Are older, well used ukuleles better?

The important thing is how we test it.



Compare low quality new instrument with high quality well used one. Even both are new ones they should have a difference, hence we can expect far difference here. We just can tell the difference by ourselves now.
 
The important thing is how we test it.



Compare low quality new instrument with high quality well used one. Even both are new ones they should have a difference, hence we can expect far difference here. We just can tell the difference by ourselves now.


Interesting. But, I think it is a false test. Besides, solid body wood guitars don't age like an acoustic body guitar. Here the electronics and string manufacture play a much more pivotal role in the sound quality.

If one watches the video documentary on Elderly Instruments, they talk about how an acoustic guitar's wood changes over time. And so, when played (vibrational affect on the wood over time and I say the specific playing style), changes in the environment such as humidity, temperature and the effect on sound as wood shrinks and expands, changes to the glue on the seams, etc...

I think, and I agree with most, that garbage in = garbage out. A crappy ukulele to begin with will never be a great ukulele in time. But, a very good and fine ukulele may just improve over time.
 
Doesn't one electric solid body guitar pretty much sound like another? Isn't it the pre-amp and the player's skill that make a difference?
 
Solid body instruments can have different sounds. If you go into a store and play the ten fenders or gibsons they have on the wall, all the same model, play them a bit loud, you can pick one out you like from the rest.

Im skeptical about the sound difference being from the wood on a solid body electric. It's probably differences in the coil builds, soldering, shielding, how close the pickup is to the string, stuff like that. Because electric guitars don't pickup at bridge, they pickup at the pickup and they're being triggered by the string vibration, not the body vibration like an undersaddle.
 
Actually the test wasn't between an real '59 Strat and a new Squire, it was a new reissue '59. And except for some slight differences in playability between cheap and expensive, the real differences are in the components, finish quality and where it was made. At one time good vintage electrics were considered grail instruments because of the feel and the perceived "aged" pickups on a particular guitar. For a long time it was tough to duplicate a vintage sound, but today reissues are better than the originals.

As others have said, acoustics are different. As so many have said a great ukulele is great no matter how old or new. One question that hasn't been asked is on what day is it better? Might sound odd, but there are some days when one of my ukes sound perfect like everything in the universe aligned. But at other times that magical sound is gone, still sounds good, but not quite as good. I imagine it has to do with the environment of humidity, temperature, etc. that causes it. Funny, but my playing seems better on those days.

John
 
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..... One question that hasn't been asked is on what day is it better? Might sound odd, but there are some days when one of my ukes sound perfect like everything in the universe aligned. But at other times that magical sound is gone, still sounds good, but not quite as good. I imagine it has to do with the environment of humidity, temperature, etc. that causes it. Funny, but my playing seems better on those days.

I agree, the sound can vary from day to day. Might also have something to do with the environment between our ears? ;)
 
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I imagine it has to do with the environment of humidity, temperature, etc. that causes it. Funny, but my playing seems better on those days.

Location, too. There are spots in my home where my instruments sound better due to how soundwaves are reflected (or not).
 
Location, too. There are spots in my home where my instruments sound better due to how soundwaves are reflected (or not).

Agreed. Solorule insists my dining has the best acoustic ever. She said she wants to buy my dining room instead of another ukulele cause everything sounds good there.

There is also what I call fussy ear, some days I strongly dislike a certain tone. It can be a uke that I really love but it just doesn't sound right to me on that particular day. This is the perfect rationale for owning multiple ukes. Bright sounding, warm sounding, loud, soft and sweet, you'll find one you like that day.
 
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This is also much debated in violin circles. Recent blind test have found that the perceived Stradavarius advantage is just that - "perceived"
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/05/million-dollar-strads-fall-modern-violins-blind-sound-check

That said, my mahogany pono baritone sounds better all the time, but I think that is more to do with the player getting his act together than anything else.

Yeah! So, my C.A. Götz Jr violin is a keeper!!!! or maybe I should get one of those $132,000.00 fiddles LOL
 
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