Reasons NOT to buy another ukulele?

g'est · Feb 23, 2015

Hi!

For the last couple of weeks I've been finding myself reading reviews and watching numerous videos of different ukuleles and I really want to buy one. The thing is, already have three (you can enter your number here for yourself), which should be enough. So I'd prefer it if I didn't want to buy a new one.

So I'm trying to think of reasons why I wouldn't want to get another ukulele. And I could really use some help!

I do think that having less instruments makes every ukulele more special (helps to make the connection stronger). What other reasons do you have?

UkerDanno · Feb 23, 2015

I have nothing...

HBolte · Feb 23, 2015

I can't think of one...

g'est · Feb 23, 2015

UkerDanno said:
I have nothing...

That's what I was afraid of!

hendulele · Feb 23, 2015

If you're not playing every uke you own, then perhaps you should rehome one of your neglected ones and replace it with a shiny new (to you) uke. Otherwise, I've got nothing, too.

deschutestrout · Feb 23, 2015

I see your collection is missing a pineapple .... just sayin'.

katysax · Feb 23, 2015

Clearly you need a low G and a high G tenor. You actually don't have enough ukes. We are all terrible enablers here.

g'est · Feb 23, 2015

katysax said:
Clearly you need a low G and a high G tenor. You actually don't have enough ukes. We are all terrible enablers here.

Maybe I could have two low G tenors instead? And a high G concert? And...

Rllink · Feb 23, 2015

To simplify your life.

peterbright · Feb 23, 2015

I don't understand the problem. Buy another and call me in the morning.

g'est · Feb 23, 2015

deschutestrout said:
I see your collection is missing a pineapple .... just sayin'.

A pineapple is appealing!

or maybe Pepe Romero's Tiny Tenor?

This thread is not going in the direction I (naively) hoped it would.

frisbee fred · Feb 23, 2015

Buy them. You are powerless not to.

#4horse · Feb 23, 2015

Reasons not to buy? Lack of money or space are the most obvious ones. Or a better use for the money. (I might be hopelessly old fashioned, but I would rather pay off credit card balances than buy another uke -- the interest saved will pay for another uke before too long.)

It comes down to what will make you happiest. Easy to say but not always easy to figure out. It seems like some people gravitate towards collecting ukes and others towards playing them, with a lot of us in between. "Collectors" get pleasure from owning rare, expensive and beautiful instruments. Just looking at them makes them happy. "Players" get pleasure from picking them up and making music. They buy ukes that allow them to play a wider range of styles.

Neither way is inherently better than the other, and they're not mutually exclusive. So ask yourself, what will a fourth uke bring you and what might it take away. I think ukes like to be played and not ignored, so I favor having fewer ukes and playing them more often.

g'est · Feb 23, 2015

#4horse said:
Reasons not to buy? Lack of money or space are the most obvious ones. Or a better use for the money. (I might be hopelessly old fashioned, but I would rather pay off credit card balances than buy another uke -- the interest saved will pay for another uke before too long.)

It comes down to what will make you happiest. Easy to say but not always easy to figure out. It seems like some people gravitate towards collecting ukes and others towards playing them, with a lot of us in between. "Collectors" get pleasure from owning rare, expensive and beautiful instruments. Just looking at them makes them happy. "Players" get pleasure from picking them up and making music. They buy ukes that allow them to play a wider range of styles.

Neither way is inherently better than the other, and they're not mutually exclusive. So ask yourself, what will a fourth uke bring you and what might it take away. I think ukes like to be played and not ignored, so I favor having fewer ukes and playing them more often.

That's a really great answer!

I appreciate it!

janeray1940 · Feb 23, 2015

Aside from the obvious lack of money or space, one practical reason I can think of is that there's something to be said for playing one instrument only and really getting to know it well - there's a thread on this ("one-uke approach" might have been in the subject) somewhere. I can't really do this since I play both low G and reentrant daily, but I have pretty much focused my playing on two instruments of the same scale length (concert) and have felt it's helped my playing.

Freeda · Feb 23, 2015

How about the realization that another instrument won't make you sound better, only practice will?

spookelele · Feb 23, 2015

<sally struthers>Because there are children dying that need that money more than you need another new uke. </sally struthers>

Not to make light of very real need in the world... but it's all I could come up with.

SweetWaterBlue · Feb 23, 2015

I've never heard you play, so I don't know if this will work for you, or not, but promise yourself you won't buy another ukulele until you learn to play the one you have well enough to play on stage with it for money.

g'est · Feb 23, 2015

janeray1940 said:
Aside from the obvious lack of money or space, one practical reason I can think of is that there's something to be said for playing one instrument only and really getting to know it well - there's a thread on this ("one-uke approach" might have been in the subject) somewhere. I can't really do this since I play both low G and reentrant daily, but I have pretty much focused my playing on two instruments of the same scale length (concert) and have felt it's helped my playing.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that also support the one-uke approach. I think it's just that I might still be looking for that one uke. I also play both high and low G, but I think I could probably give up high G.

Freeda said:
How about the realization that another instrument won't make you sound better, only practice will?

That's a good point. I guess it's seems easier to try to buy skill than work for it.

SweetWaterBlue said:
I've never heard you play, so I don't know if this will work for you, or not, but promise yourself you won't buy another ukulele until you learn to play the one you have well enough to play on stage with it for money.

That's an interesting idea. And it would be awhile before I'd be ready to perform.

Edit: I think this thread might actually be helping!

(The only side effect is that now I'm thinking about getting a custom uke to replace the current ones

)

kkimura · Feb 23, 2015

There are several reasons for you not to buy another uke.

1. You don't want to compare how a (fill in the blank) wood uke sounds with your koa or maple ukes.
2. You don't want to find out if other tenor, concert or soprano ukes sound different.
3. You don't want that feeling of anticipation as you wait for delivery of a new uke.
4. You don't want a uke for every season,
5. You don't want a uke for every day of the week.
6. You don't want a uke for every month of the year.

Reasons NOT to buy another ukulele?

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