Someone diagnose my symptoms please..

So my wife gave me a Cordoba cm15 for my birthday five months ago and I seem to have developed some strange symptoms. For one thing I can't seem to leave this thing alone..i had to purchase a soprano to have in the car so that I had an Uke near me where ever I was.
I look at Ukes on the internet constantly, browse forums and watch YouTube videos all the time. I even started scribbling these little four x three grid symbols with dots on various lines in a notebook...im dreaming about Ukes...alot! What is this malady that has taken a hold of me?

Lol..i've got it bad!

Long question, short and simple answer: you got UAS.

Just like all of us

I've got those symptoms too!

What's worse, whenever I'm staring at the amazing ukuleles on UU or Youtube, I feel like cheating on my own uke...

I'm not sure you have UAS, and if you want to avoid it, stay away from us, as it's contagious. But it certainly does sound like you've found a new passion. Do you find yourself missing your ukulele when you're someplace where it wouldn't be acceptable to whip it out and play it? Does the thought of playing it get you out of bed in the morning, where it used to be coffee or even work? Have you ever left a social engagement early pretending you have to feed the dog or pacify lonely children when really you have no dog or children and just want to play your ukulele? I'm afraid you are now addicted. Just keep it quiet, and try to not constantly talk about it to your non-ukulele friends. It's not dangerous to your health unless said friends decide to beat you to shut you up. Oh yeah, and unless it's combined with UAS. Then you could be facing the same worries as a gambler or compulsive shopper. Have someone take your credit and debit cards and put them in a safe place. Cancel your paypal account immediately!

You are a ukeaholic. There is no known cure........which is fine because nobody wants to be cured

The spouses of ukeaholics can think differently about this but there are worse addictions.

You need to get a life...stat!

Honestly, I used to be you. So, i know what worked for me and many others. Less internet time, less couch and seat time, more outdoor time, more physical activity. Less online shopping and more off-line hopping. It's like a miracle cure, to be frank. Walk, or run, or hide, or roll, for ten miles today...you're not going to hunt for ukes tonight, trust me. Give it a whirl.

From the iceland of the incurable to the sunshine of the cured!

I don't think the phrase "get a life" pertains here.

I know this is all in fun in this thread, but to be serious about watching out on wording, there are tons of purposeless pointless pursuits (some costing too much money like rolexes) that add nothing to life other than a chance to brag. Bragging doesn't do anything for you once it is all said and done. There's no reward in it

One can be a workaholic, couch potato, excessive gym going narcissist, etc. These don't have any real instrinsic value and doesn't have real purpose , again, other than Bragging rights or sloth. These I would use "get a life" towards.
To be real excited about getting into ukulele as a first timer or a long timer, to be excited to play and practice and learn musical arts, to share with us , this is actually a purposeful and transcendental thing.
Kudos to the op. But yes you are afflicted by uas. It will always afflict, but always try to keep perspective, at end of day it is all about your music not the buying of instruments (which can end up being one of those senseless things I mentioned earlier).


^Disclaimer smiley added so this doesn't get interpreted later as being too serious or something

Welcome aboard.

The first year is the worst.........:smileybounce:

I need a baritone. I have an itch for a baritone. I tried cream for the itch but it's red raw... Doctor said I need an injection of cash into my wallet and a trip to the Southern Ukulele Store to cure it. No ukes on the NHS.

Seriously though, music (and especially Ukuleles) should be available on the NHS. My health problems go to the back of my mind when I'm strumming...

It could get worse. I've often heard it starts like this " someone gave me a ukulele..."

So last night in order to avoid these symptoms you described below I stopped at an Irish Pub because I knew they were having a session. I don't even like Irish music, and I loath beer, but I got an instinct to stop in. I see a friendly acquaintances who invites me to sit with him and his friends. Another one buys me a drink. One thing leads to another. One of the players comes over to show off his concertina. I volunteer that someone gave me a concertina but it doesn't work. The friend of my friend gets a glint in his eye tells me he would love to come over and examine my concertina the thought of opening it up and seeing what makes it tick and how to make it work excited him. So if it's not one thing it's another. This was a concertina afflicted, who confessed to be a back up piano player as well.

And just like that ukulele someone gave me -- no I don't want to play a concertina. So out of curiosity, when I got home at midnight, I took out the concertina and Voila it seems to be playable. I quickly abandon the concertina and return to my ukulele playing. But now I have to worry about this concertina person coming by to repair it and perhaps giving me a lesson. Music is an addiction but it is a happy addiction and it brings you new friends and new connections and opens up your heart and your mind. For me it's ukulele all the way, but I do flirt with other instuments. And that's why I have a collection. My ukes know they are #1 and they don't even get jealous of one another.

But to answer your original question. Yes you have a problem and we are here for you going to the pub won't help.

Hahaha...you all have me cracking up. At least I know I'm not alone and I have some great company.

I have a few months under my belt and I can play a gazillion chords, pick the intro the 'Stairway to Heaven' (very badly), play a Jason Mraz chord progression endlessly using a backbeat strum, and almost play and sing 'Three Little Birds' by Bob Marley..lmao..im on my way really..right...lol

You're doomed. Welcome to the Club.

See the picture below.

There is no escape. Even when you are apart from your uke, you find yourself on YouTube picking the next song to learn, on ebay looking for the next uke to buy, or here on Ukuleles Anonymous looking for enablers (and there are plenty of those people here).

I just got the cm 15 as well! I'm loving it. I have a cheap soprano that I keep at work, and I play the cm 15 at home. There's always a uke nearby now.

I think UAS is somewhat controllable if you are doing this ON YOUR OWN.
The virus spread out of control when you have friends locally to encourage each other.
I would be much much richer today if I have not met downupdave in this form then in person. He is the worst influence but I learned a lot from him on wood combo and different name brands especially the non-factory built one.
Welcome to the UAS clinic !

Yep. You definitely have it bad, but that's good!

Just remember to spend more time playing your ukulele than lusting after another or scanning the forum posts to see which ukulele is "best".
There is nothing wrong with branching out and acquiring more ukes to experience the different woods and sizes and makers but, unless you are a collector or a luthier, the real joy and obsession ought to come from playing the little musical wonder.

It is fun to be a part of the UU community too. It helps you to see that your obsession is not unique to you alone. In the real world, I have found that encouraging others and exposing someone close to you to your "affliction" may "infect" them with the same passion, even if not to the extent of your own. Then you may find that you have someone to play with or share your knowledge with, and that's really good!

This forum is definitely not helpful if you want to avoid UAS as you'll constantly learn of new instruments, brands, and builders. Oddly enough, I think what may cure me is that I got fed up with worrying about humidity and climate changes, which sucked the fun out of things for me. So now that I'm determined to not buy any more solid wood ukes, there is extremely little choice, and the probably most attractive option I already bought!

There's still those RISA steel string tenors out there to be tried.

I don't think I'm one to be influenced wholly by a forum of people to be induced into uas. Rather, I am prone to UAS, and I sought out a repository or central talk arena for my UAS inquiries.

Basically, what I mean is, the forum facilitated and I sped through uas symptoms rather than absorbing more precious time and wasting it, dragging it out to months.

Debussychopin said:

I sought out a repository or central talk arena for my UAS inquiries.

Click to expand...

Sounds a bit like an AA meeting
"Hello group, my name is Debussychopin and I have UAS"
"Welcome, Debussychopin"

Just one difference: here is not AA, but UU (short for Ukeholics Unknown?)

In any case I am happy to not have developed such a love for cello or concert harp