Chunky Neck

Hi RockyJordan, welcome to the forum.
Are you asking about what to do about the chunky neck on your ukulele or what ukuleles have chunky necks?
 
I'd second Pono. I had one and didn't like it. It felt like I was playing a baseball bat compared to the necks on my other ukes.
 
Buy from a Ukulele specialist store! I recommend the ukulele site based on experience, and just by my ears honestly. If you give them a phone call they can talk you through all the stuff you prioritize and are happy to help get the right instrument for you. Veronica was very helpful with my recent purchase, which was a big one for me!
 
mikelz777 said:
I'd second Pono. I had one and didn't like it. It felt like I was playing a baseball bat compared to the necks on my other ukes.
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That's a poor description and a misnomer that gets posted once in awhile. Ok - maybe you like pencil necks as opposed to baseball bats. Poor descriptors.

Everybody has personal preference in size and also shape of the neck comes into play. Myself, I prefer the necks on Ponos, KoAloha and I found Ohana and Kala fine. I didn't care for one ANueNue neck on a Hawaiian Dream model I had. It was a little too flat and/or thin for my liking but was passable. I have never had an AMM3 or a Moonbird in my hands so I don't know if the neck translates across different models.

Everybody's hands and the way they hold or grip the uke is different.

I think you need to put YOUR OWN hands on various ukes to find what works for you.

The baseball bat misnomer that circulates once in awhile as a descriptor is a dumb descriptor. Many many people like Pono necks.
 
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As the OP has been a guitar player I would think a KoAloha would be another great possible choice if he wants to really jump in feet first !
Another question is what's the budget ? What size uke ? Tenor or baritone or other ?

We haven't even touched on nut width, string spacing and all that besides shape, profile and depth of neck....

Lots of choices.... best is get your hands on a bunch of Ukes if possible
 
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Tin Ear said:
That's a poor description and a misnomer that gets posted once in awhile. Ok - maybe you like pencil necks as opposed to baseball bats. Poor descriptors.

Everybody has personal preference in size and also shape of the neck comes into play. Myself, I prefer the necks on Ponos, KoAloha and I found Ohana and Kala fine. I didn't care for one ANueNue neck on a Hawaiian Dream model I had. It was a little to flat and/or thin for my liking but was passable. I have never had an AMM3 or a Moonbird in my hnads so I don't know if the neck translates across different models.

Everybodys hands and the way they hold or grip the uke is different.

I think you need to put YOUR OWN hands on various ukes to find what works for you.

The baseball bat misnomer that circulates once in awhile as a descriptor is a dumb descriptor. Many many people like Pono necks.
Click to expand...
Of course saying that playing a Pono is "like playing a baseball bat" is hyperbola as is playing "pencil necks". I own and play a KoAloha, Rebel, Kala, Bonanza, Ohana, Enya and Aiersi. (I've owned and played Lanikai, Romero and Gold Tone in the past as well.) I like the necks on all of them*. Where Pono stood apart from all of them was the neck. It was thick and chunky and not a difference that was kind of noticeable, it was tangibly noticeable. For me, it wasn't a negligible difference, it was less comfortable and less enjoyable to play. So for me, the baseball bat hyperbola isn't a misnomer, it was a significant difference which set it apart from other ukes I've played and it was different enough that I didn't like it. A lot of people love Ponos. I don't but if someone is looking for a uke with a chunky neck then Pono would be a good option.

*I didn't care for the neck on the Romero but it wasn't because of thickness or chunkiness. There was a raised bump where the neck met the headstock and my thumb always wanted to land there and it kind of drove me nuts.
 
I like the shape of Pono necks. All sizes from soprano to Baritone. Own them all. I find them very comfortable. I dislike think necks.
 
This might be just me, but here are my preferences

I want a neck with a core like a diamond
I want a uke who knows what's best
I want a neck with frets that cut
And flame that burns like cigarettes
I want a neck with the right allocations
Who's fast and thorough and sharp as a tack
I’m looking at her marquetry, that tone she is so clear
I’ve got mental facility and I’m playing in slack
I want uke with a thicc neck and a fassssssssst. action!
 
ukuevey said:
The older Kala Elites. All Koa, 1.5 nut. Very "chunky". Back when they used really curly hard to find koa.
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I know there are some Oscar Schmidt ukes with nuts as wide as 44mm, which basically is guitarlele width. Islander has wider necks also.
 
I'm not too picky about necks, but I do prefer a relatively thick neck, but not too wide. I like a 'normal' fretboard width and a slightly narrow string spacing, so the neck can look kinda chunky compared to the string spacing. The fretboard and string width ratio is more important to me than the neck's 'depth' thickness. Just a thought if those factors haven't been considered in detail. Most of the mid-tier Kala ukes have necks that I like, as do Pono and Ko'olau. Oscar Schmidt necks I dislike, and some of the premium brands have a little wider string spacing than I like, but most of them are perfectly fine.
 
I have a white label Kamaka tenor that has a pretty beefy neck. It's also very flat in the back. The depth feels as thick as the width.
 
To be honest, when Rocky mentioned "Chunky" necks, my first thought was Pono. (I have owned six Pono Tenors, now down to one.) this is due to the thickness of the neck and the taper. Not the width. I found the neck of my slothead was thicker where it met the headstock than on the paddle-headed ones.

Being a guitar player, you may prefer a wider neck. I think the Ko'Aloha tenor's wider neck is one of the most comfortable to play and it has a very fast action. (Based upon my 2017 KTM-00 tenor.)

Luis Feu de Mesquita's LFdM Macaferri Style tenors have a thicker neck and a more guitar-like feel than many tenors.

Luthier Aaron Oya has a YT video, presented by Ukulele Friend, about the importance he places upon the shape and fit of the neck on his ukuleles. He custom carves them to accommodate the hands and playing style of his clients. It's a very good and illuminating video:

Custom Shaped Necks
 
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