Opio longneck soprano vs concert

[Cramsknaj]

A new uke friend has offered to sell me an OPIO KCO-10 long neck soprano for a great price (people who play uke are pretty solid). I really had my eye on the concert size but they are significantly more expensive even on the used market. I unfortunately missed the one being sold in the marketplace which would have been perfect.

Do you think I’ll be unhappy with the longneck soprano?

 

[rainbow21]

the longneck is more like a concert than a soprano. Go for it!

 

[Cramsknaj]

I’ve listened to sound comparisons and it’s hard to really tell a huge difference but my ear ain’t trained for that

the longneck is more like a concert than a soprano. Go for it!

 

[badhabits]

The necks are the same scale, so the feel would be similar...but is there a difference in sound b/w the smaller body soprano and bigger body concert? I don't know the answer to that as I've only played my concert Opio (acacia not spruce top).

 

[mikelz777]

I would say.... no?

I have an Ohana long neck soprano and I love it! I loved it so much that it inspired me to get an Opio long neck soprano and I loved it as well. Unfortunately it had a build issue which was covered by their warranty so I asked that I get a long neck soprano to replace it. At the time they didn't have any and didn't anticipate having any soon so they offered me a concert to replace it which is what I have now. I love it as well. Both played and sounded excellent and the difference in sound between the soprano body and concert body is more like something you would be searching for than something that really stands out. It's kind of like potato chips with different flavors. Both are excellent and enjoyable, it just comes down to choosing what flavor you would prefer. I don't think you'd be disappointed with either so if finances are a big factor, I wouldn't be afraid of taking the long neck.

 

[Cramsknaj]

I would say.... no?

I have an Ohana long neck soprano and I love it! I loved it so much that it inspired me to get an Opio long neck soprano and I loved it as well. Unfortunately it had a build issue which was covered by their warranty so I asked that I get a long neck soprano to replace it. At the time they didn't have any and didn't anticipate having any soon so they offered me a concert to replace it which is what I have now. I love it as well. Both played and sounded excellent and the difference in sound between the soprano body and concert body is more like something you would be searching for than something that really stands out. It's kind of like potato chips with different flavors. Both are excellent and enjoyable, it just comes down to choosing what flavor you would prefer. I don't think you'd be disappointed with either so if finances are a big factor, I wouldn't be afraid of taking the long neck.

I’m pulling the trigger on the longneck. Thank you to everyone who replied and helped assuage my fears. If I’m not happy which seems doubtful we may want to consider a trade hahaha

 

[UkeStuff]

I have both; the concert does have a bigger sound, but the soprano long neck is no slouch, either!

 

[UkingViking]

To my ears, super sopranos have a slightly more percussive attack compared to concerts. Which suit some music very well, so it is nice to have in your ukulele arsenal if you want to stick to concert scale rather than add a soprano.

I did a similar thing a few years ago. I had "window shopped" on the MyaMoe website, looking at wood combinations for a concert uke but not pulling the trigger - because its a lot of money. A super soprano with the exact same wood combination appeared on the marked place in my part of the world, and I went for that. I have been very happy with it

 

[man0a]

A lot of people really like long neck sopranos or smaller/thinner concerts because the smaller lighter-weight instrument is easier to hold and play. Sound quality of a high quality instrument should be more than adequate for a non-professional player.

 

[Graham Greenbag]

The way that I understand the situation is that Sopranos have a smaller body than Concerts and that the soundboard of each type is driven by an excitation input through the bridge. Longer strings simply drive the bridge harder and the characteristic sound of the instrument is decided by the (larger or smaller) sound box.

 

[rainbow21]

The way that I understand the situation is that Sopranos have a smaller body than Concerts and that the soundboard of each type is driven by an excitation input through the bridge. Longer strings simply drive the bridge harder and the characteristic sound of the instrument is decided by the (larger or smaller) sound box.

That might be a theory, but in practice my LN sop sounds more like my concerts and not like a louder soprano.