How Many?

Jerryc41

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 4, 2015
Messages
10,203
Reaction score
3,052
Location
Catskill Mountains, NY
I saw a survey here from a few years ago asking how many ukes are too many (as if that was really a thing). I've been playing a uke (sort of) for about five years, but I have a hard time resisting beautiful or special ukuleles. I now have twenty-seven, with one more coming in a month or so. Three are homemade cigar box ukes, and one is a cigar box I bought. I also made a tenor, courtesy of Stewart-MacDonald.

Of course I can't play all of them every day, but I do like taking each one out and playing that one for a few days. Keeping them all humidified can be a challenge.

I saw one other member who also has twenty-seven, and I'm wondering who else has "too many."
 
I saw a survey here from a few years ago asking how many ukes are too many (as if that was really a thing). I've been playing a uke (sort of) for about five years, but I have a hard time resisting beautiful or special ukuleles. I now have twenty-seven, with one more coming in a month or so. Three are homemade cigar box ukes, and one is a cigar box I bought. I also made a tenor, courtesy of Stewart-MacDonald.

Of course I can't play all of them every day, but I do like taking each one out and playing that one for a few days. Keeping them all humidified can be a challenge.

I saw one other member who also has twenty-seven, and I'm wondering who else has "too many."

Was the same way- was heading towards collector-level # of ukes (not 27, but approaching 11 lol). But now I feel that if I had a house fire or theft and lost them all, would I have been over-doing it? I also keep in mind that Willie Nelson has had one guitar throughout his career and it is worn well from use. And he is a star. Not sure where you are life, but maybe it's my mid-life crisis/point; I think we all evolve and go through a process, and eventually find our maximum then start to sell off- just look at the Marketplace on this site. What's gonna happen to all my ukes when I die (wife will sell them on Ebay probably, lol)? I also find that I have some "go-to" ukes, and then others that are just sitting there.

So to answer OP, for myself any more than what I have listed below is too many. I just sold some to cull the herd, and if I feel the need to get another, would probably have to sell an existing one.
 
I've been playing for 10 months and I've owned 10 different ukuleles. In the beginning my goals were quite different than what they are now. I had no idea of where I'd go with learning to play. I had no idea what size, scale, design, or sound I liked or was comfortable playing. Now I have 4. Each one has a specific personality and fits a specific niche. I play each one regularly. I see so many others that really peak my interest. I can't say that I won't buy another one in the future, but it would probably replace one that I already have. Even with just 4, I feel guilty if one gets neglected for even a week.
 
In my first year, I had to try out a few - different sizes, acoustic, electro-acoustic, electric.

So I purchased quite a few at the lower end price ranges, but eventually I found my ideal sized uke.

I now have two of that size, tenor scale concert, & my UAS has come to an end.

So, I would just say that I was still looking for my true uke size/scale when I was buying them.
 
I've bought/sold many -- over 55 so far -- and enjoy experiencing different ukes. I have 13, which except for three concerts (one of which is 16") are all tenors. I keep four out for regular play. They're all pretty special custom ukes but I do go through periods where I "wish" I had "only" 5-6 even though I do rotate them so they all get some play. Of the ones I've sold, many I would have been quite happy to keep and do in fact miss, but there are only a couple that I truly, truly regret selling. For me, the exploring/experiencing different ukes is as much part of the ukulele experience as learning to play. I do find myself exploring less and playing more, as I've come to realize I can't own all the special ukes. ;-)
 
I don't think there is such a number as too many. I mean, one can have as many as they want. Who cares? I'll not judge anyone on the number of ukuleles they possess or even if they play them all or not. But I have three, two concerts and a soprano. The one concert takes the brunt of beatings, the other two get a little more careful consideration. I'm not going to say that is enough for me though, because I said that I had enough for years when I had two concerts, but then I decided that I just had to have a soprano, so we will just have to wait and see.
 
I'm the one with 27 ukes Jerry mentioned. I fully embrace GAS/UAS and enjoy collecting. I rotate through them regularly, playing bass twice a week with The CC Strummers, and uke with the Culver Acoustics Meetup in the park on Sundays. As my signature shows, it's 8 tenor ukes, 11 bass ukes, but I don't really consider the 8 mini electrics ukes since they don't have fat poly strings or under saddle pickups.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8 tenor cutaway ukes, 3 acoustic bass ukes, 8 solid body bass ukes, 8 mini electric bass guitars

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children's hospital music therapy programs. http://.www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: https://www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/videos
 
I will soon have 4 and for me, that is too many. My skill probably doesn't even justify having more than one so having more than that is indulgent for me. My magic number is 3. It provides enough variety to satisfy that need and I can still play each often enough to justify their cost. I haven't received my 4th one yet but I'm already trying to sell one of my current ukes.
 
I currently own six; it was up to eleven once, but
realistically, I hardly played some of them, so I sent
them on to people who would get the full value from
them!
 
About ukuleles; you only need one, more.;)
 
I got up to sixteen at one point, so I gave six away, someone else is enjoying them now. :)

However, I did buy a couple more much better quality ukes to fill the gaps, but as said earlier, I have now found 'my' uke size. :D
 
I have 2, however, I’ve only been playing since January so I already seem to have a problem. One is a thin body travel type I got cheap on eBay. I LOVE playing it. Both are tenors. I’m already drooling over a concert pineapple.
 
Okay good, I'm not crazy either , I've only been playing a few months myself and I'm already up to seven Ukes! Four which are Sopranissimos.
I try to play at least three different sizes each day.
 
would say one of each size and style
Soprano - 1 low g and 1high g
Concert- 1low g and 1 high g
Tenor - 1 low g, 1 high g, 1 dGBE and 1 DGBE
Baritone - 1 dGBE, 1 DGBE, 1 gCEA and 1 GCEA
Metal string electrical
Banjo uke
Uke bass
Cavaquinho
At least

So far that makes 16 not including different brands and different woods.
����
 
would say one of each size and style
Soprano - 1 low g and 1high g
Concert- 1low g and 1 high g
Tenor - 1 low g, 1 high g, 1 dGBE and 1 DGBE
Baritone - 1 dGBE, 1 DGBE, 1 gCEA and 1 GCEA
Metal string electrical
Banjo uke
Uke bass
Cavaquinho
At least

So far that makes 16 not including different brands and different woods.
����
I personally only have 3 (plus 2 more in the house)
But I could easily own many more if I had a bottomless bank account
 
Jerryc41, forums like this can be dangerous and I hope you did not get so many just because.

I myself was ... well I still am if I can remember my password I guess, to safety razor forum. Fellows talking about how a particular razor is effective in cutting their whiskers. All that vintage Gillette thing. And myself I got into buy some. But what I use for my shaving is just really a one razor that I use, all others are just collectors items = useless.

Also safety razor blades I have to last my lifetime, with differing qualities. Living up in the north on winter times milder blades are more desirable, whereas in summer and moister humidity sharper ones are good too. Etc. etc.

So if you have re-entrant and that low-G ones, you should be good.

Otherwise it will be liberating to donate your other ukes. Except I certainly can't donate my razors, cause who even knows how to shave and appreciate them. So might be the same with ukes. There is always a bonfire thing too, except they burn really fast, lol :)
 
There is always a bonfire thing too, except they burn really fast, lol :)

Since I heat with wood, that's a definite - expensive - possibility. It's not this forum that got me buying ukes. It's the beautiful ukes themselves that I can't resist. : )
 
I am up to 20 once I get the customer orders. I think that is too many as I can't play them and most just sit. i want to be in the 10-12 range so I will start to sell some nicer ukes as I can't keep them all and it they all deserved to be played and loved.
 
Top Bottom