Uke shops in Rodchester NY?

JackLuis

JackLuis

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 19, 2015
Messages
1,248
Reaction score
22
Location
Nor Cal USA
I've got an old friend I convinced to get a Uke and he bought a Hilo Soprano on E-bay. Since he's 6'4" and about 280 lbs he had trouble playing it. I was wondering if there is a Uke shop in NY where he could try out a concert or tenor and get an inexpensive starter uke well set up?

I saw him in Wash DC last week and let him fool around with a concert and tenor I had taken with me, and gave him a few tips on how to play "Old Geezer" style. He's agoraphobic and can't handle a lot of people around him so I think the Uke would be good for him.
 
JackLuis said:
I've got an old friend I convinced to get a Uke and he bought a Hilo Soprano on E-bay. Since he's 6'4" and about 280 lbs he had trouble playing it...
Click to expand...

What does his height and weight have to do with the uke's playability?
 
JackLuis said:
Do they do setups for 'old' ukes? Are the Nubie friendly?
Click to expand...

Absolutely. I have shopped there since I was a beginner. Great people with a shop in the back and a ukulele club (once a month, I think).
 
Soundbored said:
What does his height and weight have to do with the uke's playability?
Click to expand...

Big fingers and big hands. I'm a slim 6'1" and 180 and I had trouble learning with a soprano. Hanging onto a soprano is hard if you're tall and just starting. Add to that a nubie with stupid fingers and it can be exasperating. He did okay with a concert and the tenor was even better.
 
JackLuis said:
Big fingers and big hands. I'm a slim 6'1" and 180 and I had trouble learning with a soprano. Hanging onto a soprano is hard if you're tall and just starting. Add to that a nubie with stupid fingers and it can be exasperating. He did okay with a concert and the tenor was even better.
Click to expand...

It's just a question of experience and technique. Plenty of large men play violin, soprano ukulele, and any number of other small instruments. This is the opposite myth to 'small fingers/hands can't play _____ '.
 
Soundbored said:
It's just a question of experience and technique. Plenty of large men play violin, soprano ukulele, and any number of other small instruments. This is the opposite myth to 'small fingers/hands can't play _____ '.
Click to expand...

Exactly. That is why a larger instrument is not as difficult to play for a nubie with big clumsy hands. to make it easier for him to gain the confidence I thought a bigger instrument would help him enjoy gaining some experience and technique. He doesn't have a lot of patience and if he doesn't make some progress he isn't going to stick with it to gain the experience. I started out on a tenor and went to a concert, now I've got a pocket uke, soprano and even a baritone. I can 'play' all of them but the concert to Bari sizes are a lot more fun for me because I can fret and hold them easier.
 
Soundbored said:
It's just a question of experience and technique. Plenty of large men play violin, soprano ukulele, and any number of other small instruments. This is the opposite myth to 'small fingers/hands can't play _____ '.
Click to expand...

How does someone's actual real-life experience of finding it hard to play a soprano because of the size equate to any sort of 'myth'? And why do you keep talking about violins?
 
jollyboy said:
How does someone's actual real-life experience of finding it hard to play a soprano because of the size equate to any sort of 'myth'? And why do you keep talking about violins?
Click to expand...

You seem to be miffed at anything I say, but I'll take the bait and reply in good faith anyway.

"I can't play soprano ukes well." = not a myth
"Large men can't play soprano ukes well." = myth

You see the difference?

And it should be obvious that I refer to violins here occasionally in debates about strings and instrument size because they have the same body size, scale length, number of strings, and G3 lowest note as a soprano uke in 'Low G'.
 
Soundbored said:
You seem to be miffed at anything I say, but I'll take the bait and reply in good faith anyway.

"I can't play soprano ukes well." = not a myth
"Large men can't play soprano ukes well." = myth

You see the difference?

And it should be obvious that I refer to violins here occasionally in debates about strings and instrument size because they have the same body size, scale length, number of strings, and G3 lowest note as a soprano uke in 'Low G'.
Click to expand...

You seem to feel the need to jump on your high horse and challenge anything anyone says that doesn't suit your own worldview. As per your original post in this thread:

Soundbored said:
What does his height and weight have to do with the uke's playability?
Click to expand...

Edit: Frankly, it more often than not comes across as pointless snark. I've seen a number of UU members respond negatively to comments made by you in other threads and am quite sure that it's not just me who gets 'miffed' about your input.

JackLuis said:
He did okay with a concert and the tenor was even better.
Click to expand...

A guy tried some different sized ukes and identified a personal preference. No one is trying to perpetuate any sort of fallacious-or-otherwise myth here. There is no sinister anti-soprano conspiracy. Can you see the difference?
 
Last edited:
jollyboy said:
You seem to feel the need to jump on your high horse and challenge anything anyone says that doesn't suit your own worldview. As per your original post in this thread:

A guy tried some different sized ukes and identified a personal preference. No one is trying to perpetuate any sort of fallacious-or-otherwise myth here. There is no sinister anti-soprano conspiracy. Can you see the difference?
Click to expand...

Yep, I challenge myths and incorrect information. And like you, I contribute my opinions about ukuleles to the discussion, which is the whole point of this forum.
 
Soundbored:
You missed the point I was making, that sopranos are small and Steve is big, making it harder for him to learn. He's 72 so he's not as limber as you young whippersnapers. ;-)

The point is that everyone is different and what works for you may not be what works for me. I play my tenors in dGBE and like it that way. I don't mind if you play your soprano in GCEA, what ever floats your boat. The key point here is Ukulele's are fun and we're all gonna die some day.
 
JackLuis said:
Soundbored:
You missed the point I was making, that sopranos are small and Steve is big, making it harder for him to learn. He's 72 so he's not as limber as you young whippersnapers. ;-)

The point is that everyone is different and what works for you may not be what works for me. I play my tenors in dGBE and like it that way. I don't mind if you play your soprano in GCEA, what ever floats your boat. The key point here is Ukulele's are fun and we're all gonna die some day.
Click to expand...

I didn't miss your point, I just don't agree with it. I don't think Concerts or Tenors are empirically any easier to play - but psychologically plenty of people here think they are.

But it's ok that we disagree. Boring place if we all agreed on everything.
 
I went by my local Uke shop to buy some strings and play some high end ukes. Oh wow I played a Kala solid Koa tenor and was really thrilled, by the sound, but the ~$1,700 price tag scared me. Light action chiming notes and nice feel. I sure would like to have enough money to afford one. I played a couple of KoAloha's that were really nice too. Way, way outa my range but made my cheapies sound like half the instrument.

I need to hit the lotto!
 
Adding my 2 cents here, I have tenor, soprano and concert ukuleles, and for me it physically easier to play my concert ukulele it seems to fit my body size well there is room on the fret board to play chords with ease. My tenor seems a bit awkward and the soprano while I can play it is a bit too small for my liking. My daughter on the other hand feels more physically comfortable playing a tenor ukulele, so for us its not psychological its what is physically comfortable which for us affects how we play.
 
Czechmate01 said:
Adding my 2 cents here, I have tenor, soprano and concert ukuleles, and for me it physically easier to play my concert ukulele it seems to fit my body size well there is room on the fret board to play chords with ease. My tenor seems a bit awkward and the soprano while I can play it is a bit too small for my liking. My daughter on the other hand feels more physically comfortable playing a tenor ukulele, so for us its not psychological its what is physically comfortable which for us affects how we play.
Click to expand...

I tend to play my tenors most but I feel the concert is my second fav. Mostly because it sounds better to me than my soprano and is nice and compact. The concert helped me develop my left hand as the tenor was a bit of a reach. However after playing the concert for a couple of months, I could reach most chords on my tenor a lot easier. I now have a Baritone and find that (other than diminished chords) I can reach four frets pretty easily. I need to teach my pinky to play now!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Junie Moon
Uke shops in Kyoto or Nara Japan?
Replies
14
Views
527
DuckyI
DuckyI
EDW
Many want this service from uke shops
Replies
17
Views
850
peanuts56
peanuts56
Cluze
Looking for European Uke Shops
Replies
4
Views
924
Rakelele
Rakelele
U
Help - Los Angeles uke shops?
Replies
10
Views
1K
El Viejo
E
igorthebarbarian
Seattle Uke shops?
Replies
6
Views
995
igorthebarbarian
igorthebarbarian
Top Bottom