Anticipation ...

So, I am on a luthier's schedule for a new, and from what I have seen so far, gorgeous tenor. Dunno when it will be done, there are several others also in-progress ahead of me, but in the not-too-distant future.

Quality takes time, and I am not pushing, it gets finished when it gets finished. C'est la vie. I take pleasure in seeing the other customers' axes as they are worked upon, photos of which are posted on a private FB page. I am happy for them. We get to ooh and ahh at each other and it's fun.

To help the process along, I am doing peripherals for the new tenor: so far, I have a new strap; a new case hygrometer; a charger and rechargeable batteries for the Roland AC 33 acoustic amp (on its way); a new D'addario NS micro-tuner; the uke will come with a new case ...

How do you deal with the anticipation of a new instrument?

I send the builder requests for updates at least once a day, no, twice.

Actually, I try to think about projects I want to do with it, what tuning/strings I want to try, and what other ukes need to be rehomed when it arrives (not that I'm doing a very good job with that last part.)

Have a burger?

I think anticipation is just part of the fun. Embrace it. Enjoy it. It's the journey.

play your other ukes and think of songs that you would like to record with the new uke.

Steveperrywriter said:

So, I am on a luthier's schedule for a new, and from what I have seen so far, gorgeous tenor. Dunno when it will be done, there are several others also in-progress ahead of me, but in the not-too-distant future.

Quality takes time, and I am not pushing, it gets finished when it gets finished. C'est la vie. I take pleasure in seeing the other customers' axes as they are worked upon, photos of which are posted on a private FB page. I am happy for them. We get to ooh and ahh at each other and it's fun.

To help the process along, I am doing peripherals for the new tenor: so far, I have a new strap; a new case hygrometer; a charger and rechargeable batteries for the Roland AC 33 acoustic amp (on its way); a new D'addario NS micro-tuner; the uke will come with a new case ...

How do you deal with the anticipation of a new instrument?

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I feel your pain. I waited five years for my custom. The last year was the actual build. He sent me pics along the way to help quench my thirst, so to speak. It took so long, because he oversaw the running of the KoAloha production shop, and he made many out of country trips for advertising purposes (and fun along the way).

The last few months I did what you are doing right now. I ordered a custom Ameritage case, and, believe it or not, a Roland AC 33. Bought the AC 33 because my wife has a Girl Scout Troop, and when they camp where there's no electricity, I can play uke along with the campfire songs.

You're not going to believe this, but when my uke got to me finally, I was almost disappointed...not by the uke in any way...but by the fact that the communication between Paul and I was coming to an end. Don't get me wrong...we still email occasionally, and we've played a constant 'words with friends' game for nearly 6 years now. BUT, the connection you have when collaberating during a build is something special. We, meaning both of us, came up with several changes mid-build, both in woods and inlay. Example: he decided that since my wife and I had such a connection with Hawaii, he wanted to build the uke with wood that was all indigenous to Hawaii.

Then he decided to do a private inlay on my fretboard. Private from me that is. I got to see nothing until I received it. Let me just say it is absolutely beautiful. It was Hawaiian mountains, a waterfall, a lake, and four tarot plants, which represented the members of my family.

I'm going way off course here, but to put it in a nutshell...get as involved with the build as your luthier will allow you without being a 'helicopter' customer. Not only will it help with the anticipation, but in the end, you will feel much closer to not only the luthier, but your ukulele as well.

Ooh boy do I know how you feel. I waited six years to get my custom uke -- just hoping to get on the build list (patience and perseverence). Once I was on the list, it was hard to think of anything else, and once it was being built I could NOT think of anything else.

I started working on a slideshow video so that each time I received photos, I would add them to the slideshow. I bought some of the strings my luthier puts on his ukes and put them on another uke so I could get used to wound strings. And I drove my spouse and mother crazy -- talking about nothing else -- from the day my build started. And that was with me censoring the conversation down as much as I could.

When the uke arrived, I was actually terrified to open the box -- I was nervous that I had built it up so much in my head that it could never live up to the uke I imagined. Boy was I wrong, it surpassed my dreams and is all I could have ever wanted, and more.

Enjoy the ride, and I look forward to seeing your new ukulele when it arrives.

I don't think y'all could be any happier, prouder, or more in love if you'd grown these little babies in your own stomachs, and could feel them kicking and growing during the process! I'm hearing and feeling a lot of prenatal love on this thread!!!

congrats...did you finally get on Chuck's list....
the best wait in the Uke World....

Nope, not Chuck, it's Beau Hannam. I saw the video of a Corey playing Stan's redwood-topped/blackwood tenor and thought it sounded and looked terrific. I asked some questions, liked his response, and communicated with some satisfied customers. Not cheap, but I am willing to pay for quality when I can afford it.

Not an instrument I'll ever have worry about outgrowing, given my meager abilities as a player.

Steveperrywriter said:

Nope, not Chuck, it's Beau Hannam. I saw the video of a Corey playing Stan's redwood-topped/blackwood tenor and thought it sounded and looked terrific. I asked some questions, liked his response, and communicated with some satisfied customers. Not cheap, but I am willing to pay for quality when I can afford it.

Not an instrument I'll ever have worry about outgrowing, given my meager abilities as a player.

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I thought you got Chuck's attention sorry...maybe soon....
the only person who I know that has a Beau H. is my friend Stan I played it..it was nice and Andrew is getting 7 or 8 the last time I heard.....

wickedwahine11 said:

Ooh boy do I know how you feel. I waited six years to get my custom uke .

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wow, I didn't realize you've been playing so long! Made your customs much more special.

I'm feeling exactly the same! This is my first custom (and probably last if it's absolutely wonderful) uke and I simply can not stop thinking about it as the days pass.

I'm in the same boat as you, Steve (matching tenor ukulele and tenor guitar). Fortunately, Beau likes to post photos on Facebook, and not so fortunately, I have some stressful things in my life that occasionally take my mind off the fact that I am waiting for something I can only see photos of online. I have learned not to wish for time to pass because, well, there's only so much of it, and the more that passes the less there is left. Buying stuff for the uke you're waiting for seems to be a good way of coping.

This post is on topic, but only just. A friend of mine has been waiting for a custom made guitar for at least fifteen years. He placed the order, paid up front, and then the builder had chronic health problems, which caused him serious financial difficulties. His workshop, tools and stock were impounded for several years.

To cut a very long story short, the build has resumed recently, and delivery is imminent. My friend has long since lost interest in the guitar, and says he will sell it as soon as it is delivered.

Enjoy your (brief) wait. It will soon pass.

John Colter.

Based on the waits of Scott's and Staci's ukes, and John's friend's guitar, a 14 month wait for a Mya Moe is an eye blink!

coolkayaker1 said:

Based on the waits of Scott's and Staci's ukes, and John's friend's guitar, a 14 month wait for a Mya Moe is an eye blink!

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Your Mya Moe wait is a custom KoAloha or Moore Bettah wait in dog years.

nongdam said:

wow, I didn't realize you've been playing so long! Made your customs much more special.

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Ha, that is because I am still not any good! I have played for six years, but not well. I will say my classic pattern has been play the songs I can play, then put the uke down. I am working at improving with this new uke, and trying to force myself to stretch my comfort zone by not just "practicing" songs I can already play. I feel I owe that to this uke.

So there - that is one more thing to do in prep for your new custom -- find new challenging material to play on it. That being said Daniel, ya still will never hear me! I have tremendous performance anxiety -- that is the main reason I dropped out of the ensemble class/group I was in. I love playing -- in a group -- but the instructor had us take solos and improv, and it was tremendously uncomfortable for me. The drive was long to the classes, but knowing I would have to play by myself in front of people made me not want to have anything to do with it anymore.

consitter said:

Your Mya Moe wait is a custom KoAloha or Moore Bettah wait in dog years.

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If there was a like button, I would click it.

wickedwahine11 said:

If there was a like button, I would click it.

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Here ya go...