Suggestions for soprano with a BIG sound?

NatalieS

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Hi all,

I'm always on the lookout for getting another uke. :) Soprano is by far the most comfortable and versatile size for me to play. I can hit so many more chords and variations on the sop than with larger sizes. I love my Lanikai koa, but are there any solid wood sopranos (maybe with a spruce top) that produce a big sound comparable to larger sizes? I've tried a Flea and have a Fluke, but I'm looking to go solid wood in this case.

Thanks for any suggestions!
 
I would recommend taking a look at either the Mainland mango or red cedar. Just my :2cents:
 
I think you've got the right idea thinking of a spruce top soprano. It'd really be different from your other ukes.

FWIW, I have an Ohana solid spruce top / lam sides and back soprano, and damn is it loud. Definitely a great buy for well under $200.
 
KoAloha sopranos have a big voice. The standard soprano is actually a little larger than typical.

Just noticed I hit the "300 Club!"
 
I have a Mainland Honey Soprano Factory 2nd and it is much MUCH louder than my Lanikai Pineapple. I love it to death. I recommend any Mainland, any size, any time. They're just awesome and for the price, hard to be beat.

Good Luck
 
I just got a mainland mango pineapple, and I was really surprised how loud it is. Really nice tone too. I totally recommend it.
 
I was just playing a spruce top KALA travel 'ukulele at the stadium flea market this past weekend and she sounded really nice, plenty loud.
 
Ohana's SK-25 is a loud little uke with matte finish and solid mahogany top, back, sides. The Ohana SK-50WG is a cedar top, willow back and sides. The SK-70MG is a spruce-topped uke with mahogany back and sides.

This is a link to Ohana's website. Take a look at the three of these units. They are reasonably priced and all sound great.

http://www.ohana-music.com/soprano.html
 
Loprinzi is the loudest I have, especially if you whale on it.

Koaloha is right up there, though.
 
My loudest soprano is my Ohana SK70MG - lovely mahogany laminated back and sides, solid spruce front. I won it in a raffle, and at first I thought I didn't like it much, but that was because I was playing it in a small room. The first time I played it in a larger space, where it could "stretch its legs", I thought, "Wow! This is SOME uke."

I still love my mellower ukes, but if loud is what you want, test drive a spruce fronted Ohana.

Ukantor.
 
I'm gonna go against the Ohana/Mainland hype. In my experiences, Koaloha and Kiwaya (and possibly Loprinzi) have been the loudest.

Maybe you could look into jumbo sopranos (soprano scale neck, concert body). I played this one at the 09 SoCalUkeFest, and the sound was HUGE. Looking back, I should have bought it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-ZuVt2X9h0

Strangely, the loudest soprano I ever had was a relatively unknown Kailua laminate that I won from MGM, which I later gave to my cousin. It weighed almost nothing!
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?p=70901#post70901
 
I own this one - a Makai LK-80W
LK80W_front.jpg

110 bucks at Elderly.

It's the same as the Ohana Sk-50WG, except for additional rope binding around the body - and 100 bucks less than the Ohana! Solid Cedar top, laminate willow and sides, but LOUD! Here's a video I did with it comparing the sound with a Mainland Red Cedar concert. The Mainlands are great too. Can't go wrong with them.
 
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