Tell me about your Sopranino

[DownUpDave]

I don't know why but I have become fascinated with sopranino sized ukeleles. I actually do know why, I want something small for cycle touring. I have brought a super soprano along but even that takes up a bit too much space.

So all you owners and or players of sopraninos tell me about them. How is the sound compared to say a regular soprano, how's the playability? I am mostly a tenor player but do own a few super sopranos and one standard soprano.

 

[Graham Greenbag]

H’mm, you might like to look at the Argapa blog by Sven of this forum and (much more often) Cosmos. There are sound samples (somewhere on YouTube) of the ones that he makes as a hobby.

I‘d wondered about a Sopranino for just plain strumming of chords at the nut end of the fretboard but concluded that anything smaller than a Soprano was unlikely to work well - I’ve yet to hear a Sopranino that really appeals to me, but some still appeal less than others. If you must have one then the Pineapple shaped bodies are probably best. Ohana do one and that might be as good a choice as any, particularly if you can find a discounted blem like this: https://www.southernukulelestore.co...-solid-mahogany-pineapple-sopranino-ukulele-1

For cycling I’d just buy an inexpensive second-hand laminate Soprano, put it into a thin gig bag and tie it onto my other bags. That arrangement will weight a trivial amount, it won’t cost much, it won’t be fragile, it’ll sound OK and your fingers will fit it. Not what you really wanted to hear, sorry, I hope that you get more helpful responses.

 

[badhabits]

They are small! The limiting factor is usually the nut, most are <35mm. Kiwaya U-Trips are the exception and the extra width makes a huge difference in playability. Better ones are not cheap (although Kiwayas are a great deal if you're in Japan). One good thing compared to smaller sopranissimos is that they can be tuned gCEA. Not a ton of choices and I certainly haven't tried em all, but I'd say Kiwayas sound best (either 01 or 02, not much difference) with solid Ohanas not far behind.

Comparison: Kiwaya U-TRIP-02 vs. Ohana TPK-25G

I've wanted to compare these two sopranino pineapples for a while now, ever since I first noticed the Kiwaya line last year (there is also an -01 double bout version). Some differences between them: Kiwaya is a thin laminate ("layered mahogany"), Ohana is solid mahogany Open pore, satin finish...

forum.ukuleleunderground.com

NUD- Kiwaya baby uke!

It's a Kiwaya U-trip 01, the sopranino in double bout version. It's part of the student line up (KSU, KCU, etc.). You might recall a comparison between the pineapple 02 and the Ohana TPK-25. This one retains all the attributes that I mentioned for the 02, but it's not as red-hued and the body...

forum.ukuleleunderground.com

If you want to test the size out and experiment to start off, there is a cheapo kmise on amz. Might also be a option if you're looking for something more "disposable" and/or if durability is a concern. The sound isn't great though.

Kmise 17" mini travel pocket uke

Kmise Ukulele Soprano Ukelele 17 Inch Mini Travel Pocket Ukalalee for Kids Beginners Adults https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09SFWX56F TLDR: looks good, plays fine, sound is a bit disappointing (but that should not be a surprise). Saw this on Amazon for $39.99 with free returns...so I got...

forum.ukuleleunderground.com

 

[DownUpDave]

They are small! The limiting factor is usually the nut, most are <35mm. Kiwaya U-Trips are the exception and the extra width makes a huge difference in playability. Better ones are not cheap (although Kiwayas are a great deal if you're in Japan). One good thing compared to smaller sopranissimos is that they can be tuned gCEA. Not a ton of choices and I certainly haven't tried em all, but I'd say Kiwayas sound best (either 01 or 02, not much difference) with solid Ohanas not far behind.

Comparison: Kiwaya U-TRIP-02 vs. Ohana TPK-25G

I've wanted to compare these two sopranino pineapples for a while now, ever since I first noticed the Kiwaya line last year (there is also an -01 double bout version). Some differences between them: Kiwaya is a thin laminate ("layered mahogany"), Ohana is solid mahogany Open pore, satin finish...

forum.ukuleleunderground.com

NUD- Kiwaya baby uke!

It's a Kiwaya U-trip 01, the sopranino in double bout version. It's part of the student line up (KSU, KCU, etc.). You might recall a comparison between the pineapple 02 and the Ohana TPK-25. This one retains all the attributes that I mentioned for the 02, but it's not as red-hued and the body...

forum.ukuleleunderground.com

If you want to test the size out and experiment to start off, there is a cheapo kmise on amz. Might also be a option if you're looking for something more "disposable" and/or if durability is a concern. The sound isn't great though.

Kmise 17" mini travel pocket uke

Kmise Ukulele Soprano Ukelele 17 Inch Mini Travel Pocket Ukalalee for Kids Beginners Adults https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09SFWX56F TLDR: looks good, plays fine, sound is a bit disappointing (but that should not be a surprise). Saw this on Amazon for $39.99 with free returns...so I got...

forum.ukuleleunderground.com

Thanks so much for all the great information, it's been very helpful

 

[BigJackBrass]

I can recommend against getting a Kala pocket uke, in case you stumble across one. Surprisingly playable and reasonably well made, but the sound on mine was quite dull and toylike. A sopranino needs to be more than simply a novelty.

 

[Patty]

H’mm, you might like to look at the Argapa blog by Sven of this forum and (much more often) Cosmos. There are sound samples (somewhere on YouTube) of the ones that he makes as a hobby.

I‘d wondered about a Sopranino for just plain strumming of chords at the nut end of the fretboard but concluded that anything smaller than a Soprano was unlikely to work well - I’ve yet to hear a Sopranino that really appeals to me, but some still appeal less than others. If you must have one then the Pineapple shaped bodies are probably best. Ohana do one and that might be as good a choice as any, particularly if you can find a discounted blem like this: https://www.southernukulelestore.co...-solid-mahogany-pineapple-sopranino-ukulele-1

For cycling I’d just buy an inexpensive second-hand laminate Soprano, put it into a thin gig bag and tie it onto my other bags. That arrangement will weight a trivial amount, it won’t cost much, it won’t be fragile, it’ll sound OK and your fingers will fit it. Not what you really wanted to hear, sorry, I hope that you get more helpful responses.

The sound sample on that site, comparing several dinky Ohanas, clearly shows that the pineapples sound less like toys.

 

[Junie Moon]

I don't know why but I have become fascinated with sopranino sized ukeleles. I actually do know why, I want something small for cycle touring. I have brought a super soprano along but even that takes up a bit too much space.

So all you owners and or players of sopraninos tell me about them. How is the sound compared to say a regular soprano, how's the playability? I am mostly a tenor player but do own a few super sopranos and one standard soprano.

I am fascinated by all things small, so I bought a Kiwaya U-Trip 2 recently. I chose the pineapple one thinking the sound would be fuller than the U-Trip 1. It sounds better than the Ohana SK21 I had, and sold, a few years ago. The Ohana looked great, but sounded ... I don't know ... too small. To be fair, that was likely due to my limits as a player, not a failing of the instrument. The U-Trip feels and sounds more like a soprano than a sopranino to me, but I haven't played it a lot. I like a wide nut, like my Islander AS-4 has, and find the U-Trip very comfortable in that regard. It didn't knock my socks off soundwise. I almost returned it, but quickly realized I had unrealistic expections because it's a Kiwaya. I'd say it's a good-enough uke, and worth a look.

 

[badhabits]

The sound sample on that site, comparing several dinky Ohanas, clearly shows that the pineapples sound less like toys.

True and makes sense, although Matt at WOU (possibly the only store outside Japan that sells both the U-Trip 01 and 02) said there wasn't much difference bw the 2 shapes in at least these Kiwaya versions. Now sopranissimos, those sound like toys.

 

[Bill Sheehan]

The sound sample on that site, comparing several dinky Ohanas, clearly shows that the pineapples sound less like toys.

Patty, I'm specifically giving your post a "Like" based on your use of the word "dinky".

 

[derbyhat]

Neat. I feel qualified to participate in this thread because I like little ukuleles. hooray!

For sopraninos, I have a couple DJ Morgan Mini Pineapples. As far as I’m concerned, they are “real” instruments. At least, as far as a ukulele can be a “real” instrument. (Cue hilarious self-deprecating humor here.)

In all seriousness, they strum just fine - and they’re strung with fishing line. Melodies are hard because mine are strung re-entrant and there aren’t a ton of frets. I don’t have a problem with the fretboard, but I play little ukuleles all the time.

Volume is fine, but I don’t play in a group. Neither is up to par with my KoAloha, but that’s more a commentary on how much I love my KoAloha than anything. They both blow my kid’s Mahalo Dolphin out of the water. They feel a little louder than my XS Soprano - but that may be a string thing.

Looking at your primary use case of an easy to travel uke, i guess it works. Personally, if I was gonna go for a bike ride and wanted to bring a uke with me, I’d probably would find a way to bring the KoAloha because I have it in a Crossrock abs case and I trust the case to handle the bumps along the way better than anything else. If you’re planning on just shoving the thing in a backpack, then I probably would go with an Ohana from Mim because they’re more readily available, cheaper, and come in fun colors.

Hope this is helpful. Ping me with questions.

 

[Patty]

Patty, I'm specifically giving your post a "Like" based on your use of the word "dinky".

I’ll try to work it into my posts wherever possible.

 

[Bill Sheehan]

I’ll try to work it into my posts wherever possible.

Hahahahahaha! Love it!

 

[Graham Greenbag]

I don't know why but I have become fascinated with sopranino sized ukeleles. I actually do know why, I want something small for cycle touring. I have brought a super soprano along but even that takes up a bit too much space.

So all you owners and or players of sopraninos tell me about them. How is the sound compared to say a regular soprano, how's the playability? I am mostly a tenor player but do own a few super sopranos and one standard soprano.

One issue that hasn’t really come up in the responses so far, and I think it relevant to how much you might enjoy the instrument, is whether playing in gCEA is essential to you or not. For me, because I like to easily play music with other folk, gCEA is important and to me D tuning would be an unwelcome challenge. Unfortunately the shorter scale lengthened of a Sopranino doesn’t readily suit gCEA and someone might end up using D or even Eb tuning (Edit. I’ve no personal experience of that but that’s what I’ve read on many posts on this forum, YMMV, etc.). Looking around on here Fremont Black Hards and Worth Clear Hards might allow someone to keep gCEA but it seems that the shorter scale is really looking for something else.

 

[TopDog]

My Sopranino was built by a local luthier who happens to be a good friend of mine. I tune it cCEA and it plays fine, no problems with the tuning or pitch, and it is small enough to fit (in its own soft case) inside a backpack for travelling!

 

[Kaelrie]

I love mine, but it's not suitable for biking at all. It's a pineapple mahogany Ohana so it's larger than a typical sopranino. And it's solid wood, which would just be too much bother out on the road.

 

[Kaelrie]

The sound sample on that site, comparing several dinky Ohanas, clearly shows that the pineapples sound less like toys.

LOL I literally just finished posting that I thought that ukulele would be a bad idea. That's funny. It really does sound nice though.

 

[Ukelori]

Romero Creations XS Soprano is a soprano scale of 13.5 inches and a sopranino body of 18.5 inches. With a nut width of 35mm it plays easily and sounds good in high or low g. The boat paddle shape is widest at the bottom and sits well on my leg when seated and has enough to hold comfortably when standing. New XS are only in all solid wood. Maybe you can find a used solid spruce top with laminate sides for travel.

Romero Creations - XS Soprano Spruce/Koa

A mini version of the Tiny Tenor, the XS Soprano is a soprano scale ‘ukulele built to the length of a mini ‘ukulele – the ultimate “take with you everywhere” instrument. This is the import, "affordable" version made by Romero Creations. It's better than I had imagined, This is truly a high...

theukulelesite.com

 

[DownUpDave]

All the responses have been great, I didn't know there was this much interest in the little sopranino. In response to a couple posts, the Ohana pineapple in solid mahogany is a contender. I traveled with an all solid super soprano, kept it in a canoe dry bag strapped to my rear rake so no issues with moisture.

I never even thought of the Romero Creations XS, that is a very nice instrument and is the same length as a sopranino with no doubt a bigger sound.

I really like the Kiwaya U trip 02 but can't seem to find one for sale.

 

[Graham Greenbag]

All the responses have been great, I didn't know there was this much interest in the little sopranino. In response to a couple posts, the Ohana pineapple in solid mahogany is a contender. I traveled with an all solid super soprano, kept it in a canoe dry bag strapped to my rear rake so no issues with moisture.

I never even thought of the Romero Creations XS, that is a very nice instrument and is the same length as a sopranino with no doubt a bigger sound.

I really like the Kiwaya U trip 02 but can't seem to find one for sale.

I suspect that that’s a pretty good choice.

World of Ukes in the UK have them and IIRC they do send instruments to the USA / North America.

Kiwaya U-TRIP-02 Pineapple Sopranino Ukulele — World of Ukes

This is a small scale ukulele, a sopranino uke, from Japanese company Kiwaya. This is part of their Chinese-made student series, which offers more economical choices, including this pineapple body shape instrument. Kiwaya have long been famous for their lightweight, responsive laminate ukes, and th

worldofukes.co.uk

If you do end up with one then please add your impressions about it to the thread.

 

[DownUpDave]

I suspect that that’s a pretty good choice.

World of Ukes in the UK have them and IIRC they do send instruments to the USA / North America.

Kiwaya U-TRIP-02 Pineapple Sopranino Ukulele — World of Ukes

This is a small scale ukulele, a sopranino uke, from Japanese company Kiwaya. This is part of their Chinese-made student series, which offers more economical choices, including this pineapple body shape instrument. Kiwaya have long been famous for their lightweight, responsive laminate ukes, and th

worldofukes.co.uk

If you do end up with one then please add your impressions about it to the thread.

Thanks Graham......... apparently they ship to Canada as well. How do I know, well, I just ordered it.

Yea that was fast but I have always been keen on owning a Kiwaya and the standard size nut width of 1-3/8" on this sopranino sealed the deal. The smaller nut width of the Ohana at 1-5/16" would have given me fits.