Just the way it is.

I read a lot of interesting threads here, and I enjoy hearing about all the things that people do to their ukes. I am not writing this to put anyone in a position where they feel like they have to defend themselves. You do what you want and more power to you. But there are a lot of threads about changing and modifying your ukes, and this thread isn't about those people. I want to bring out those of us who just like our ukes they way they are. Those of us who like re-entrant tuning and never even think about low G or metal strings. Is there anyone who is just satisfied with what they have?

Yep.

Except more of them ...but just as they are ....:agree:

To each his/her own. Room enough for everyone's preferences. Same with any instrument, some make mods, some leave'm alone.

In the end, do whatever makes you happy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3q7ntAPBjRw

Yeah, me! I'm determined to use my Ukes the way they are until I learn to play better. All but one have Aquila strings (one came with a different kind), and they're all reentrant strung. Except the baritone, of course, which is low D. Really, I don't think that changing strings is all that much fun anyway.

I have messed with my pineapple some, but it's old and needed it. Aquila has gut strings, and I'd like to try those. That's what it had on it (but not all four) when I got it. Also, it had wooden pegs which I replaced with friction pegs and, just lately, with violin pegs. It's mostly a wallhanger anyway, though it still plays okay.

And one last thing: I'm not sure I could hear the differences between the different types of strings anyway. I'm glad when I can hear my Ukes at all!

I guess those who are changing stuff all the time just play better than us. ld:

Agree with Phil, the Luke is a happy tool, change it if you wish & maybe MORE happiness will come through it

perep said:

Agree with Phil, the Luke is a happy tool, change it if you wish & maybe MORE happiness will come through it

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Yes, I agree with you and Phil 100%, but this isn't about whether one should do something to their uke, this is about doing nothing to your uke. I guess I shouldn't say nothing, I mean you have to change strings and wipe the dust off of it sometimes. But this is for those people who like their ukes just like they are.

I'm entirely satisfied with what I have (three Kamakas). I've never wanted to modify anything, don't really get the idea of having a custom just to have something personalized, and don't have any plans to acquire any more. I don't do any of the fancy stuff to my ukes: no humidifier (I live at the beach), no fretboard oil or whatever it's called, no special cleaning or polishing. I just play 'em. And change the strings a few times a year... always to the same kind of strings because I know what I like.

But I do play 'em both reentrant and low G. There's nothing "better" about one tuning versus the other; it's just a tool to accomplish whatever it is you're trying to accomplish. Choosing to play reentrant-only doesn't automatically make one a better player (or a better purist, or a better person, or a better anything). While some people may find the consistency of the one-uke/one-tuning approach will help make them a better player, personally I've come to believe that playing both reentrant and low G has made me a better musician since it's a bit easier for me to find my way around the linear fretboard. But I'm not saying playing both is "better" in any way - just that personally it's helped me learn a bit.

Guess I am out of this discussion. Born a tinkerer, nothing remains untouched.

janeray1940 said:

I'm entirely satisfied with what I have (three Kamakas). I've never wanted to modify anything, don't really get the idea of having a custom just to have something personalized, and don't have any plans to acquire any more. I don't do any of the fancy stuff to my ukes: no humidifier (I live at the beach), no fretboard oil or whatever it's called, no special cleaning or polishing. I just play 'em.

But I do play 'em both reentrant and low G. There's nothing "better" about one tuning versus the other; it's just a tool to accomplish whatever it is you're trying to accomplish. Choosing to play reentrant-only doesn't automatically make one a better player (or a better purist, or a better person, or a better anything). While some people may find the consistency of the one-uke/one-tuning approach will help make them a better player, personally I've come to believe that playing both reentrant and low G has made me a better musician since it's a bit easier for me to find my way around the linear fretboard. But I'm not saying playing both is "better" in any way - just that personally it's helped me learn a bit.

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By Rllinks comments you don't qualify either if you changed one uke to low G. If it came Low G you are in like Flynn.

DownUpDave said:

By Rllinks comments you don't qualify either if you changed one uke to low G. If it came Low G you are in like Flynn.

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It came low G and was designed to be played as such (Kamaka Ohta-San). Basically it's the uke that taught me the merits of low G, so I think that counts?

janeray1940 said:

It came low G and was designed to be played as such (Kamaka Ohta-San). Basically it's the uke that taught me the merits of low G, so I think that counts?

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Absolutely counts. Those are fantastic instruments and you deserve full membership in the play em as we bought em club :shaka:

I have put strap buttons and straps on a few of mine so I am disqualified. Some I have changed string types a number of times looking for the best tone

I keep my Tenor with a Low G string on,but as I
mainly play Sopranos and sometimes my Concerts,
it doesn't matter either way. I have the Tenor set
to Low G for a purpose,and that works for me!

DownUpDave said:

I have put strap buttons and straps on a few of mine so I am disqualified.

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Ack, disqualified! I forgot about strap buttons. Guilty as charged.

*hangs head in shame*

"Just they way they are"? Do you mean do absolutely nothing to them that alters sound? Clearly, adding a strap button is a functional change that does not alter sound. But changing strings sometimes has a profound impact on sound or playability for somebody. Altering set-up can also have a big impact on playability.

Yeah, I put strap buttons on my Baritone, but that's not messin' around with the strings, tuners, etc. ld:

Ooooh. I'm pretty much in the leave 'em alone club...but not quite!

I am just waiting for some Gotoh UPT Planetary tuners to arrive to go on my soprano. Does that disqualify? In fairness, the only reason I'm doing it is because recently my friction tuners are not performing brilliantly in terms of adjustment. they hold well enough, but feel a bit 'slack' on tuning, so that accuracy takes too long...and if I have anything, I have a decent ear, so anything off by a gnat's nadger and my brain is screaming re-tune! So am I out? I'm not tinkering for the sake of it, merely addressing a minor problem that I have with the instrument - so not a gratuitous 'upgrade'!

Where I do differ from an earlier poster is that I do like the idea of custom builds, because then my instrument is mine, and mine alone. I have just one 'good' uke, a Pete Howlett, made indescribably bling-less by a master craftsman with whom I was able to decide on how my (and only my) uke would be. I love the fact that only I have one of these. Next year I will be doing the same with another custom soprano. No-one else will own one of those. No-one! For me, it's not about exclusivity, it's about feeling connected to something that you 'created' along with a lovely relationship with the luthier. I hope I'm not being presumptuous by perceiving that the luthier rather enjoys that process too.

So, I am a leave 'em aloner, because I only want one or two ukes, but want to spec them absolutely from the outset, meaning that no changes will be necessary!

Ben

I come from Banjo World where banjos are made of all sorts of interchangeable parts and banjo folks often change them out until almost none of the original banjo is left.
I will most definitely change out tuners if I don't like them. I like the enclosed geared tuners I have on my ukes but if they came with friction tuners I would most likely change them for good geared tuners. I can't think of anything else I would change right away on a uke, but if I didn't like the action I would definitely work on that.

I do have some ukes that I would do "nothing" with short of new strings, just enjoy them the way they are. They include my pre-war Martin O, my Kamaka White Label soprano, and my Mele koa tenor.

I am a sinner, if only a modest one. I admire people who have great skill with tools but I'm not one of them. One of my concert ukes had a distractingly higher action than the other - almost .040". So I removed .020" off the bottom of the bone piece in the bridge. A long time ago a wise man told me that when removing material it's best to remove half of what's required because you can't put it back.

That same instrument had a dry looking fretboard so I gave it the lemon oil treatment while the strings were off.

Other than that my tinkering is limited to fitting a low G string.

Not when you can make "just the way it is" a better player with some minor tinkering or modifications.

Even my custom uke got a little tweaking by rounding the corner off the nut to make it more comfortable to play certain chords.