Why more than one

There is an old saying among hunters and shooters " beware the man with just one gun, he probably really knows how to use it".

The same can be said for musicans. If you have one guitar or ukulele you probably really know how to get the most out of it. There is a lot to be said for dedication to the art of pulling out all the sound you can from one instrument.

But ukes are different. A soprano has a different sound and soul and character than that possesed by a tenor or baritone. That is the joy and the main reason for UAS, experiencing those different sounds. I just played a piece on a tenor, a baritone and a tenor guitar. I throughly enjoyed each unique sound, what a treat. It left me sitting at my kitchen table with a big silly grin on my face.

So go forth and buy that different uke you have been curious about. Just ask "Mivo" about how glad he is for getting a baritone to go along with is beloved sopranos.

Ukes inspire.

Why restrict the joy when it is a natural and beautiful high to yourself and others?

I don't advocate gluttony, but rather a full smorgasbord.

The more the better. And you know, I learn something different from each ukulele.
Guitar players are the same. Look at the collections George Harrison had..... and what Clapton has too. George also supposedly had a uke in each room at his home, Friar Park. Of course, not many of us have 40+ room homes.

DownUpDave said:

It left me sitting at my kitchen table with a big silly grin on my face.

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I usually get that after four or five beers.

Different looks, different feel, different sounds. Plus, it's just fun to have them!

Rllink said:

I usually get that after four or five beers.

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Rolli you just proved my point........"Why more than one" :cheers:

DownUpDave said:

Rolli you just proved my point........"Why more than one" :cheers:

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Good one Dave. I guess that I did.

Ha, yes, I love that baritone!

I'll say, though, I really feel about it as I would about a different instrument, like a guitar, druma, or mandolin. The thing is so big compared to sopranos that the experience is vastly different, and so is the sound. I still don't know whether I like linear tuning, but I'll make up my mind when I get the re-entrant dGBE Living Water strings in the mail.
Good chance I'll like re-entrant more because the low-D booms and I feel it overshadows the other notes, but I'm fickle about that.

As for having multiple ukuleles, I always trip over the idea of having more than one ukulele of the same size and tuning. I mean, I have those, but it's not what I ideally want, it feels like too much. Right now, I think I'd be happy with the baritone in d/DGBE, the tenor in fBbDG, and one of the sopranos in gCEA. To me, that's not different from someone having a clarinet, a recorder, and a whistle, because I don't play anything else and these give me different sounds and experiences.

What I struggle with is the question of which of my sopranos to let go. I have the koa Black Bear, the 1920s Washburn, and the KoAloah LN Pineapple. I think one of them would suffice, but I like them for different reasons. I don't regret buying them (my total is 9 ukes, it's not that extreme) because if I had not, I'd not know what I like. My predictions about what I might like were wrong (see the baritone, which for so long didn't even consider, and now it's such a pleasure).

I could happily get by with one, but years back I got up to 15. I have two now, and am satisfied (for now!) I like having a soprano for more strummy stuff, and I have a concert in low G for fingerpicking.

My wife has a baritone. I also have an old no-name soprano, but it needs work to be a player again.

But I love hearing about people's collections, seeing "family pics" and so on. What's cooler and more fun than being surrounded by ukuleles, or instruments in general?

For me, I just become more of a minimalist all the time. Others may buy a nice new uke every week and have every kind under the sun tuned every which way, and that's great!

Different players have different tastes, interests, goals (and leisure cash.)

because there's high g and low g, and sometimes you need them both?

I once knew a man who said he had 30 or 40 accordions hidden in his home. His wife thought he only had 4 or 5. So, you see, it could be a lot worse than a few lovely ukuleles laying around!

I've only been playing about 18 months but I have seven Ukes in various sizes and tunings. If I had to choose just one it would be my Rubin Travel Tenor dGBE, because it sounds the best. I do play my 'standard size' tenor but it just doesn't have "IT" like my travel tenor.

I've been learning a new Willy Nelson song for SOTU and shifted it from Key of C to Key of D to avoid the 3211 F chord. This put the Rubin into D-G-E7-A7 which is especially beautiful on this uke. The re-entrant tuning sounds better than my Big Zebra Baritone, which I may switch to dGBE on it too, soon. On my Caramel standard tenor, also dGBE, it sounds good and I am learning to like the Caramels big voice, but the big tenor doesn't have the same sweet voice of my Rubin.

I tried out the song on my Caramel Concert, which sounds pretty good too, though it is 'too high' for me to sing with, it rings quite nicely.

Icould get along with just the Rubin, but I don't have too! Hoooray!

Own one, own a hundred. Who cares? (Except your spouse, maybe.)

Originally Posted by DownUpDave
It left me sitting at my kitchen table with a big silly grin on my face.

Rllink said:

I usually get that after four or five beers.

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At 122 lbs I am super wimp size so it only takes me half a pint. giggle.

spookelele said:

because there's high g and low g, and sometimes you need them both?

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If it wasn't for this, I could be happy with just three...

I do have a small, (by some peoples standards ), collection of ukes, ranging from soprano to baritone.

I also have a very small, (by most harmonica peoples standards), collection of harmonicas, both diatonic & chromatic.

Plus, I have a Yamaha digital piano. At various times, I pick one up & have a play.

Even though I'm not much good at them, I enjoy having a go with them as my mood takes me.

I've always collected, (as an adult), & I think it is because I never had the chance/money when I was young, so I am enjoying just having them around me now.

spookelele said:

because there's high g and low g, and sometimes you need them both?

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This is my reasoning (and I play both, every single day). But anything beyond that I don't consider a "need." Even after 7+ years of playing, I'm not curious about different woods or brands, I don't need a custom since I already have all I need, and I've explored other sizes and - meh. I like what I like, and I like to keep it simple. But - your mileage may vary!

janeray1940 said:

This is my reasoning (and I play both, every single day). But anything beyond that I don't consider a "need." Even after 7+ years of playing, I'm not curious about different woods or brands, I don't need a custom since I already have all I need, and I've explored other sizes and - meh. I like what I like, and I like to keep it simple. But - your mileage may vary!

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I am in that boat as well, Ms. Jane. To some extent, this is due to the fact that I already spent almost 4 decades buying, selling, swapping various instruments. There have been plenty of times I owned enough music gear to open my own shop. It was fun, but also a chore and a hassle to a degree, particularly when I was playing a lot of electric guitar and bass. So many "things" you can buy as accessories, new toys come out all the time...just eventually became a drag. A burden.

As I said in my earlier post on the thread, I completely endorse people buying and playing whatever they want. It's none of my business and I think it's cool as can be when a person enjoys having multiple ukes or other instruments, in whatever number, at whatever cost.

It's just not for me.

Part of the appeal of the uke for me is that it's so simple, takes up such little space. I can grab it out of its case or off the wall and immediately have fun, whereas when I was playing electric instruments, it was ALWAYS something--oh dang, broke a string...hmmm, the battery is dead on this effects pedal...why is my amp overheating?...why is this cord cutting out?...how long to I have to adjust settings and EQ until I get "just the right sound?"...I think I need to adjust my strap...where are those new picks I just bought?...and on. And on.

Heck, by the time I was ready to actually play, the preparation had taken so long something would come up and I'd have to set it all down again!

I realize (especially with acoustic instruments) things like construction (light, heavy, type of bracing, soundboard thickness, etc.) and of course wood type (mahogany vs. spruce vs. rosewood vs. you-name-it) all make a difference, but I feel like most players can make ONE uke (or guitar, etc.) produce many different sounds just by changing where you are playing (closer to bridge, closer to the neck, etc.) and by adjusting technique and so on. Not to mention what trying out a new set of strings will do for your overall tone.

I just personally have zero interest anymore in shopping rather than playing. I daydream about things, sometimes really wish for something specific, but then I grab one of my cheapies and start playing and the UAS soon passes. (Although I do lust for an old vintage Favilla, or Martin 0, I think a lot about a Black Bear soprano, or another banjo uke, or another reso uke, etc. So I'm susceptible, but in remission I guess?)

I could agonize all day about "man, if I had a solid spruce-top uke it might sound brighter than this one" or "I've always wanted to try cedar...it is so resonant on classical guitars" and all of that. But I don't see the point in it as far as my own enjoyments and aspirations. I'd rather add some old tunes to my repertoire or work on strumming styles, little tricks, etc. I don't need a big stable of instruments. The more I have the more it would keep me from playing the heck out of the meager ones I already own and love.

Again--this is just what works for me at this stage of my life. I still think it's great to hear from people who have more ukes than they can count!

Griffis said:

Part of the appeal of the uke for me is that it's so simple, takes up such little space. I can grab it out of its case or off the wall and immediately have fun, whereas when I was playing electric instruments, it was ALWAYS something--oh dang, broke a string...hmmm, the battery is dead on this effects pedal...why is my amp overheating?...why is this cord cutting out?...how long to I have to adjust settings and EQ until I get "just the right sound?"...I think I need to adjust my strap...where are those new picks I just bought?...and on. And on.

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That simplicity is a big part of it for me too - not to mention the space factor (I live in a 250-square-foot house!). And that also explains why playing amplified, or owning an electric instrument, has no appeal for me at all. I absolutely hate fiddling with gadgetry or hardware of any kind.

I recently described a uke student as "interested only in the pursuit rather than in the mastery" - and I used this description because his approach reminded me of my younger self, always wanting to try something new (a new song! a new instrument!) rather than work on, and with, what I have. At some point as I neared the half-century mark on this planet, a switch flipped somewhere inside and I became determined to just focus on becoming passably good at one thing and one thing only rather than being distracted by everything new and shiny around me. Not sure if/when I'll achieve that, but - that's my plan

janeray1940 said:

This is my reasoning (and I play both, every single day). But anything beyond that I don't consider a "need." Even after 7+ years of playing, I'm not curious about different woods or brands, I don't need a custom since I already have all I need, and I've explored other sizes and - meh. I like what I like, and I like to keep it simple. But - your mileage may vary!

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Right on! I couldn't agree more. Even though I do have more than just a couple, they're all in different tunings and used for different purposes. I only have one (or maybe two) that I'd like to get rid of, but it's just too much trouble.
The rest will probably stay, and there will be no more (ukuleles).

My UAS is cured, but, alas, now I seem to have the way more expensive BAS--Ahhh, me . . . ld: