comparing soprano weight list

Thought this might be interesting - anything interesting you can add I'll include in the list and update after a while.. 1/23 a bit of adding in done. If you post, try and do it in the same form as below so I can cut and paste.

213g - Argapa Piccolo [historic 'Midget' size] with graphtech tuners
225g - Kumalae Style A - 1940s wooden pegs
323g - 1918 Weymann weighed it at 8.2 oz
235g - 1920s Koa Hawaiian
240g - 1920s Regal, cuban mahogany
245g - Tom Pocket (travel sopranino)
253g - 1920s Regal-made SS Stewart, cuban mahogany
260g - Kiwaya KTS-4 mahogany (I've found this elsewhere listed at 290g - can anyone check?)
260g - Martin-20's Style O-Mahogany
261g - Rob Collins meranti soprano with wooden pegs
275g - Argapa soprano with wooden pegs
275g - Japanese 1970s plywood/cheap plastic friction tuners (slightly short scale length)
277g - Lyra Island Style
279g -Favilla U-2, mahogany, 1930s-'40s. After two weeks of humidifying at 46 to 51 percent, 281g on same digital postal/kitchen scale.
280g - Kala Travel mk.II with friction tuners
283g - Martin-50's Style O-Mahogany
284g - Ken Timms "Island" style (wooden pegs)
285g - Martin early-1930s Mahogany
285g - Roy Smeck mahogany; plastic fretboard
289g - Early 40's Martin Style 0 with Pegheds (10.37 oz)
291g - Kiwaya KTS-4 2012 model
292g - La Foley 1920s Soprano (13" scale length)
293g - Timms 2014 Honduran Mahogany/Pegheds
294g - Pete Howlett Helsinki
298g - John Colter home built 'Cuban' mahogany
297g - Martin 1920s Style 0
297g - Style 3 Martin with heavy Grover champion tuners (w/originals nearer 277g?)
299g - Kala KA-SEM
302g - Martin 60s Style 0
303g - late 1930s sunburst Gibson uke-1
304g - Martin Konter Replica with Pegheds
304g - Kepasa Madeira
304g - Kiwaya KTS-7
306g - Ohana SK28 Hawaiian style, recessed fingerboard, mahogany
306g - vintage Martin Style 0
308g - Gibson Style 2
309g - Kamaka Gold Label/Waverleys
312g - Loprinzi cedar/mahogany (11 oz)
312g - G-String matte koa
312g - Favilla mahogany
315g - Ohana SK38
316g - 1948 Gibson uke-2
317g - Teens/20's Favilla 12 fret mahogany soprano (11.18 oz)
320g - Howlett Mahogany
321g - Timms mahogany (11.25 oz)
323g - 1970s no-name made in japan plywood ukulele
327g - plastic 50s Islander
331g - Kiwaya KS-1 (Eco laminate) with friction tuners
333g - early 1930s Gibson uke-1
335g - 2007 Mahalo 'Custom' U/LTD2 mahogany top with its original friction tuners
340g - Kala Travel Soprano (geared tuners?)
340g - Mituba Gakki basic soprano 1960s
340g - Imua koa (12 oz)
340g - VanPelt redwood/walnut (12 oz)
341g - 2014 Timms Honduran Mahogany with friction tuners
346g - Famous FS-1, 12-fret design, with stock Gotoh friction tuners (12.2 oz)
348g - Ohana SK35 (no gloss)
354g - Ken Timms 2009 Fireplace Special ( style 0 copy)
355g - Stuart Longridge (solid yew body, walnut neck)
355g - Millar PD-210MN Phil Doleman signature soprano ukulele. Solid mahogany. UPT tuners.
358g - Bruko ( solid mahogany type body, maple neck)
359g - Kiwaya KSU-1
360g - Ohana SK35G
361g - Ken Timms 2008 style 0
365g - Kiwaya FS-5 DX Eco with UPTH planetary tuners (the Koa laminate)
369g - Kiwaya FS-5G with geared tuners (and two tiny strap buttons)
374g - Martin 2014 Cherry 3 (13.2oz)
376g - Black bear koa (13.25 oz)
283g - KoAloha
397g - Kamaka (w/strap button) (14 oz)
397g - Wm King cedar/koa (w/oversize tuners) (14 oz)
406g - KoAloha Pineapple
408g - Kala (solid acacia body, mahogany type neck)
408g - Risa Uke Solid
410g - Koaloha KSO-10 (with UPTs and one strap button)
417g - Martin OXK
419g - AnueNue Re-entrants Signature
425g - Kala Acacia
425g - Kala KA-KIWI
429g - Flea
430g - Simon Bush Native soprano
430g - Tangi gloss mahogany soprano yr. 2000
450g - Makala Dolphin
475g - Makala Dolphin
495g - Applause UA-10
554g - Applause UAE-20
600g - Ken Smith Uukleles mahogany top/ serpentwood sides/back/fretboard

The same model soprano ukes from the same manufacturers won't weigh the same. Each piece of wood has it's own density, some necks are noticeable lighter or heavier than others made from the same wood.

Partly the reason I posted...

It's just a bit of fun.. Ukulele gradgrindery, as someone intelligently suggested.

But I'd say that in general makers have lost the early emphasis on v.simple superlight builds. (Not saying that is either good or bad) Unless can be proved otherwise?

Out of curiosity, what is a "Ken Timms 2009 Fireplace Special"?

The Kala KA-15S soprano weighed in at 390 grams. (Mahogany laminate, brass frets)

My 2012 Kiwaya KTS-4 was 291g

Favilla Marca Aquila (c.1890-1910), mahogany: 255g

What is the number needed to change from ounces to grams?

TheCraftedCow said:

What is the number needed to change from ounces to grams?

Click to expand...

Google- https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=oz+to+grams&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

This is a really old thread, but since it may provide a useful long-term database:

Favilla U-2, mahogany, 1930s-'40s, 279g. After two weeks of humidifying at 46 to 51 percent, 281g on same digital postal/kitchen scale.

Brüko recent No. 2 all maple except rosewood bridge and nut, standard depth arch back, 345g.

Outdoor recent Version 2 brown polycarbonate plastic, standard tuners, 420g.

Martin 0X recent blue "bamboo" synthetic laminate with dark brown non-rosewood bridge & fingerboard, 413g.

Famous/Kiwaya 2017 FS-5G koa-veneered thin plywood with rosewood fingerboard, 380g.

Makala Shark, white plywood & plastic, 530g.

Makala Shark, black plywood & plastic, 464g.

All with stock tuners. All without electronics or strap buttons. All with high-G string sets.

dickadcock said:

The Kala KA-15S soprano weighed in at 390 grams. (Mahogany laminate, brass frets)

Click to expand...

This is fun!
My KA-155S copy that I made out of solid mahogany, redwood and teak weighs in at 381 grams.

FWIW, here's a few more weights. Not super accurate - just to half an ounce on the kitchen scales, then converted to metric.

Ken Timms "Island" style (wooden pegs) 284
Home built from 'Cuban' mahogany 298
Martin style 1 312
Home built from reclaimed mahogany 312
Cort Australian Blackwood 326
Home built from Iroko 354
Ohana SK-35G mahogany 369
Ohana SK50MG 369
KoAloha 383
Kala Acacia 425

John Colter.

I find it interesting to compare the various Ken Timms style 0 examples in the earlier list.

Ken has not varied his way of building, significantly, over the years. The variation must be due to the density of the mahogany used. My own Timms "Island" style is a different design, and uses small wooden tapered pegs.

My own favourite is the KoAloha, and it is one of the heavier ukes. My Kala Acacia is right up there with the heavy brigade, but it is a lovely instrument in all respects.

Lightness is a good thing, but not really a reliable predictor of sound.

John Colter.

289g - Early 40's Martin Style 0 with Pegheds (10.37 oz)

317g - Teens/20's Favilla 12 fret mahogany soprano (11.18 oz)

346g - Famous FS-1, 12-fret design, with stock Gotoh friction tuners (12.2 oz)

Wow what a huge range of weights. Are the "Applause" models at the heavy end Ovation style with a plastic bowl? I wonder how much the observed weights are affected by humidity as it's likely that the older ukes are more dried out. I humidify my ukuleles in winter and observe changes of up to 10g per week, so this can easily add up to a substantial weight loss or gain if an uke is exposed to on-going very dry or very moist environment for several months.

TheCraftedCow said:

What is the number needed to change from ounces to grams?

Click to expand...

And here are two charts.

https://www.metric-conversions.org/weight/ounces-to-grams.htm
https://www.metric-conversions.org/weight/grams-to-ounces.htm

315g - Ohana SK-38
331g - Ohana SK-39
359g - Kiwaya KSU-1
410g - Koaloha KSO-10 (with UPTs and one strap button)
417g - Martin OXK

I complied a list of 19 Magic Fluke numbers and dates - glad to add more.

Kamaka Gold Label with Waverly Koa Friction Pegs 309 grams.

BBegall said:

Kamaka Gold Label with Waverly Koa Friction Pegs 309 grams.

Click to expand...

Thanks for that. I'm up to ninety-five listings now.