Do super concerts sound different from concerts?

Tommy B · Jul 9, 2014

Hi everyone. Two beautiful super concerts have appeared on the marketplace recently, and I got to wondering if these ukes actually sound different from their concert-scale counterparts. Obviously, the playability of the longer fretboard is different, but if the sound box is the same, shouldn't they sound the same? The only sonic difference I can imagine is that the longer scale allows for the use of tenor-gauge strings, which might move that sound board a little more. Is there more to it than this?

Thanks.

iamesperambient · Jul 9, 2014

Tommy B said:
Hi everyone. Two beautiful super concerts have appeared on the marketplace recently, and I got to wondering if these ukes actually sound different from their concert-scale counterparts. Obviously, the playability of the longer fretboard is different, but if the sound box is the same, shouldn't they sound the same? The only sonic difference I can imagine is that the longer scale allows for the use of tenor-gauge strings, which might move that sound board a little more. Is there more to it than this?

Thanks.

i would assume its the same as super soprano you get the body size and sound of a soprano but the reach of a concert.
In this case i would assume you get the fret reach of a tenor but with the body size and sound /voice of a concert uke.
I think he these cases people buy long neck soprano/concert to get the classic uke sound but get the fret room of a larger uke
tenor has a much more bassy sound is its tone is getting close to guitar than that soprano plinky uke sound so its a way to get
a concert body (a little fuller) but get that nice fret room of a tenor. Seems very useful too me. I'm not sure if they make long neck
tenors (i think they do) really not sure how that one works.

sukie · Jul 9, 2014

I have a super concert. It sounds like a concert.

iamesperambient · Jul 9, 2014

sukie said:
I have a super concert. It sounds like a concert.

yep thats really the point you get that longer scale while retaining the voice
of that instrument. Seems useful for those looking to expand their fret room
but i dont want to change the voice of their instrument.

Cheeso · Jul 9, 2014

They're just regular concert bodies with longer necks for more fret access.

Now, if they made a super-duper concert...

Tommy B · Jul 9, 2014

sukie said:
I have a super concert. It sounds like a concert.

Thanks, Sukie. Can I ask what brand is your concert?

iamesperambient said:
I'm not sure if they make long neck
tenors (i think they do) really not sure how that one works.

There's a long-scale Kamaka tenor on the Marketplace right now. It's baritone scale.

stevepetergal · Jul 9, 2014

I would think there must be some differnece in sound. The strings are longer and therefore must sound a bit different. I would also guess the sound diff would, in most cases, be slight to imperceptable.

iamesperambient · Jul 9, 2014

Tommy B said:
Thanks, Sukie. Can I ask what brand is your concert?

There's a long-scale Kamaka tenor on the Marketplace right now. It's baritone scale.

hmmm is that still in C tuning i'm assuming its a tenor body in standard C but has the scale length of a baritone? it may actually be nice to see that tuned in DGBE it might actually give that tuning a more ukey sound on the small body.

iamesperambient · Jul 9, 2014

stevepetergal said:
I would think there must be some differnece in sound. The strings are longer and therefore must sound a bit different. I would also guess the sound diff would, in most cases, be slight to imperceptable.

of course it will be slightly different but i think the concept of these instruments is to retain the overall voice of
said instrument while giving it the scale /fret room of a larger one. I'm sure some of the voice changes slightly
due to what you mentioned but i think it would be a lot less than say super soprano vs concert (in which the body
is larger the body is a HUGE factor in the sound of the uke and being that isn't changed the sound won't be
that noticeably different).

peaceweaver3 · Jul 9, 2014

stevepetergal said:
I would think there must be some differnece in sound. The strings are longer and therefore must sound a bit different. I would also guess the sound diff would, in most cases, be slight to imperceptable.

I agree. Hearing that very slight difference gets easier if you know the instrument very, very well and, presumably, have played it a while. What I mean is, the more time you spend with a uke, the better and more deeply you know its sound. I've heard the difference in scale on instruments that were otherwise equal - same model, options, woods, etc. And a super concert, or long neck anything, has a very slightly deeper sound than the standard concert or next size down. I'm no luthier or engineer, but I'd say it's because of the scale length and associated different string tention.

Jon Moody · Jul 9, 2014

stevepetergal said:
I would think there must be some differnece in sound. The strings are longer and therefore must sound a bit different. I would also guess the sound diff would, in most cases, be slight to imperceptable.

There will be some, because as you mentioned, the scale of the strings is longer on a super-concert compared to a concert, resulting in more overall tension being put on the soundboard. That will have an effect, but how much is going to vary.

Dan Uke · Jul 9, 2014

Here's a video from HMS which shows a concert and superconcert.

iamesperambient · Jul 9, 2014

nongdam said:
Here's a video from HMS which shows a concert and superconcert.

I hear here the high tension in the long neck
but the voice is still the same its not deeper or more 'robust'
like a tenor but you can hear it has a different sound to it if that makes sense.

And man this guy is so good i see him on HMS all the time he deserves way more
credit than he gets hes really an amazing player he makes even cheap ukes sound
smooth like butter, i almost feel like as long as HMS has him demoing the ukes they
can sell any of them because he makes them all sound so good. And him on a kamaka
is beyond amazing to listen too.

warndt · Jul 10, 2014

Thanks for the informative video. I hear a tad more lower end fullness in the Super/Longnecks.

Hammond · Jul 10, 2014

(If there are two sets of wood identical, but not exist. Every piece of wood even cut from the same larger piece of wood, is unique.)

This is my guess, for fun.

The longer scale strings have natural warmth sound due to the heavier gauge(thicker), it may add little warmth in the overall sound.

When the neck being heavier(longer neck more wood) in weight, it may benefit the resonance.

So there maybe some difference between two models. Just my guess.

coolkayaker1 · Jul 10, 2014

i once owned a koaloha tenor-necked soprano body ukulele. it sounded like a soprano, BUT with notably more sustain given the longer strings. It was also louder than my Koaloha standard. so i think those are right who guessed longer, thicker strings move the soundboard more.i would assume a suoerconcert would have some of this effect compared to a concert.

btw, i sold the tenor-necked sop bc it was head heavy, but was fine with a strap (even used whEn sitting). i wish i still owned it.

here's the old kisting and corey playing it.
http://www.theukulelesite.com/koaloha-soprano-tenor-neck-new-model.html

This video would be great, just what this thread needs (although sop rather than concert), but i cant get the hms video to work/play. can you?
http://theukulelereview.com/2013/03/18/hms-listening-booth-3-koaloha-sopranos-ksm-00-ksm-02-ksm-t2/

here's a review of the ksm-t2 that i find accurate page 15
http://www.tricornpublications.com/issue15.pdf

Tommy B · Jul 10, 2014

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I think I'll just try putting a low-G on my KoAloha concert and see how I like the sound.

Tommy B · Jul 10, 2014

coolkayaker1 said:
i once owned a koaloha tenor-necked soprano body ukulele. it sounded like a soprano, BUT with notably more sustain given the longer strings. i would assume a suoerconcert would have some of this effect compared to a concert.

btw, i sold the tenor-necked sop bc it was head heavy, but was fine with a strap (even used whEn sitiing). i wish i still owned it.

here's the old kisting and corey playing it.
http://www.theukulelesite.com/koaloha-soprano-tenor-neck-new-model.html

Corey's killer chops aside, that soprano sounds amazing. It's got such a sweet, ringing chime sound to it. Thanks for the link, coolkayaker.

At the NY Uke Fest in 2006, MGM was showing a solid mahogany tenor-scale soprano that I fell in love with. It was so inexpensive that I was ready to pull the trigger, but I just didn't know how to get it back to San Francisco, since I already had one uke in my carry-on luggage. I didn't buy it, but I still ended up flying with two ukes: I won a KoAloha concert in one of the raffles!

coolkayaker1 · Jul 10, 2014

koaloha concert

http://www.koaloha.com/products/concert/super-concert/

above is how koaloha describes the tenor-necked concert. sustain, volume and more frets there's the answer. the sustain does give it a different sound. bye now

ps you bet, tommyb. for a hog tenor-necked sop i'd eat an old car tire

sukie · Jul 10, 2014

Tommy -- I play a Moore Bettah.

My ears, and I'm guessing the average person can't really tell the difference between a concert and a super concert. Besides, you can change things up just by changing the strings. I have used T2s since I got my ukulele almost 4 years ago. I switched to Savarez strings for a bit last fall. And, yes I could hear a difference. But I couldn't do bends for squat with the Savarez and went back to T2s. So, I guess I'm keeping the sound and tone I'm used to. Somebody else, like Aldrine, can play my ukulele and get a totally different sound out of it. A new player could play it and also get a totally different sound out of it.

Do super concerts sound different from concerts?

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