Concert Ukulele

If you're looking to buy a concert ukulele, there are plenty of options. The best choice for you will depend, of course, on you budget. So here are a selection of high quality ukes at different prices.

Cheap Concert Ukuleles

There isn't anywhere near the selection of cheap concert ukuleles as there are sopranos. But there are a few around. One good option is the Oscar Schmidt OU2 which you can usually find for under $50. I have an Oscar Schmidt OU5 and love it. It is also the ukulele that Jason Castro played on American Idol. So, even though the OU2 will not be the same quality, they are a reputable brand.

Oscar Schmidt Concert Mahogany Ukulele OU2 Uke    US $94.95

OSCAR SCHMIDT OU2E CONCERT UKULELE WITH ACTIVE PICK-UP    US $109.99

Oscar Schmidt OU2 Acoustic-Electric Concert Ukulele - Satin Finish    US $56.00

Over $50

For slightly more, you can buy a Makala MK-C. If you can stretch to the extra ten or twenty dollars, it is worth doing.

Ukulele★NEW!! MAKALA Concert FREE SHIPPING!    US $69.98

MAKALA by KALA MK-C CONCERT UKULELE COLOR PACK    US $73.50

Kala Makala Concert Ukulele Starter Pack w/ Book Bundle    US $89.99

$100 - $300

Once you get into this range, you start getting some quality ukuleles. You should look to buy a solid wood ukulele if you are paying this much (if the description doesn't state whether the uke is solid or laminated, you can assume it is laminated). Kala have a number of ukuleles in this price range that are worth checking out.

Kala Exotic Mahogany Series KA-CEM Concert Ukulele    US $105.00

KALA DUB-CPR Concert Deluxe Padded UKULELE Gigbag    US $38.50

Kala KA-KCG-CT Hawaiian Koa Concert Ukulele Package    US $389.99

Expensive Concert Ukuleles

If you are really looking to splash out (around the $1,000 range) you'll have the choice of plenty of great quality concert ukes. I'm not lucky enough to have a uke in this price range. But if I came into some money and could afford one, I'd be buying a Kanilea concert ukulele before you could blink.

Kanile'a Koa Concert Ukulele    US $775.00

On a day to day basis, it's the concert ukulele that I pick up first. If I could only play one size, it would be the concert. Soprano and tenor ukuleles each have a number of advantages, and the concert - being exactly half way between the two - has the advantages of both. Here are the reasons why it's my first choice.

Adaptability

I like to play both strumming and fingerpicking styles on the ukulele - often in the same tune. I find the soprano works great for strumming and not so well for fingerpicking. And vice versa for the tenor. The concert ukulele is right between the two of them and suits both styles of playing very well.

Sound

My main problem with the tenor ukulele is that it loses a little of that sprightly soprano ukulele sound. It does have a fuller tone which you may want on some occasions. But I find it does sacrifice a little of that defining ukulele sound. The concert, on the other hand, retains a great deal of the soprano sound.

Finger Room

Although only slightly bigger than the soprano, I find that the concert makes it easier to play tricky bits with your fingers tripping over each other.

Should You Buy A Concert Ukulele?

The concert is the Goldilocks ukulele. If, like me, you find baby bear's soprano too small and daddy bear's tenor ukulele too big. Then you'll find mummy bear's concert ukulele to be juuuust right.

Koa wood - native to Hawaii - is the traditional wood from which ukuleles were made. So it's no surprise that many people look to have a koa concert ukulele. But what are the options?

Top End Koa Ukuleles

For a top quality, solid koa concert ukulele, you can expect to pay between $500 and $1,000. In this sort of price range are ukes by the likes of Pono and KoAloha.

Although there is no doubting the quality of these ukuleles, they are beyond the budget of many people. But there are some cheaper alternatives for people who want to buy a koa ukulele but can't afford it.

Wood Related to Koa

Although koa wood only grows in Hawaii and is getting harder and harder to come by (hence the increasing price of koa instruments) it does have a number of close relatives (in the Acacia family of wood) which ukulele makers have started to use. For example, Koa Pili Koko ukuleles are made from Acacia and Cole Clark make some of their ukuleles from Australian Blackwood. Also Cordoba make their ukuleles from what they call 'Portuguese Koa'. As far as I can tell, such a wood doesn't exist. But I believe it is made from a close relative of koa.

All these woods deliver very similar look and tone to koa at a fraction of the price.

Laminated Koa Ukuleles

If you need to go cheaper and still, you can still get the great look of a koa instrument at a very low price if you buy a laminated ukulele. Laminated ukuleles have a thin layer of koa on the top over a much cheaper wood inside. This recreates the look of koa but doesn't give the sound.

If this is what you are looking for, I recommend the Oscar Schmidt OU5. I have one of these and I love playing it. And, at around $150, it's a great buy.

Koa Concert Ukuleles on eBay

Lanikai Ukulele Concert Koa Island CK-C New In Stock!!    US $249.00

NEW LANIKAI NK-C CONCERT UKULELE SOLID KOA UKE + CASE    US $329.00

Cordoba 25CK Concert Size Koa Ukulele Uke Solid Top, Back and Sides Portugal    US $120.00

There isn't a whole lot of difference between soprano and concert ukuleles - only a couple of inches. But those two inches do change how the ukulele feels and how you play it.

Advantages of a Concert Ukulele

The biggest advantage of the concert ukulele, as far as I'm concerned, is the extra bit of room you get to move your fingers. When I play, I like to be able to switch between finger picking and strumming. But I sometimes find that when I'm playing a soprano my fingers trip over each other. I find the extra space on the concert - even though there isn't much extra - does make a difference and I can play more comfortably.

There is, in theory, a margin gain in the volume and tone of a concert ukulele. In practice, the little difference there is pales in comparison to other factors such as wood and quality of construction.

Advantages of a Soprano Ukulele

There's nothing quite like strumming away on a soprano. It feels like the most natural instrument in the world for that purpose.

Sopranos are also more widely available and are often cheaper than concert ukuleles. This is particularly true at the budget end of the spectrum. If you're looking to buy a ukulele for under $50, then you'll have much more choice with sopranos than you will with concerts.

Which Is My Favorite?

It depends on the situation, but generally I prefer concert ukuleles. That's more to do with my playing style than anything else. But there is only one real solution: buy one of each!

Whichever you decide on, have fun playing your soprano/concert ukulele.

Ukuleles are classified according to their size. There are four main sizes: soprano, concert, tenor and baritone. Of these the concert is the second smallest (after the soprano).

The scale length of a concert ukulele (that is the playable area of the strings) is 15 inches (38 centimeters).

Other than that, they are very similar to the soprano ukulele in tuning (gCEA or, less commonly, ADF#B), shape and strings (usually you'll be able to use soprano strings on a concert ukulele).

What are the Advantages of a Concert?

The concert ukulele is my personal favorite size of ukulele. It still retains the sound and ease of playing of the soprano but has that little bit of extra room for you fingers. This makes it a great compromise if you are wanting to both strum and fingerpick on the ukulele. So for someone who wants to do it all, the concert ukulele is a great choice.