closer to that sound, and away from the plucky bright ukulele standard.

–Lori

Sorry, just don't buy the "guitar like" comparison, especially for any uke smaller than a baritone. All sopranos are not equally "bright and plucky" either. It's just too subjective. Prhaps all we will agree on about this is that "one of us is taking the phrase "guitar like" too far. :cheers:
 
Sorry, just don't buy the "guitar like" comparison, especially for any uke smaller than a baritone. All sopranos are not equally "bright and plucky" either. It's just too subjective. Prhaps all we will agree on about this is that "one of us is taking the phrase "guitar like" too far. :cheers:

Perhaps I should have worded it as "further and further away from the happy sound I'd like my ukes to have"? :eek:

And would it help or hurt my anecdote if I added that the 4 ukes I was going back-and-forth between (super soprano, concert, super concert and tenor) were all KoAloha's? :drool:
 
Perhaps I should have worded it as "further and further away from the happy sound I'd like my ukes to have"? :eek:

And would it help or hurt my anecdote if I added that the 4 ukes I was going back-and-forth between (super soprano, concert, super concert and tenor) were all KoAloha's? :drool:

guitar bad, uke good.
 
Aloha Elijah,
to me all the super size ukes just offer a bigger fretboad with the same size body cavity and sound....if you like the traditional sound of the soprano with a longer scale neck of a concert ..an so forth
but I do like the larger bottom bout ukes which gives more bottom end punch because of the larger body cavity...which makes more sense...just to some thay may not be as comfortable..it was
okay for me....though...at least the kanilea I tried...
 
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