I think most of us try to take good care of our Ukes. I know I do. But I'd sure like to have one out in the garage. You know, the kind you'd think nothing of tossing on your workbench from a few feet away when the phone rings. Do you have one of those? If so, how did you go about deciding on which one to use that way?
Not for tossing around the garage, but I do have my first uke (Kala KA-S) that I leave out on the couch all year so I can pick it up anytime. I'd never do that with any of my better instruments, especially during the winter heating season.
Mine is the easily replaceable Lanikai LU-8. got it with a popped bridge for a song, and it's like a low and high g in one uke. lots of volume too. I can be heard over a bunch of guitars if I play it with a pick. some of my other vintage ukes look like beaters though.
My first ukulele, a Lanikai LU21-T, was my beater uke until I started getting autographs on it.
I bought a Mainland Gecko specifically to have a beater ukulele, and now that one lives in my desk drawer at work.
I have since WON a Kala Concert, so that is now officially my beater uke - the one I can leave in the car, the one that is very playable yet I would not cry if something happened to it.
I have several that most people would consider beaters
But the $25 Rogue I got to to toss in my flight bag is the one I think of as my beater. It plays pretty well but the fretboard has shrunk with an ugly lookin crack, and the fret ends need to be smoothed up again.
A lot of folks seem to get a Makala Dolphin or Shark for that. Have also seen an increase for plastic ukes like the Woodi. I brought a Woodi plastic uke to the beach recently, very water resistant.
Tsk and tush ....how can you have such a faithful ,loyal and friendly little companion and call it a beater...it is the best of your ukuleles ..you will play it anywhere ..to anybody....it does all it's own stunts and fears no adverse conditions....thrives on neglect and comes back for more ....I would not call this a beater ....I'd call it my Best.
Screw all the poncey .."oh I need a humidified hard case and don't dare take me out in the sun if it is between noon and noon O' clock and don't even think about
taking me out to play on a cloudy day if the wind is blowing from the sultry south and it has a y in the day" prima donna Ukelady......grrrr.... give me a honed in the wood and dyed in the stain tough nut cheapo but tuneful and faithful little bugger anyday.....Lazy Palm £ 10 .00 ....Little Red.
Nope. I always enjoy playing a nice sounding / playing uke. They are made to be played so if they get scratched or scuffed so be it (though I do try quite hard to avoid that).
Tsk and tush ....how can you have such a faithful ,loyal and friendly little companion and call it a beater...it is the best of your ukuleles ..you will play it anywhere ..to anybody....it does all it's own stunts and fears no adverse conditions....thrives on neglect and comes back for more ....I would not call this a beater ....I'd call it my Best.
Screw all the poncey .."oh I need a humidified hard case and don't dare take me out in the sun if it is between noon and noon O' clock and don't even think about
taking me out to play on a cloudy day if the wind is blowing from the sultry south and it has a y in the day" prima donna Ukelady......grrrr.... give me a honed in the wood and dyed in the stain tough nut cheapo but tuneful and faithful little bugger anyday.....Lazy Palm £ 10 .00 ....Little Red.
I was trying to cozy up, and consider buying a "beater uke" but I could never pull the trigger and do it because I just love solid wood instruments, and want a reasonable level of quality. I tried many a ukes, and just couldn't buy one to beat on.
When Joe from Kanile'a came to town he said you need to "muss up" a uke, really love it. I agree with him.
Nope. I always enjoy playing a nice sounding / playing uke. They are made to be played so if they get scratched or scuffed so be it (though I do try quite hard to avoid that).
Well i guess my Makala MK-S is my beater but i like that uke so i treat it well. Aquila strings on it and it sounds sweet.
Heck it even looks like an old mahogany Martin. What's not to like? My Makalartin. I like it as much as my solid wood ukes. Certainly better than its price suggests.
Mine is more of a bruiser than a beater. Gretsch mahogany laminate tenor, sounds real good and built like a brick s**t house. I don't abuse it, never thrown it across a room. But it is the uke I don't worry about, leave it on one of the kitchen chairs at all times to pick up at a whim and play. I have taken it camping, to the beach, to the cottage and it never goes out of tune. Solid as a rock.
This is the first uke I bought and I will sell any of my other higher priced "snooty glossy solid wood ukes" but not Gertrude Gretch, Gerty for short.
