Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome (UAS) - Is it real ?

Buying the best uke you can really pays off. I was fortunate to buy a Koaloha soprano from MGM 10+ years ago. Soprano wasn't my size so I sold it a few years later for about what I paid. Bought a tenor from a small builder on Oahu shortly after getting the soprano. It has been my main ukulele since then. Taken it on nearly all our trips. I have since bought a second one from the same person. In the last couple years I have bought 4 ukes.

I have the toughest time resisting lesser know ukes from small/hobbyist builders. I feel I can buy a production uke anytime, but not so with the off-the-beaten path ukuleles. Just my qwerk.

My only advice is if you are buying us to try not to let an impulse buy get the best of you. If you buy more try to buy with purpose to fill in a collection, so to speak. Quality is better than quantity.

John
 
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UAS doesn't exist after you find your dream uke, like I did.

Hey, whose uke is that over there in the corner? I like the tone....hmmmm.
 
Hey you're from Hawaii... :shaka:

I can say as far as the Ks go, I've played the lowest priced ones, up to the higher, and everyone one of the higher priced models I never considered a better instrument, just different tones. Actually you can say, when it comes to the Ks, no matter what you pay, it really just gets down to the wood and the tone you like...

Aloha

There is a gulf between really nicely built solid wood ukuleles (Like Pono) and the truly luthier-built ukuleles like Ko`olau (or Maui Music, or Hive, or Beau Hannam, or Louis Feu de Mesquita, or Hoffman Lutherie) that really does justify the significant gap in price.

I love my Pono, and it is, in my opinion, a superb ukulele. There is no justifiable reason for me to go out and buy a Kamaka or Kanile`a koa ukulele because my Pono, at least in terms of playability and sound, is really that good. Beautiful wood too, but it is not super curly or anything, but neither is an entry-level Kamaka or Kanile`a.

Now, if I want to pay eight times what I paid for my Pono, I will get an ukulele that has much prettier wood, but arguably not that much prettier sound.

I have played many expensive, high-quality ukuleles, and truly, the only ones that compel me to spend the money for them start at about $4000 and skyrocket up from there.
What you are getting for that price is superior craftsmanship, premium wood and finish, often some type of bling, and the fact that usually a single artisan did everything from start to finish.

The way these instruments feel in your hands, the subtleties in sound and resonance, they are usually easier to play well, respond to a light touch well, as well as being able to strum full force and still not get any buzz, that type of thing. I just can't afford any of them.
 
I think it's best for beginners to start with a cheaper, entry level uke and then, once they get a feel for the instrument, they can move up to something better and really appreciate it.

My first uke is a little Sawtooth tenor I got as part of a kit through Amazon and once I got the hang of it (I have zero musical background) I fell in love with it and thought that it was all I'd ever need. Still, I wanted to get a "nicer" ukulele eventually and when I found a solid koa tenor in my price range I decided to take the plunge and, woah, was there a difference. If I had started with the nicer uke, I never would have appreciated what it had to offer.

I've never played an uke in the four-figure price range (and I'm not sure I'll ever take that plunge) but I would love to try one after I've got a few more years with my current uke. I know that when I first picked up an ukulele I wasn't ready to experience variety and I'm glad that I'm able to slowly evolve to appreciate more and more of what the uke world has to offer.
 
UAS is an infectious mental disease, communicable by even ONLY reading UU.

There is no cure, but rationalizations and confirmation-bias will keep the neurons busy, as the money leaves your bank account.

It progresses in severity over time, and as it does so, it has it's peak moments, like buying ANOTHER uke while you are waiting for the most recent purchase to even get delivered, vs. going to every music store in diving distance that sells ukes, on a weekly basis to play and compare anything you can find...

There should be a warning on the UU forum signup page:
"abandon all your confidence of impulse control, all ye who enter here"
 
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There is a gulf between really nicely built solid wood ukuleles (Like Pono) and the truly luthier-built ukuleles like Ko`olau (or Maui Music, or Hive, or Beau Hannam, or Louis Feu de Mesquita, or Hoffman Lutherie) that really does justify the significant gap in price.

I love my Pono, and it is, in my opinion, a superb ukulele. There is no justifiable reason for me to go out and buy a Kamaka or Kanile`a koa ukulele because my Pono, at least in terms of playability and sound, is really that good. Beautiful wood too, but it is not super curly or anything, but neither is an entry-level Kamaka or Kanile`a.

Now, if I want to pay eight times what I paid for my Pono, I will get an ukulele that has much prettier wood, but arguably not that much prettier sound.

I have played many expensive, high-quality ukuleles, and truly, the only ones that compel me to spend the money for them start at about $4000 and skyrocket up from there.
What you are getting for that price is superior craftsmanship, premium wood and finish, often some type of bling, and the fact that usually a single artisan did everything from start to finish.

The way these instruments feel in your hands, the subtleties in sound and resonance, they are usually easier to play well, respond to a light touch well, as well as being able to strum full force and still not get any buzz, that type of thing. I just can't afford any of them.

I hear what you're saying, I was just looking at it from the $3000 range you mentioned, but certainly something like a $5000 Grimes Uke, yes I know it's going to have a difference... ;)
 
I just started playing in April of this year, and there are 4 ukuleles sitting here in my office. My starter laminate (but it will get gifted to a friend who wants to learn to play), a Bonanza (but that's for outdoor adventure trips), an Islander tenor (but I won that at a ukulele festival), and a newly acquired KoAloha (but I deserved a nice uke). I think I'm infected?

Seriously, all my my pursuits in life have come with their own version of UAS. In the past 20 years I've owned 6 different whitewater rafts that cost a small fortune, and 2 different touring kayaks. My BAS (boat acquisition syndrome) is currently in remission. I have 2 rafts (one big, one small) and 2 kayaks (one to paddle & one loaner) that fit my needs perfectly. At least with ukuleles, they aren't quite as expensive and I can enjoy them everyday.
 
I think it's best for beginners to start with a cheaper, entry level uke and then, once they get a feel for the instrument, they can move up to something better and really appreciate it.

I absolutely agree.

The problem is.. people buy a starter uke, and then keep doing small incremental upgrades... when really they're going to end up with a more expensive uke.
The thing is... those small steps... each cost money.

You hear about people buying 12-40+ 200-400 ukes. If you do the math, 10x $200=2k... when you could have bought a nicer higher end K or something else in that price, that you're likely to do anyway.

It's cheaper to skip those intermediates and go for something higher end, or at least make bigger jumps so that you don't end up with a closet full of intermediates and cases.
 
I absolutely agree.

The problem is.. people buy a starter uke, and then keep doing small incremental upgrades... when really they're going to end up with a more expensive uke.
The thing is... those small steps... each cost money.

You hear about people buying 12-40+ 200-400 ukes. If you do the math, 10x $200=2k... when you could have bought a nicer higher end K or something else in that price, that you're likely to do anyway.

It's cheaper to skip those intermediates and go for something higher end, or at least make bigger jumps so that you don't end up with a closet full of intermediates and cases.

I wish somebody had beat this into my head 4 yrs ago.

Now I have to get rid of so many that are just unplayed, in their cases, in the closet.

Saturated with a spectrum of ukes, feels like THEY own me, instead of the other way around...

I've not bought any new ukes in over 9 months and have committed to not getting another until I can downsize significantly first.
 
I absolutely agree.

The problem is.. people buy a starter uke, and then keep doing small incremental upgrades... when really they're going to end up with a more expensive uke.
The thing is... those small steps... each cost money.

You hear about people buying 12-40+ 200-400 ukes. If you do the math, 10x $200=2k... when you could have bought a nicer higher end K or something else in that price, that you're likely to do anyway.

It's cheaper to skip those intermediates and go for something higher end, or at least make bigger jumps so that you don't end up with a closet full of intermediates and cases.

This is what makes the material world go around.....consumerism. I guess a lot of people are making money selling ukes that otherwise wouldn't be. They cash in on our fun disease. Pretty smart.
 
I absolutely agree.

The problem is.. people buy a starter uke, and then keep doing small incremental upgrades... when really they're going to end up with a more expensive uke.
The thing is... those small steps... each cost money.

You hear about people buying 12-40+ 200-400 ukes. If you do the math, 10x $200=2k... when you could have bought a nicer higher end K or something else in that price, that you're likely to do anyway.

It's cheaper to skip those intermediates and go for something higher end, or at least make bigger jumps so that you don't end up with a closet full of intermediates and cases.

I AGREE TOTALLY , That is some of reason I have 69. I council people to start with a low end uke with GOOD strings, play for months with it and try other's when in group, THEN go high end as you WILL get there in the end, skip the stuff you collect going through the UAS
 
Sounds like I'm following a good path then. Starter uke ($100) for about 6 months to learn on. Outdoor specific uke that I don't mind sticking in a dry bag & carrying on my raft or kayak, but has a good sound to it. Tenor that I won, which prevented me from spending money on a size that doesn't quite suit me. And now a nice quality instrument (KoAloha) that I'll really appreciate.

Ideally, I'd like three ukes. All concerts. My Bonanza for outdoor adventures & travel, my KoAloha, and maybe a nice quality mahogany. One of those with a pickup for plugged in play at some point. Now......I can hear you all snickering. Three ukuleles, yeah right.
 
Sounds like I'm following a good path then. Starter uke ($100) for about 6 months to learn on. Outdoor specific uke that I don't mind sticking in a dry bag & carrying on my raft or kayak, but has a good sound to it. Tenor that I won, which prevented me from spending money on a size that doesn't quite suit me. And now a nice quality instrument (KoAloha) that I'll really appreciate.

Ideally, I'd like three ukes. All concerts. My Bonanza for outdoor adventures & travel, my KoAloha, and maybe a nice quality mahogany. One of those with a pickup for plugged in play at some point. Now......I can hear you all snickering. Three ukuleles, yeah right.

and this is how it begins - insidiously - the Rationalizations rise up and out into the open....
 
Starting with a cheap uke might be good for a person with no other musical background. If someone already plays an instrument, that person should know the dedication it takes to become proficient enough to enjoy creating music. By the same token, he/she already knows the value if a quality instrument and the reasons why it is worth spending a bit more to get a better ukulele.

John
 
I jumped from a $50 uke to a $300 one that I'm really happy with (although I was really happy with the first one, too, until I outgrew it). If I ever decide I need something better than my second, I'm sure it will again be three or four times the price. I agree that you don't want to buy a dozen ukes, each on slightly better than the previous one.

I really don't want a big collection--I just want instruments that I'm going to use and enjoy.
 
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