Percussion on the uke-does it hurt the uke body?

chenx2

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I have heard that many ukuleles have very thin top for better acoustics.
However, for some songs there would be percussion involved,
and I wonder if it may damage the uke body.
 
I do it all the time and have never had a problem, but I don't go too crazy bashing it. The top is braced underneath, it's not like it's just a thin top and nothing else.
 
I tried to intentionally break a cheap Mahalo ukulele once, because it was a failed DIY project.

I stomped and stomped on the top... it refused to break o_O
 
My old aria 2 bass has wear from a previous owner who played a lot of slap bass apparently with a ring on. I'm certain if he didn't wear a ring or didn't play the way he did my old used bass wouldn't have the wear it does. Touching an instrument in the same way over and over will cause wear. You did specify damage and in the case of my bass the wear is only a bunch of dents on the face of the bass. The finish is damaged as is the wood but the instrument is fully playable and has a very interesting character.

A malhalo is a thick piece of plywood laminated to be strong. This strength is also what makes them sound so dead and toy like. I'm not much of a player and percussion is another instrument for me. I would expect wear if I were to start hitting the ukulele body along with the strings. I wouldn't likely hit an old or expensive ukulele very hard at all I would expect it to be like a glass. Probably wont break if you hit it but there is that one time that you will hit it just right.

But now we might see we are at the crossroad of should an instrument always outlive the player? The who did a number on guitars from what I read. If your playing style includes you wailing on the top of a ukulele go for it! You just might have to look at the instrument more like strings as a consumable. None of this likely helped much but I do so love to talk.

~peace~
 
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What about Willie Nelson's guitar? There's a large wear hole in the top but he swears by it.
 
....But now we might see we are at the crossroad of should an instrument always outlive the player? The who did a number on guitars from what I read. If your playing style includes you wailing on the top of a ukulele go for it! You just might have to look at the instrument more like strings as a consumable. None of this likely helped much but I do so love to talk.

~peace~

It DOES help! I plan to keep my uke for long, but I would never expect it outlives me. May leave the percussion part for the other till I get another uke more durable....UAS kickin' in~;)
 
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See, that's the perfect excuse for buying more ukes: It's not that you buy yet another uke, you're buying a drum that happens to be shaped like a uke!
 
What about Willie Nelson's guitar? There's a large wear hole in the top but he swears by it.

That's because he strums it ferociously with a heavy flatpick. Glen Hansard has a similar technique and 'extra soundhole' on his takamine. Both artists have commanded extensive (and expensive) repair work on the guitar tops, to stabilize the damage while maintaining the visible wear.

Flamenco guitarists knock and stomp and scratch their ultra-light guitars all the time, but their bare hands and nails hardly inflict any damage, at most to the finish. However, if you bring any hard implements into your playing style...
 
 
I agree, sooner or later there will be ware. How much and what kind depends on what you use to "hit" the uke and how agressively. Personally I only tap the top w/ my right index finger on one song. But percussion isn't a big part of my playing style. If it were, I would treat the uke differently (read: less gently).
 
My old aria 2 bass has wear from a previous owner who played a lot of slap bass apparently with a ring on. I'm certain if he didn't wear a ring or didn't play the way he did my old used bass wouldn't have the wear it does. Touching an instrument in the same way over and over will cause wear. You did specify damage and in the case of my bass the wear is only a bunch of dents on the face of the bass. The finish is damaged as is the wood but the instrument is fully playable and has a very interesting character.

A malhalo is a thick piece of plywood laminated to be strong. This strength is also what makes them sound so dead and toy like. I'm not much of a player and percussion is another instrument for me. I would expect wear if I were to start hitting the ukulele body along with the strings. I wouldn't likely hit an old or expensive ukulele very hard at all I would expect it to be like a glass. Probably wont break if you hit it but there is that one time that you will hit it just right.

But now we might see we are at the crossroad of should an instrument always outlive the player? The who did a number on guitars from what I read. If your playing style includes you wailing on the top of a ukulele go for it! You just might have to look at the instrument more like strings as a consumable. None of this likely helped much but I do so love to talk.

~peace~

I like to light my uke on fire at the end of each performance.
 
I like to light my uke on fire at the end of each performance.

LOL, that's abusive!

Go ahead, beat the h--- out of it, keep in mind, you'll probably break a finger before you break the uke. Ohana makes a drumulele....
 
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