Am I nuts or normal

plunker

plunker

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I have decided on an upgrade of my Kala KA-T. I have decided on a PONO tenor, most likely in Mahogany. Issue is, I feel I am getting a very fine instrument, but the quality is above my playing level. Does that sound nuts? Almost like, I should get better before I upgrade. I am about four paychecks away from pulling the plug on this endeavor. I don't expect to play better with it, but I think the sound will improve. I need a shrink?
 
If you need a shrink just cos you want Pono, I need heavy medication.

I am probably no better than you and I just ordered a custom Hive.
 
Totally normal! And in good company here!
 
I have a baby grand piano. I am not a good enough player for a baby grand. Who cares? I love that thing! Makes playing special! I made payments for a long time on that thing.

I don't regret it one bit!

Get the ukulele! You only live once!
 
Truth be told, only a small fraction of us* play a uke to its full potential. I think you should buy the nicest instrument you can afford and enjoy the heck out of it.

*= people who own nice ukes
 
I just bought my Kala KA-TG and now have a Pono AT in setup at HMS. I couldn't wait 2 weeks before I had to have another ukulele. The Kala is really nice and will be my High G tenor and my Pono my low G tenor. I am a hack player at best but learning more everyday. My skills barely warrant the Kala much less a sweet Pono. But if it makes me happy to have 2 tenors then you know what? I going for the happy route. Will another uke make me a better player? Maybe, maybe not. But I'll want to play more often and that is never a bad thing. Now if I can just talk my wife into letting me get a certain Mya Moe tenor that a fellow UU member has up for sale.......;)
 
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How I look at is, we all have a use by date but most of us don't know when that is. If you want it, and can afford it, go for it 'cause you just never know.
 
A good instrument will help raise your playing level and a Pono is a great choice.

Enjoy it
 
It's normal, and there are two schools of thought about it:

One says that getting the best ukulele you can afford will maximize motivation to practice and stick with the hobby when you hit a plateau.

The other advocates the "carrot approach", meaning that you'll be more motivated if you have a tangible reward to chase after or work toward to ("If I practice for half a year for at least 30 minutes every day, then I'll treat myself with a new ukulele!").

There are advantages and downsides to both ways. What works best is probably dependent on the person and can't be generalized. For me, I decided that I won't get a custom instrument, or something very expensive, until I feel I am "good enough" (I'll know when that happens!). Then again, I do have decent mid-range ukes (the tenor being a $350 model), so there is also no real "pressure" to upgrade.

I tend to throw money at my lack of skill at new things that I'm enthusiastic about, probably as some kind of compensation or self-deception paired with impatience, and it's something I don't want to repeat with ukulele playing. But everyone ticks differently. :)
 
Said member will gladly include door to door drop off :)

Don't feel bad, life is short. If you think you ll enjoy it and you'll put it to good use, it's worth it.

4stringsinner said:
I just bought my Kala KA-TG and now have a Pono AT in setup at HMS. I couldn't wait 2 weeks before I had to have another ukulele. The Kala is really nice and will be my High G tenor and my Pono my low G tenor. I am a hack player at best but learning more everyday. My skills barely warrant the Kala much less a sweet Pono. But if it makes me happy to have 2 tenors then you know what? I going for the happy route. Will another uke make me a better player? Maybe, maybe not. But I'll want to play more often and that is never a bad thing. Now if I can just talk my wife into letting me get a certain Mya Moe tenor that a fellow UU member has up for sale.......;)
Click to expand...
 
How would one determine whether or not the quality of an instrument is above, or below, one's playing level.
 
My photographic motto was, "You can never have too many lenses." (My current count is just under 250.) I am at this very moment wearing a tee emblazoned with, "You can never have too many guitars." (I only own about a dozen.) I think I will build some strange ukes when I return home from my current long road trip. Do you see where that is heading? One can never have too many [your obsession here].

Accumulating stuff is tricky. Some things are in limited supply. With some, you can buy the complete set, and be done with them. Instruments, camera lenses, Navaho rugs, etc do not fall into that category. We must impose our own limits with such stuff. Or, we indulge until we go broke. Ay yi yi.
 
I have four world class instruments not because of my playing ability (which is quite limited) but because I appreciate their beauty as well as their beautiful tone. Corey could put most people to shame regardless of what they were playing with him playing a $99 uke. As a further case in point, most of the working musicians have quite affordable instruments. My personal thinking is if you enjoy it and have not been fiscally irresponsible with spending the money, then go for it.
 
I found that getting a better ukulele (I upgraded from a Big Island Honu Tenor to a Kamaka tenor) made me a better player. i don't know if it was just because I liked the Kamaka so much I played it a lot more, having an ukulele that was better than my capabilities energized me, or the added playability of the Kamaka allowed me to successfully do things I had beens truggling with, but I know I improved. It also just made me happy.
 
Dwjkerr said:
How would one determine whether or not the quality of an instrument is above, or below, one's playing level.
Click to expand...

I agree. An instrument is an inert object. It is not a moral compass by which we need to justify our ownership or gauge our playing abilities against its relative expense. Without a set of hands and a heart and a soul to give it a voice it will be forever silent. Whether those hands are those of a professional or a beginning amateur is irrelevant to the instrument. It will make a sound irrespective of whose arms it's in. Will it feel good to hold, to look at, to play? Will it inspire and motivate? Will it bring joy for a lifetime? How can one quantify a financial cost against such things? These are the questions we should be asking.
 
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