When does it stop being a ukulele?

YogiTom

YogiTom

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I am extremely curious to hear the very varied opinions here on the concept of what makes a ukulele a ukulele.

Specifically, at what point—keeping the design as close to a “classic” Martin or Nunez double-bout shape as possible—does the ukulele’s size change it into something else, if at all?

If a sopranissimo and a baritone are the “standard” range of sizes, why not make them even larger? Do they essentially become 4-string guitars, even if the traditional shape and design remains true to the smaller sizes?

I don’t have a strong opinion one way or the other, and actually want to see something like a dreadnought-size uke, just to know what it would sound and look like! Kind of like the idea of “contrabass” versions of things like the flute, bassoon, or saxophone.

I know you’ll likely loose any semblance of that bright ukulele sound as you get bigger in size, but...does that truly matter?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
 
Do you THINK of it as an 'ukulele? That's good enough for me.
 
I've asked many times what defines a ukulele and I have yet to have anyone give me that definitive answer. So good luck. I look forward to the comments. There is always a lot of "opinions" on it.
 
For me, 'ukulele' means soprano ukulele, but I accept that others use the word to cover a wider range of instruments.

John Colter
 
...anything that someone with UAS has an urge to buy.
 
I recently had a custom Jumbo Baritone made. I call it a Contra baritone. The luthier named it Kaona, meaning hidden meaning in poems and songs. or something like that).Is the size of a tenor guitar w 22.8" scale.

We're calling Kaona a baritone because it's with nylon strings and not a tenor guitar because a TG uses steel strings.

Photo comparing size with my Chennel archtop baritone and kaona.
 

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Basically the 'ukulele is a member of the guitar family and that family exists as continuum of instruments with really fuzzy borders between members. The Renaissance guitar was tuned G C E A and had a scale length somewhere between the modern tenor and baritone ukulele. And it was called a guitar albeit more like a modern 'ukulele than a guitar. Even came in low G and reentrant tunings! This is a 4-course Renaissance guitar (all strings doubled save for the first string):



By today's terminology we should call the above a 7-string long neck tenor 'ukulele! It's almost as if the 'ukulele is the direct descendant of Renaissance guitar. I'm sure the scale and tuning is more than a coincidence.
 
I have a Pono Baritone Nui/tenor guitar steel string and can’t really say what it is. After having a standard tenor guitar, it sure doesn't feel like that. While I know it’s pretty big to be called an ukulele, it feels more ukey to me than guitar.
 
gochugogi said:
Basically the 'ukulele is a member of the guitar family and that family exists as continuum of instruments with really fuzzy borders between members. The Renaissance guitar was tuned G C E A and had a scale length somewhere between the modern tenor and baritone ukulele. And it was called a guitar albeit more like a modern 'ukulele than a guitar. Even came in low G and reentrant tunings! This is a 4-course Renaissance guitar (all strings doubled save for the first string):



By today's terminology we should call the above a 7-string long neck tenor 'ukulele! It's almost as if the 'ukulele is the direct descendant of Renaissance guitar. I'm sure the scale and tuning is more than a coincidence.
Click to expand...


Steel or nylon string? Like it.
 
It's either gut or nylon. Metal strings were a century or so in the future. The TABS for Le Roy's music were published in the first half of the 1500s (for home entertainment) and are 100% playable on an 'ukulele. No adjustments needed.
 
To me a ukulele is re-entrant tuning, whether it's little or big. I consider low-G tuning a modified uke. I don't know what tuning a baritone uke has, but I see them more as a tenor guitar. I actually play bass uke, acoustic and solid body, which are tuned the same as a standard bass, I call them a bass uke when it has poly strings and piezo pickup. I also have mini electric bass guitars, which I distinguish because they have magnetic pickups and steel strings, so I don't usually call them a bass uke.

This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly West near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 9 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 34)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers
 
Peter, great playing. Can you post a pic to the headstock and bridge on that cool “ukulele” 7 string you have there. I assume you make them. Different body shape. Sound is nice. Going to check your site when I get a minute at work. Gotta run. Cheers
 
Guinness said this is an uke so this is an uke.
 
gochugogi said:
Basically the 'ukulele is a member of the guitar family and that family exists as continuum of instruments with really fuzzy borders between members. The Renaissance guitar was tuned G C E A and had a scale length somewhere between the modern tenor and baritone ukulele. And it was called a guitar albeit more like a modern 'ukulele than a guitar. Even came in low G and reentrant tunings! This is a 4-course Renaissance guitar (all strings doubled save for the first string):



By today's terminology we should call the above a 7-string long neck tenor 'ukulele! It's almost as if the 'ukulele is the direct descendant of Renaissance guitar. I'm sure the scale and tuning is more than a coincidence.
Click to expand...


Oh my goodness that sounds beautiful! But I almost wish I'd never seen it, it makes me want both whatever that instrument is and the skills to play it.
 
The definition of a ukulele.............any wooden stringed instrument that puts my bank account at risk of depletion :drool:
 
DownUpDave said:
The definition of a ukulele.............any wooden stringed instrument that puts my bank account at risk of depletion :drool:
Click to expand...

Hah. Good one, Dave.


My definition:
- four courses
- plastic or gut strings
- diminutive size compared to other stringed instruments
 
It is not just the ukulele, it is probably almost every stringed instrument if you want to roll back in time to set a definition from antiquities. A whole bunch of electric guitars would not qualify, and that’s without 7 strings. I would think a bass would be in an even tougher category to define than a ukulele.

But what makes a ukulele is probably be based on a couple things... does the owner consider it a ukulele and more importantly is it accepted into any other string instrument category. If nobody else wants it, it’s a ukulele... no matter what parameters you want to use to define it.

John
 
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