2 ukuleles and one has to go

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Steve Foster

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Hi all. Long time lurker here.

I have a difficult choice to make and keep going in circles with it.

I wondered what you would do in this situation, but more importantly the reasons for your decision. Maybe your views might give me a nudge in the right direction for me. I'd be happy with either one which makes it even harder to decide lol.

I have two ukuleles both Ohanas; an sk-28 and an sk-38. I love them both, but one of them has to go for financial reasons. I'm really struggling trying to decide which one to keep.

I pick one up and play it and think yes this one I'll keep. Then I'll pick the other one up and...well you can guess :(:)

Sound wise I think the 38 has the edge, but it's close.

Playability wise I think the 28 has the edge. I do quite like the fretboard being level with the body.

Looks wise I like them both as much as each other although the 28 may just have the edge.

I am only learning (a few months) which I think makes the choice more difficult as I don't know yet how to get the best out of each instrument.

Anyone have any thoughts? Maybe reasons for keeping one over the other that I haven't thought of.

Thanks.
Steve.
 
Well if both are relatively even, I'd go with the one that has an edge in sound. If it becomes an only uke, the playability preference may very likely go away since they are both playable. Personally, I like the look of the 38 better. The 28 would be a bit too much for me with that prominent looking binding and I'm not a fan of it going up the center of the fretboard and headstock but that's me. Some would choose it over the other for that very reason.

Another approach would be to flip a coin. While the coin is still in the air, take note of which uke in your mind you hope it is or isn't. Good luck with your choice.
 
Last edited:
Thanks. Good point about the playability preference maybe going away. I like the flip a coin idea as well. It may well come down to that in the end.
 
I personally would go with play ability.
I find that if I like the feel of uke, I unconsciously adjust my playing to get the most out of it.
 
I'd say the 38, you should get a slightly better price for it, & as both are pretty much equal in your mind. :)

Besides, when you become better off financially, you will likely want a better uke, as you will have progressed in your playing & will appreciate a higher quality, & that also gives you something to aspire to. ;)
 
For me, play ability beats looks every time. I always go back to the one that "plays its self". Like the one you see up top.
 
I find more Ukes sound better than play better. If one is easier to play, you will probably play it more.
 
I went through a similar situation recently. On a whim I bought a third tenor but can only justify (afford) 2 (one for high g and one for low g). I spent days playing them, making sound recordings trying to decided which one would have to go. The more I played them, the harder the decision became. That was 3 months ago and I still have all three. My wife is very understanding of my condition and since I recently sold a few guitars, heck, I might just keep it.

I have sold many guitars and always had a hard time doing so, but 5 minutes after they are out the door, I never miss them or think of them again (feels good to have cash in hand). It's a hard decision but once you decide I don't think you'll have remorse. I tend to keep things more for tone and sonic color than playability. Good luck.
 
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@Trader Todd, knowing my luck they would both probably sell simultaneously :eek:

Hmm, looks like it could be coming down to a playability vs sound situation. This is helping, thanks.
 
Rob Uker said:
I personally would go with play ability.
I find that if I like the feel of uke, I unconsciously adjust my playing to get the most out of it.
Click to expand...

The more I think about it the playability might be the deciding factor in the end.

One thing that does happen with the 38 (hasn't happened with any other ukes I've played) is that my strumming finger (index) keeps catching on the g string. It's like it sticks to my finger momentarily and then frees itself. I'm not sure why it's doing it, but it is very irritating.

Anyone experienced anything similar to this?
 
So if a friend/relative/neighbor asks if you could come over and bring one (and only one) of your ukes over for a try out........he or she is thinking about taking up the ukulele...........which one would you bring?
 
Hmmm. Playability vs. sound. Tough choice.

Like ubulele said, it may only be a matter of slight adjustment to level the playability field. If you're comfortable adjusting action on the 38, I'd try that first.

The 28 is more unique and less likely to become redundant down the line should you choose to upgrade to another ukulele.

With practice, you'll learn to compensate for both sound and playability (within certain limits). But that's only with practice.

Keep that one that encourages you to practice more.
 
Echoing a couple others on this post, playability is key. The more you love your uke and love PLAYING your uke (not just hearing the sound of your uke), the more you'll play and the more you'll improve. Eventually, you'll want a better fancier more expensive uke that will bring the sound quality with it. For now, practice practice practice on the uke you love to PLAY the most.
 
stevejfc said:
So if a friend/relative/neighbor asks if you could come over and bring one (and only one) of your ukes over for a try out........he or she is thinking about taking up the ukulele...........which one would you bring?
Click to expand...

This is interesting. I think the 38 although I'm not entirely sure why. Maybe because the 28 is a little out of the ordinary in its design and the 38 more conventional.

Edit.
Thinking about this some more I think my reasons for doing what I would do in this situation are different than the reasons for choosing which one to sell. Interesting thought though non the less.
 
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jeremycole said:
Echoing a couple others on this post, playability is key. The more you love your uke and love PLAYING your uke (not just hearing the sound of your uke), the more you'll play and the more you'll improve. Eventually, you'll want a better fancier more expensive uke that will bring the sound quality with it. For now, practice practice practice on the uke you love to PLAY the most.
Click to expand...

It's starting to look like the 28 might be the keeper as I'm slowing leaning towards playability being the deciding factor. I'll be making a final decision tomorrow.
 
bacchettadavid said:
Hmmm. Playability vs. sound. Tough choice.

Like ubulele said, it may only be a matter of slight adjustment to level the playability field. If you're comfortable adjusting action on the 38, I'd try that first.

The 28 is more unique and less likely to become redundant down the line should you choose to upgrade to another ukulele.

With practice, you'll learn to compensate for both sound and playability (within certain limits). But that's only with practice.

Keep that one that encourages you to practice more.
Click to expand...

I like the action on the 38 even though it is higher than what most people seem to like. I'm now starting to think that I like the fretboard level with the body more than I thought. Maybe that's something that really suits me.
 
I think I'm close to making a decision. All your comments have been incredibly helpful and I thank you all very much for commenting.

I think you can guess the way I'm probably going to go based on my replies here.

Methinks I'll sleep on it and decide tomorrow.
 
Steve Foster said:
One thing that does happen with the 38 (hasn't happened with any other ukes I've played) is that my strumming finger (index) keeps catching on the g string. It's like it sticks to my finger momentarily and then frees itself. I'm not sure why it's doing it, but it is very irritating.
Click to expand...

The more you play, the more unusual, weird, and unexplained things happen and it will only happen on certain things. I play certain chords just fine on some Ukes and on others, I can't keep my fingers from muting the strings. Live and learn...
 
+1 for playability.

You might try deciding on one to sell, and then putting it away for a short period of time, and seeing if you miss that one. Even if you need to sell quickly, you perhaps could put it away for a couple days or a week, and see if you miss having access to it.
 
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