how have your uke needs/wants changed over time?

I thought this might be an interesting topic after seeing it touched on in a couple other threads about ordering customs. It's been sort of addressed elsewhere before in a more general "if you knew then what you know now" way, but my intention for this thread is to address specifics. So - here's mine

When I first started playing, I was REALLY into the vintage thing. I have a lifelong history of driving vintage cars, wearing vintage clothing, and listening to music made before I was born by people who in most cases had passed on long ago. So of course I thought I wanted a vintage uke.

Turned out my one experience with a vintage uke could be summed up by the phrase HIGH MAINTENANCE. The tuners slipped constantly and my ear wasn't good enough to adjust this on the fly.

Fairly early on I discovered two other things: George Harrison's love of Kamakas, and John King's campanella playing. I bought a few Kamakas and really enjoyed them, especially for my attempts at playing campanella, but always thought I wanted something one-of-a-kind and vintage-y.

So I had a custom made to *sound* like a vintage uke - in this case, a mahogany soprano based on the specs and tonal qualities of a Martin 3M. Everything about it was beautiful except - as I got to know it, I realized it wasn't the right sound for what I liked to play most. And more importantly, I realized I wasn't the kind of person who truly cared about having a one-of-a-kind *anything* - I just want simple, practical things that do what I need them to do.

All of that to say, it turned out that what I thought I wanted/needed - vintage, unique, etc. - was not at all my reality, and what I ended up loving was nearly the opposite - very plain, stock, as new as possible (I don't even like buying used if I can help it).

Anyone else have a story to tell?

(And, side note - as I've gotten older, this has turned out to apply to my non-uke life as well! I no longer drive vintage cars, I dress really generically and barely even own any vintage clothing any more, but I do still love the old music - even though I've become much more open to the new. So, it's been a life lesson.)

thought I would love a solid wood uke since everyone said it was the best. Well, not for people who don't want to constantly worry about cracking, humidity and such. Good thing I have a laminate beater and a plastic soprano. They taught me that worry free is for me. While I was saving for an expensive to me solid body acoustic a deal came up on ebay for a barely played Risa electric soprano. Now I am saving up for an amp and thinking of getting pedals. Now instead of replacing my laminate and plastic ukes I have one that complements the ones I already had.

My perspective is one of someone who hasn't shopped a whole lot and who hasn't spent a lot of money on several ukuleles. When I started out, I got the best I thought I could afford and ended up with some very nice midline ukuleles. I was constantly looking at ukuleles with a lot of bling and pretty woods. That is what I thought I would end up getting. As my playing got better, I realized I wanted a certain kind of sound and a certain kind of playability. Looks aren't that important to me. I want something that will be versatile enough to do everything I want to do now, and what I want to do later, as I become a better player.

So, I've gone, from in the beginning, from something that looks great, to something that plays great and will hold up to strenuous playing and conditions. I don't want tons of maintenance. I don't want something that is delicate outside. But, I do want something that will sound and play great. Luckily, I haven't ordered expensive, gorgeous customs that I can't take and keep outside for a while. But, I sure do love looking at what the folks here purchase.

Though I have mentioned this in other threads, I will post it here again. When I got interested in the ukulele, I decide to do it differently than I had with the guitar (my primary instrument). Instead of buying inexpensive and periodically selling/trading up, I went for what I wanted right away. I still have my original two ukuleles and no desire for more. I also did get a Guitalele (Kanilea), and decided again to do it once and do it "right" (for me). For me, this approach seems to have worked. I know that there are others who enjoy "flipping" ukuleles, so my approach is certainly not right for everybody (or even most...).

A caveat to this is that, having played guitar for a long time, I have a sense of what makes for a decent instrument. I was able (thanks to google), to get a sense fairly quickly of ukulele brands were a reasonably "safe" buy due to widespread acceptance of those brands. My choices were limited to those ukuleles locally available at the time, because I really feel strongly for myself about "try before you buy". I was fortunate that, at that time, the ukuleles that seemed well suited for what I wanted, were available locally. I have not seen these two models around here since, though other models of those same brands are periodically. I got the Guitalele on Craigs List, and that went smoothly too. I can honestly say that I feel very fortunate because when I read about all the choices I did not yet know about at the time, would have rendered me indecisive, which can be a really frustrating experience - always wondering if there is something better that you could have chosen. I see that feeling expressed here in various posts, in various ways.

The way things worked out for me, I can just relax and enjoy what I have without worrying about what might have been, had I chosen something else. What I have is clearly more than good enough for me, and will be for a very long time. My ukuleles are good enough that there really isn't an "upgrade" to move up to. That was why I went the direction I did - do it once, do it right, and forget about it.

Tony

Bought my first uke a little over a year ago. Bought is for $ 29.00 at Leonardo's in Micanopi Fla. I picked it up and started playing around on it, my wife urged me to it, finally I did. I When I got home, my wife bought me a month of lessons. Thats when I bought my KA-T which is still my main uke. My son said he would learn and play with me but not that silly little thing. So I got him a Baritone, which I like for the sound and I play it occasionally he backed out, which is ok since I got the Baritone.. Then I saw a LUte -uke. I like period music, especially baroque so I thought it would be cool. IT fights with my stomach for space, I the tone is not what I was told, at least I don't think so. I expected it to sound, I guess "richer" than the Kala. Now I have the bug (see my uke upgrade suggestions thread).

ohmless said:

thought I would love a solid body uke...

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For a moment I thought you were talking about an actual "solid body" but then realized what you meant was solid wood uke.

I succumb to looks most times. In the first year of playing I accumulated about 14 ukes because I liked their looks. Recently I culled them down to my four favorites, sound and playability first, looks second. But now that I've added bass uke to my playing, I'm back to buying for looks, but find that I like the feel and sound of poly string basses (of which I have four) rather than steel string (I have two). So eventually sound and feel win over looks.

I thought a hawaiian made uke from gorgeous curly koa would be my "grail uke". Turns out I prefer tenors with spruce or cedar tops and a resonant guitar like sound. Was all about re-entrant now I love low G equally. I was totally against plugging in, colouring the sound and looping, a uke should just sound like a uke.......on the beach all natural and such. I just purchased a LR Baggs pre amp, will have pick ups installed in at least two of my ukes and have been researching amps.

I still enjoy the simplicity of grabbing a uke, strumming and singing but I have come to appreciate how versatile this instrument can be.

doh! thanks for catching by gaffe
kelly

kohanmike said:

For a moment I thought you were talking about an actual "solid body" but then realized what you meant was solid wood uke.

I succumb to looks most times. In the first year of playing I accumulated about 14 ukes because i liked their looks. Recently I culled them down to my four favorites, sound and playability first, looks second. But now that I've added bass uke to my playing, I'm back to buying for looks, but find that I like the feel and sound of poly string basses (of which I have four) rather than steel string (I have two). So eventually sound a feel win over looks.

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I dunno if two years playing is enough time to offer any kind of knowledgeable reply, but I did noodle with classical guitars for a long while, and some of that experience seemed to have carried over into ukery. Kind of gave me a running start in at least some areas.

My philosophy has been to get the best instruments I can afford, those that are going to be limited by my ability to play them, and not the other way around. And, for me, there is a whole package aspect, the look, the feel, the sound. Not about cost, though I believe that high-quality ought to be paid for.

Lotta years ago, I had an MG Midget. Loved that car, but it was a vexing ride. Sometimes it started only if the wind was from the West and it felt like it, and as often as not, it ran on a whim, bolstered by prayer or curses. Not what you’d call a dependable automobile.

When Mazda came out with the Miata, it was touted as an MG that actually ran, and eventually, once the kids were gone and I didn’t need the passenger room, my wife got me the Miata.

An arrest-me-red convertible, and I loved that car. Every time I drove it, I grinned. Wasn’t raining or below freezing, the top was down. Had it for twelve years, but eventually needed a little more room, there now being grandchildren. (So I got a Mini Cooper, which has a little — very little — more room. Go figure.)

I have a guitar like that, made by a premier luthier who didn’t charge nearly as much as he should when I bought it, and who still doesn’t charge as much as he could. Ten years on, and every time I open its case, I still grin at that baby.

Once I got past my entry-level ukulele and knew that I was going to stay with ukes, I went looking for instruments that would offer the whole package. Bought and sold some along the way, now I have four. All tenors, my choice; all low-G, all made by excellent one-person-shop luthiers. Two new, two used. I am most pleased with each of these. Some have bling, some don’t, but each is beautiful in its own way.

Maybe down the line I’ll string one up reentrant. And maybe another uke will pop up that I can’t pass by, but because of my guitar experience, I came to ukes with preferences already going down a certain road, and so perhaps I didn’t change those as much as I might have otherwise. I wouldn't be shocked to learn that folks coming from another instrument might have a different view than somebody for whom the uke is their first musical experience.

Really mine have not changed that much. I still would like to play and own just about every uke out there. I own ukes that are fairly expensive but that would never stop me from spending $250 on some uke I think is worth a shot.

However, once you play a really decent sounding uke it's harder to play the others except as a lark. Personally I think there are plenty of inexpensive ukes that may come very close to a much more expensive one. They may even sound and play better to your ears.

All that I just said above might sound like experience. That would be correct.

I thought I would never consider playing a tenor, and now I'm planning to buy one next.

I got my first ukulele a little over a year ago. I don't know how to answer your question, because I don't know what entails needs and wants. But I never had any specific needs or wants. Mine were fairly general in nature. I wanted to get a ukulele, play around with it for a year or so, see if it was going to be fun, then if I liked it, get a better one. That is about it. So nothing has changed in that respect. As far as the future, I want to play around with my ukulele some more, and get a little better, so that is pretty general as well. I guess though, I thought about it while I am writing this, I decided some where along the line that I would like to busk, and when I started, I didn't even know that busking was called busking, so that has changed. That has gotten me to look at amps, microphones, and stuff like that. So there is something.

I started out wanting only two ukulele sizes. A long neck soprano and a tenor. I bought the best I could afford at the time. I don't need anything else at this stage. Although Jon's review of the piccolo uke has triggered a slight UAS reaction (well ...moderate reaction... no,no I lie......... slightly strong reaction....where's the phone book, I need help )

On June 28th of last year I ordered my first uke, an impulse buy by a guitar player who was always curious about the instrument. Since then I've discovered a passion I never could have imagined. I own a number of ukuleles and suppose that a few more will come my way. If I've changed during this rather short period of time, it's in this:I find myself focusing on how a uke I'm attracted to would fit "in the family."

In "Siddhartha" Hermann Hesse spoke of the difference between being a finder and a seeker. Seekers often miss seeing what lies before them because they are searching. Finders are open to what appears. As my ukulele journey has unfolded, I've found myself learning more from the ukes I have than becoming infatuated with the ones I don't.

A shift from having to being.

I started out wanting one of each size, then just tenors, now mainly tenors but one bari, one concert, and one soprano as well. Eventually, a concert banjo uke.

Thanks all for the replies thus far, they have been really interesting to read. I found the comments from those who had experience with other string instruments to be particularly of interest - you were lucky in that you had some idea of what you wanted in a uke, based on experience rather than just what you had read or been told by others!

I was a guitar player who started on the uke for fun. So I just bought something on the cheaper end.

Now, I am more of a ukulele player than a guitar player and I want the best sounding ukes and the good-looking ones too.

Everything has changed for me over the years. I started out playing only soprano and gravitating towards a more vintage sound. Now I prefer tenors and a more modern, very Hawaiian koa tone. I think it's natural for taste to change over time, just as it does with the music you listen to, fashion, and other areas of life. It's what keeps life interesting!

Andy Chen said:

I was a guitar player who started on the uke for fun. So I just bought something on the cheaper end.

Now, I am more of a ukulele player than a guitar player and I want the best sounding ukes and the good-looking ones too.

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I already wrote my story earlier in this thread, but wanted to comment on this post. It is strange but true what Andy says here. I am finding the ukulele - just plain FUN. None of the musical "baggage". Stuff just works on the ukulele, so you can focus on the music and not the idiosyncrasies of the fretboard.

Tony

NatalieS said:

Everything has changed for me over the years. I started out playing only soprano and gravitating towards a more vintage sound. Now I prefer tenors and a more modern, very Hawaiian koa tone. I think it's natural for taste to change over time, just as it does with the music you listen to, fashion, and other areas of life. It's what keeps life interesting!

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Thanks for your comment Natalie! I think I've followed your uke journey for almost as long as I've been playing. Funny that you and I both started at a similar place and are now again in a similar place (substitute concert for tenor and there you go!).

And I do agree, it's what keeps life interesting. Which is why I've learned to never say never - even though I'm presently satisfied with the three ukes I own and love, I can't say I'm "done" because who knows what the future may bring