All of my ukuleles have been bought unseen. The order and experiences were as follows:
- My very first ukulele was one of those $30 bundles with a plywood soprano, bag, book. While I was waiting for it, I spent a bit of time looking more into ukuleles (mostly tutorial videos) and learned about sizes. Lesson from this purchase: Look before you leap. But, really, it was pretty minor and I got the book. These well-advertised bundles probably do the instrument a disfavor.
- Next, now educated about sizes, I bought a $150 concert ukulele with a solid top from ebay. This was considerably better, but it wasn't set up, the action was too high, and the intonation was off. I considered being done with ukuleles at this point, but persisted, found this forum here, and I learned about set up, woods, and so on.
- Next I bought a soprano and a tenor from a small store in Germany where the owner does setups (ukumele.de). They were both KPK-level instruments (from the KPK factory), solid, and very playable. I was a bit frustrated about not knowing which size to focus on, which hampered my learning process since there was a latent feeling of dissatisfaction, but this was unrelated to the instruments. They were good and the reason why I stuck with the hobby. I faded in and out of the hobby for two years, not buying anything, but also not really progressing much.
- Then the exposure to high-end instruments here on the forum caused me to want a custom ukulele, and I wanted to get more serious about the ukulele and "really learn it" (what better way to be serious about something than to drop cash on it!
). I figured the tenor would give me the best options (versatility), so I bought a semi-custom from overseas. Fascinating instrument, and five times more expensive than my most expensive ukulele before. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but I didn't get on with it. It wasn't the instrument, it was me. I didn't feel I could do it justice, felt my abilities didn't improve fast enough, felt I should have waited longer (it is currently my most played ukulele, I just had to discover low-G tuning with a wound string), and I had second thoughts about the size. Importing was also a pain in the butt, so the next ukes were all bought within Europe so I wouldn't have to deal with the customs office (19+3% in taxes, fees, etc) and the hassle.
- Those second thoughts then let to the purchase of a KoAloha LN pineapple soprano. The problem with having a higher end instrument is that it sets a new standard in terms of craftsmanship, so now that I had experienced a custom instrument, only other customs or K brand ukuleles had much appeal. I bought the KoAloha from a European vendor. No setup, but it was fine and I could have sent it back within two weeks. Loved it, even though my size preferences would change again.
- Bought a vintage soprano from someone on here at a good price. 90 years old, still a great player. Shortly after a string ripped through the bridge and it would be a few months before I got it repaired ($100). Like the little thing, and I doubt I'll ever sell it. It's now D tuned, probably like when it was born, sounds like the 1920s instrument it is, and it's just very uke-y.
- Then I bought a KoAloha Opio concert from a vendor, also without setup, but had the guy check for intonation, and I again could have sent it back within two weeks (seller paying return shipment). This purchase was the result of my size struggles and wanting to find the "one uke" that combines everything, but I didn't want to drop $1000+ for a size I wasn't sure I would stick with. I also wanted quality, so the Opio was the best compromise. I liked it well enough, it was set-up well from the factory, but it was neither fish nor foal. Still have it.
- Detour back to sopranos by buying a used custom Black Bear from a forum member. He'd played it on a video and he checked intonation. It came perfectly set up, a really good deal. A definite candidate for a desert island ukulele. A really good shopping experience, too, that convinced me that buying used is a very viable alternative, especially when buying from someone who has been around for a while.
- Still somewhat searching, I picked up a Pono baritone that my KoAloha vendor had in stock. Same deal: Only factory setup, but hand checked by the vendor, and risk-free 2-weeks return policy (it's a law in Europe, not a favor offered by vendors). It came set up well from the factory. I want to say that without the 2-weeks return option I would not have bought any of these expensive ukuleles without setup being included. For me, one of these two conditions is an absolute must. Loved the baritone, still do. It convinced me of linear tuning and lead to the resurrection of my custom tenor that I now love with linear tuning and play a lot.
- And finally, all of these experiences that helped me refine my preferences now result in me getting a Kanile'a guitarlele. Bit of a gamble, but I plan to get it from a vendor that DOES do set-ups, because I can't get one on a national level, and having to ship something back to a foreign country is not a desirable option. So, setup it is! Whether I will like it, I don't know, but it will be flawlessly playable.
Well, lessons? One is that preferences change. Even if I could have tried every ukulele before I bought it, I would not have been able to really determine which size is best for me. I still don't know for sure. I also learned that strings and tunings matter a lot, and that first impressions mean almost nothing when it comes to ukuleles and me. So I'm not sure if trying before buying would have done much for me outside of testing playability and intonation in terms of setup (which is an important aspect, however). But sizes, woods, construction aspects, with those I needed much more and much longer exposure to really begin to even formulate my preferences.
So, a trip to a store, even if there had been one closer than five hours (one way) where I could have tried higher end ukuleles, wouldn't really have made much of a difference when it comes to determining long-term preferences.