Pineapple Uke v. Traditional Shaped Uke?

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joe_coffee

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Hi,
Bought my first uke about 3 weeks ago and I love it!
I'm already looking into what uke to get next. I love the looks of pineapple ukes but was wondering if there are significant sound differences between a pineapple uke and a more traditional shaped uke?

Any help would be appreciated!
-coffee
 
This is very dependent on each person's preferences. Some don't like the the feel when holding it and prefer a figure-8, for others there is no difference.

Depending on the maker, a pineapple can sound like a larger instrument, while some can sound boxy.

I really like DS Gill & Makapili pineapples, the only two I have tried.
 
joe_coffee said:
Hi,
Bought my first uke about 3 weeks ago and I love it!
I'm already looking into what uke to get next. I love the looks of pineapple ukes but was wondering if there are significant sound differences between a pineapple uke and a more traditional shaped uke?

Any help would be appreciated!
-coffee
Click to expand...

You must play one. I believe that every ukulele player should have at least one pineapple ukulele. The sound is usually described as "mellower and richer" for a given size. There doesn't seem to be a middle ground. People love pineapples or they don't. I love pineapples and am waiting for delivery of one today.

http://www.theukulelesite.com/

This link can give you some sound sample comparisons. They have a concert Ohana that sounds nice. The amount you are willing to pay will determine your pineapple's sound as much as the shape. I have a Lanikai pineapple soprano that is subject to all the foibles of a low-priced Lanikai. It isn't the shape that makes or breaks this ukulele. Compared to a standard soprano Lanikai LU-21 the LU-21P sounds fuller to my ear: more mid range, a more balanced sound.

Pineapple shape is traditional, dating back about 100 years.
 
PereBourik said:
You must play one. I believe that every ukulele player should have at least one pineapple ukulele. The sound is usually described as "mellower and richer" for a given size. There doesn't seem to be a middle ground. People love pineapples or they don't....
Click to expand...

I agree...everyone should have a pineapple ukulele!!!
 
I love my Pineapple, especially with Living Water strings.
 
Don't care much for a Kamaka soprano...................except............the pineapple. Wouldn't mind having one of them. Sounds amazing.
 
WTF (Weird Trivia Fact) - it takes less wood to make a pineapple. the savings is in the sides since the pieces of wood do not have to be as long compared to a traditional shape. Also the story goes that Pineapple ukes were made originally as a joke and sold to the tourists when they came to Hawaii.
Beside that, I have found that pineapples have a bigger sound since there is a bigger area that can easily vibrate with out being restricted by a waist in the middle.
I agree that everyone should have at least one pineapple
 
I just got my first pineapple (a very cheap Lanikai LU-21P) about a week and a half ago, and my other ukes are getting very jealous now. It really does seem to have its own special sound, and it's a sound I really like, to the point that I only want to play it rather than my other, far fancier ukes. As others have pointed out, its sound is unusually loud and full for a soprano, and it has clicked with me in a way no other soprano has managed. Get one!
 
I wonder why there aren't more concert and tenor pineapple options, especially tenor. I'm seriously considering a pineapple-style (boat paddle, Fluke, Keystone, etc.) tenor for my next uke - several months down the road. I like the mellower sound I hear out of most of the online samples I've found.
 
 
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My KoAloha Pineapple long neck arrived today. It has an enchanting sound. The neck of a concert on their soprano pineapple body. The longer neck gives it more sustain. The soprano size makes the upper register really sing. So now I have three Pineapples; the K, the Flea, and the LU-21P. That's probably enough for now. I do love the sound, though.

Somebody should really go after that Ohana at HMS.
 
Mainland makes a tenor pineapple.

I want one. :D
 
I lied. I swear I saw a tenor, but apparently it was only in my dreams. I apologize.
 
The pineapples seem to have a fuller tone. I love the sound but not too crazy about holding them. I currently have Kamoa E3 and a KPK Deluxe Acacia, both sopranos. I had a Makala laminate and a Mainland cedar/rosewood soprano. Have been steering away from the cheaper laminates due to sound and intonation issues. I traded the Mainland because the neck was a bit too narrow for my hands. Mainland now makes a concert neck cedar/rosewood soprano and has had a tenor neck cedar/rosewood concert. Ohana just recently came out with a solid mahogany concert pineapple. All under $300. Considering the Ohana as a next purchase.
 
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I'm thinking about that Ohana pineapple too. I wish the headstock didn't look so cheesy, but there are cheesier pineapples out there!
 
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