NUD: It's Moore Bettah than I even dreamed

wickedwahine11 said:

Mmm, the thought did cross my mind. I remember seeing a photo of one in an Ameritage (the tiki one I think?) and it fit great. I am just way too lazy to lug it in a case that heavy. I used an Ameritage for traveling and once I got the Kamoa I never used it again. The Crossrock even feels cumbersome to me in comparison to the Kamoa - due to the lack of backpack straps. So I made the cushion this morning (sewed some foam into fleece) and it fits great now.

But I know you are right though. If I kept it in a case at home that is absolutely the one I would use. And I might still consider one down the road for local stuff (classes or kanikapila). But I travel about every six weeks and love the fiberglass for that.

Click to expand...

I think ukes are not as delicate as people make them out. I've dropped my MBU in case from the back of a SUV and left it in the trunk for a couple of hours in 85* weather and nothing happened so far. The finish Chuck uses is pretty strong as I've hit the uke on the edge of the table and no dings so far. My other ukes gets dings without me realizing how I got them. I'm pretty careless but at home, any case seems fine in my opinion...most of the time its on the couch / seat of where I played last.

I guess I shouldn't say anything but I can't hold my tongue. What I'm reading here is making me cringe. IMO those fiberglass cases do not offer good protection especially when traveling. They are just too flimsy to offer much protection against all of the unusual things that can happen while traveling. Remember the old Samsonite luggage commercials with the gorilla? There's a reason Samsonite is a leader in their industry. If you can stand on your case and throw it around and not damage your multi-thousand dollar uke inside of it then the case is a good one. (Please don't try this at home though kids!). The plywood core cases, especially the Oahu brand with its domed top, offer great protection without much weight. And yes, the Ameritages are awfully heavy to travel with but they do what they are designed to. They need to put wheels on them and an extended handle.
And leaving an uke on a couch? That's a disaster waiting to happen. Ask any repairman about his favorite accident stories. I'm a strong believer that when an uke is not being played it should be stored in it's case. I don't even like them on the wall unless it's in a display case designed for the purpose.

Hoffee. When it absolutely-positively has to get there ...

Moore Bettah Ukuleles said:

I guess I shouldn't say anything but I can't hold my tongue. What I'm reading here is making me cringe. IMO those fiberglass cases do not offer good protection especially when traveling. They are just too flimsy to offer much protection against all of the unusual things that can happen while traveling. Remember the old Samsonite luggage commercials with the gorilla? There's a reason Samsonite is a leader in their industry. If you can stand on your case and throw it around and not damage your multi-thousand dollar uke inside of it then the case is a good one. (Please don't try this at home though kids!). The plywood core cases, especially the Oahu brand with its domed top, offer great protection without much weight. And yes, the Ameritages are awfully heavy to travel with but they do what they are designed to. They need to put wheels on them and an extended handle.
And leaving an uke on a couch? That's a disaster waiting to happen. Ask any repairman about his favorite accident stories. I'm a strong believer that when an uke is not being played it should be stored in it's case. I don't even like them on the wall unless it's in a display case designed for the purpose.

Click to expand...

Sorry Chuck! Ooh I could never just leave it out on the couch -- my cat would end up sleeping on it! But yes, I am guilty of the uke on the wall (though as a mitigating factor the room is hygrometer monitored, and I don't have kids that could bump into it). And yeah, I do take the fiberglass case when I travel. I know it is not as protective as the Ameritage but I would never under any condition hand it over to anyone (I would buy a second seat on the plane or catch another flight before I checked it). I have thought about those Hoffee or Calton ones though. I have given them a lot of thought actually. I have the Kamoa and Crossrock and the Oahu -- but the Hoffee (or a Calton) might be the perfect compromise with better protection than the Kamoa/Crossrock, lighter weight than the Ameritage and more convenient (has strap) than the Oahu.

If it is any consolation...I did add a specific item rider on my homeowner insurance policy for loss/damage/theft of this uke. Probably not going to make you cringe any less though. If it makes you feel any better though, I love it to death -- even if you think I have a funny way of showing it!

Moore Bettah Ukuleles said:

I guess I shouldn't say anything but I can't hold my tongue. What I'm reading here is making me cringe. IMO those fiberglass cases do not offer good protection especially when traveling. They are just too flimsy to offer much protection against all of the unusual things that can happen while traveling. Remember the old Samsonite luggage commercials with the gorilla? There's a reason Samsonite is a leader in their industry. If you can stand on your case and throw it around and not damage your multi-thousand dollar uke inside of it then the case is a good one. (Please don't try this at home though kids!). The plywood core cases, especially the Oahu brand with its domed top, offer great protection without much weight. And yes, the Ameritages are awfully heavy to travel with but they do what they are designed to. They need to put wheels on them and an extended handle.
And leaving an uke on a couch? That's a disaster waiting to happen. Ask any repairman about his favorite accident stories. I'm a strong believer that when an uke is not being played it should be stored in it's case. I don't even like them on the wall unless it's in a display case designed for the purpose.

Click to expand...

I agree with Chuck...I think the Oahu cases do what they are supposed to....keep your uke safe...I have an Ameritage case and it is heavy but it just stays at home..if I am going to travel the Blues Reunion gig bag is hard to beat....

I have a hard time understanding people when they say...they will not play their uke as much if it is not sitting right next to them out of the case... I just open the case and take the uke out and then practice.....the safest place for you MBU is in the case when not being played...but that could be just me....

Moore Bettah Ukuleles said:

I guess I shouldn't say anything but I can't hold my tongue. What I'm reading here is making me cringe. IMO those fiberglass cases do not offer good protection especially when traveling. They are just too flimsy to offer much protection against all of the unusual things that can happen while traveling. Remember the old Samsonite luggage commercials with the gorilla? There's a reason Samsonite is a leader in their industry. If you can stand on your case and throw it around and not damage your multi-thousand dollar uke inside of it then the case is a good one. (Please don't try this at home though kids!). The plywood core cases, especially the Oahu brand with its domed top, offer great protection without much weight. And yes, the Ameritages are awfully heavy to travel with but they do what they are designed to. They need to put wheels on them and an extended handle.
And leaving an uke on a couch? That's a disaster waiting to happen. Ask any repairman about his favorite accident stories. I'm a strong believer that when an uke is not being played it should be stored in it's case. I don't even like them on the wall unless it's in a display case designed for the purpose.

Click to expand...

You've met my 2 destructive kids and getting another dog soon...yes there are days when I have a couple ukes on the couch

hawaii 50 said:

I agree with Chuck...I think the Oahu cases do what they are supposed to....keep your uke safe...I have an Ameritage case and it is heavy but it just stays at home..if I am going to travel the Blues Reunion gig bag is hard to beat....

I have a hard time understanding people when they say...they will not play their uke as much if it is not sitting right next to them out of the case... I just open the case and take the uke out and then practice.....the safest place for you MBU is in the case when not being played...but that could be just me....

Click to expand...

For me it is not an issue of ease of play. For me, the ukuleles are also pieces of wall art -- I enjoy looking at them out of the cases. They are kept in the room with a constant hygrometer (usually between 40-60 percent humidity) -- right now at 53%. I can't count how often I glance over at the four of them on the wall and they bring me a great deal of joy. Like I say, I don't have kids, the cat is far more likely to show interest in my ipu or uli uli feathers and he honestly has never shown interest in anything but cardboard boxes.

I agree, a case is the safest place to permanently house the ukes. But the diminishment of the enjoyment I get in admiring the beauty of the uke is not worth it to me -- hence the insurance policy. Yes, I know a MB is priceless. But barring a huge earthquake they are pretty safe here in my house -- and if the earthquake is big enough to knock them off the stands (with the tie downs I added to those wall stands) I have bigger problems.

Is the Reunion Blues gig bag particularly protective? I am not familiar with it in person -- is that more protective than a fiberglass case?

Right now I'm comparing the Hoffee and Calton cases online. My biggest drawback is I don't want to order a $700 or $800 case without ever seeing one in person. @Steveperrywriter -- you are happy with your Hoffee I take it?

If you live in earthquake country and want to hang your uke on the wall make sure to strap it down with some steel strapping like they do with the water heaters. If you PM me I can tell you about a local builder who lost months worth of work when a wall of instruments danced off their hangers during an earthquake here a few years back. If you want an uke on your wall take a photo of it, go to Kinko's and have it blown up to life size and mount that on your wall.
(I'm only saying this because I don't want to do any repairs. )

wickedwahine11 said:

For me it is not an issue of ease of play. For me, the ukuleles are also pieces of wall art -- I enjoy looking at them out of the cases. They are kept in the room with a constant hygrometer (usually between 40-60 percent humidity) -- right now at 53%. I can't count how often I glance over at the four of them on the wall and they bring me a great deal of joy. Like I say, I don't have kids, the cat is far more likely to show interest in my ipu or uli uli feathers and he honestly has never shown interest in anything but cardboard boxes.

I agree, a case is the safest place to permanently house the ukes. But the diminishment of the enjoyment I get in admiring the beauty of the uke is not worth it to me -- hence the insurance policy. Yes, I know a MB is priceless. But barring a huge earthquake they are pretty safe here in my house -- and if the earthquake is big enough to knock them off the stands (with the tie downs I added to those wall stands) I have bigger problems.

Is the Reunion Blues gig bag particularly protective? I am not familiar with it in person -- is that more protective than a fiberglass case?
there is a concert one a HMS...they might be out of tenors for now...if the concert one still there in 2 weeks I will show you it...


Right now I'm comparing the Hoffee and Calton cases online. My biggest drawback is I don't want to order a $700 or $800 case without ever seeing one in person. @Steveperrywriter -- you are happy with your Hoffee I take it?

Click to expand...

I know that Brittni and Kalei swear by their Reunion Blues gig bags...I think if you look them up on their website...they are the ones who drop the bag from a 10 story building with a uke in it...kind of expensive..but worth it...under $200.00

there is a concert Blues Reunion at HMS but they may be out of the tenor ones....if still there in2 weeks I will show it to you....

I'm curious about the Reunion Blues bags. Are they small enough, concert size, to be considered carry-on? Under $200 isn't bad. $800 for a case has me choking.

My ukulele lives in its case. I have it insured. I look at it just about every day, when I practice. And a humidifier is constantly monitored except in the summer. Man, I love that thing.

sukie said:

I'm curious about the Reunion Blues bags. Are they small enough, concert size, to be considered carry-on? Under $200 isn't bad. $800 for a case has me choking.

My ukulele lives in its case. I have it insured. I look at it just about every day, when I practice. And a humidifier is constantly monitored except in the summer. Man, I love that thing.

Click to expand...

Hey Sukie.

I have a Reunion Blues concert case. I keep my Imua concert in it. The Imua is on the small side for a concert and it positively swims in the RB bag. I have to pad it with a couple of towels to make it snug. The demonstration is throwing a guitar in a case of the roof of a one story warehouse. It's playable (from a distance).

I do not like the RB bag. It is very stiff and difficult to use. It's very bulky, really stretching the notion of being a carry-on bag. I have Access, Attitude (from UU Shop), Mono, Reunion Blues, and Uke Crazy bags. Clara lives in the Access; great bag. KoAlana and Pono both have Attitude bags; they work really well carrying on. Martin tenor is in the Mono bag; that's probably my favorite combo. I've already dissed the RB. Uke Crazy holds my KoAloha, but I wouldn't trust it very far.

I will never check a uke with an airline.

If the uke isn't in my hands, it is in a case, and latched. Takes me all of ten seconds to open the sucker and fetch the uke, and that obstacle hasn't stopped me yet. Oh, I'd like to play my ukulele, but ten seconds? I dunno, maybe not ...

Seriously?

I have a variety of hard cases, no gig bags, and they have different functions. It rains a lot here and I bump into things, so the Fiberglas cases are good for casual outings where wet occurs. I wouldn't check one on an airline or a train. If I had to do serious bang-about travel, I would use the Hoffee, which is bombproof. Yep, it is heavy and expensive but I trust it. You can even get them with Thinsulate and a GPS tracker ...

Pegasus Cases in Scotland is working toward making a tenor uke Fiberglas case that will be somewhat sturdier than most Fiberglas, if not quite in the Hoffee/Calton class.

If you have a handmade, one-of-a-kind instrument that is irreplaceable? How could you not spring for a sturdy, quality case?

Steveperrywriter said:

If the uke isn't in my hands, it is in a case, and latched. Takes me all of ten seconds to open the sucker and fetch the uke, and that obstacle hasn't stopped me yet. Oh, I'd like to play my ukulele, but ten seconds? I dunno, maybe not ...

Seriously?

I have a variety of hard cases, no gig bags, and they have different functions. It rains a lot here and I bump into things, so the Fiberglas cases are good for casual outings where wet occurs. I wouldn't check one on an airline or a train. If I had to do serious bang-about travel, I would use the Hoffee, which is bombproof. Yep, it is heavy and expensive but I trust it. You can even get them with Thinsulate and a GPS tracker ...

Pegasus Cases in Scotland is working toward making a tenor uke Fiberglas case that will be somewhat sturdier than most Fiberglas, if not quite in the Hoffee/Calton class.

If you have a handmade, one-of-a-kind instrument that is irreplaceable? How could you not spring for a sturdy, quality case?

Click to expand...

Sorry there seems to be a bit of a miscommunication on my part somewhere. I never said the "delay" in playing was why my uke is not stored permanently in its case. I prefer to hang my ukes on my wall, as a lot of other people do as well. And since the room humidity is monitored constantly - with a humidifier applied on the one or two days a year it drops where I live - and there is nobody to knock them, barring an earthquake (which I have insured them against) I think the tradeoff is worth it to me, so I can enjoy them as wall art. I fully admit they are safer in a case, but I prefer them on display.

Plus, I am more than happy to spend the money for a case that is protective and lightweight. If I stored it in a case at home, yes, it probably would be an Ameritage. But that does not work for me for my needs.

I travel out of town every six weeks or so. I spent years carrying an Ameritage on those trips and finally had to come up with a more feasible alternative as it was too heavy for me to manage effectively with luggage. As I said above under NO circumstance would I ever check my uke. I would buy it a seat on the plane or take another flight before I did that. I specifically left my uke at home on my last trip to Asia because I was not confident that I could carry it onboard.

The cost is not a factor, I have paid about $200 for cases on the past and if the Calton or Hoffee is right for me, I will pay for it, even though it is much more expensive than those. I have contacted Calton about a custom case with backpack straps, and am waiting to hear back from them. Or perhaps the Pegasus case will prove to be the answer for me. Thank you for letting me know about it - I will keep an eye out for it.

I have insured the uke on my homeowner policy but you are right, it is irreplaceable. But even playing it I could drop it. Even in a case, it could be stolen by a burglar. On a trip, it could be damaged or lost or stolen - so some folks don't ever even take a MB out of the house. Even then, there could be a fire. There is inherent risk always. I fully admit that the safest course of action would be storage in a heavyduty case that never leaves my home, but for me that would hamper my enjoyment of it. So while that is undeniably the RIGHT course of action, it is not the right choice for me.

I hear the Calton making the cases for the Kamaka 100th Anniversary Ukulele, but only rumors now....

btw I tried to email Calton a few months ago but did not get a response....I was just seeing if they did have a ukulele case in the making....maybe try calling them if they have a phone number in Texas....( I believe that is where they are in the USA)

which ever case you use Staci...is good with me as long as you bring that beautiful MBU with you next week.....

WW --

I wasn't dinging you because you didn't store your ukes in cases, but there are folks who invariably bring up the notion that storing instruments in cases makes it harder to overcome inertia. The idea that if it is out, somebody will play it, but if it is in a case, they won't seems passing strange to me. Different strokes.

A woman has got to do what a woman has got to do, and since I don't have one of Chuck's instruments, I can only envy your concerns ...

I have three ukes (one on loan to my daughter) and am about to have another, and they are all terrific, unique instruments. I can't address every possible concern regarding them -- if the Chinese army comes over the hill, or there is an earthquake, or the neighborhood goes up in flames, I'm screwed, but I have dogs who sometimes romp through the house, and grandchildren who sometimes romp through the house, and the dexterity of a bull walrus my ownself, so I can protect the ukes from the thundering herd, and when I go out, from bangs and drops. Life is full of knocks and at best we can only head off a few of 'em ...

If you have trouble not playing because your uke is in its case - keep a laminate around out of its case. I have a couple of really nice professional level clarinets - they almost never get played. I have a plastic Yamaha student clarinet out its case with an artificial reed on a stand. I pick that up frequently. That plastic clarinet is also the one I have used when playing in a jazz band. There's a reason you see so many Takamine's and the like in the hands of professional traveling musicians.

This come full circle to - I love my Moore Bettah but it's not the uke I want to use in every situation.

Wow!! One of my new favorites!!! My MB lives in it's case in a safe spot with AC. I keep a Mainland by the TV on a stand for quickies! hahaha

hawaii 50 said:

I hear the Calton making the cases for the Kamaka 100th Anniversary Ukulele, but only rumors now....

btw I tried to email Calton a few months ago but did not get a response....I was just seeing if they did have a ukulele case in the making....maybe try calling them if they have a phone number in Texas....( I believe that is where they are in the USA)

which ever case you use Staci...is good with me as long as you bring that beautiful MBU with you next week.....

Click to expand...

Len - I am placing an order this week. Apparently you have to go through a dealer I guess. Elderly does them - and also a guy I found online says he can get mine made hopefully within a month. I won't have it for Hawaii next week, but hopefully will for Boston next month. . And I am trying to get a custom color - turquoise of course.

Steveperrywriter said:

WW --

I wasn't dinging you because you didn't store your ukes in cases, but there are folks who invariably bring up the notion that storing instruments in cases makes it harder to overcome inertia. The idea that if it is out, somebody will play it, but if it is in a case, they won't seems passing strange to me. Different strokes.

A woman has got to do what a woman has got to do, and since I don't have one of Chuck's instruments, I can only envy your concerns ...

I have three ukes (one on loan to my daughter) and am about to have another, and they are all terrific, unique instruments. I can't address every possible concern regarding them -- if the Chinese army comes over the hill, or there is an earthquake, or the neighborhood goes up in flames, I'm screwed, but I have dogs who sometimes romp through the house, and grandchildren who sometimes romp through the house, and the dexterity of a bull walrus my ownself, so I can protect the ukes from the thundering herd, and when I go out, from bangs and drops. Life is full of knocks and at best we can only head off a few of 'em ...

Click to expand...

I got ya! And hey, if it were not for you and Chuck kicking me in the butt I wouldn't be getting a Calton.

wickedwahine11 said:

Len - I am placing an order this week. Apparently you have to go through a dealer I guess. Elderly does them - and also a guy I found online says he can get mine made hopefully within a month. I won't have it for Hawaii next week, but hopefully will for Boston next month. .

Click to expand...

Great Staci. I hope that you have it in time for your trip back east. I assume that means that your MB will be making the trip with you.

wickedwahine11 said:

Len - I am placing an order this week. Apparently you have to go through a dealer I guess. Elderly does them - and also a guy I found online says he can get mine made hopefully within a month. I won't have it for Hawaii next week, but hopefully will for Boston next month. . And I am trying to get a custom color - turquoise of course.

I got ya! And hey, if it were not for you and Chuck kicking me in the butt I wouldn't be getting a Calton.

Click to expand...

Go Red Sox!! OK...maybe next year