How many?

Just for the sake of getting away from the election day drama, and because UAS threads always get lots of traction, I thought that I would ask. Everyone likes to talk about how many they have, but I was curious how many some people have had? I have two ukuleles at the moment, but I've had three. I gave one away. But sometimes I am just mind boggled by how many ukuleles some people own, and I'll bet that when we start talking about how many some people have gone through over time, the numbers get crazy.

And of "X" number of ukes owned, how many of them are actually played regularly or for a meaningful amount of time? I have 3 and I don't feel all of them get the time they deserve given the cost even though I try to play them all fairly regularly.

I'm gonna have to plead the fifth on this one.

I have owned 20 ukes. I currently have 13 of those in house. Yes they all get played....some more than others. I might be in a soprano mood or a concert mood or a tenor mood or a baritone mood. Among those I might desire a warm tone or a bright tone or a...........oh heck there is no need for justification. They all give my great joy.

Good topic Rolli.......some guys will no doubt blow our minds

DownUpDave said:

I have owned 20 ukes. I currently have 13 of those in house. Yes they all get played....some more than others. I might be in a soprano mood or a concert mood or a tenor mood or a baritone mood. Among those I might desire a warm tone or a bright tone or a...........oh heck there is no need for justification. They all give my great joy.

Good topic Rolli.......some guys will no doubt blow our minds

Click to expand...

I enjoy reading about people's UAS, but no one need defend themselves or their ukuleles. I didn't intend for it to be judgmental. I do a lot of things that I can't justify. In fact, I have a life long friend who questions almost everything I do or think, and he's heard me say, ""cause I feel like it," thousands of times. I just thought that it would be fun to ask. It makes no difference to me if they get played or not.

I recently heard that the right number of ukuleles for anyone to own is "n + 1" with "n" being the number you currently own.

Mitch

Over the past almost four years, I've owned a total of five sopranos (and a Waterman, but it was unplayable), two tenors, two concerts, one baritone, and a guitarlele (which is really a short-scale guitar). Of those, I have three sopranos (and the Waterman), two tenors, one concert (needs repairs, was my first instrument) and the guitarlele left, so, seven, and the Waterman. I sold and re-homed the baritone (loved it, but thought the guitarlele would replace it, which it did not), the KoAloha Opio concert, and the KoAloha LN pineapple soprano. I accidentally destroyed my first soprano, a mahogany ukuMele. I'm likely to sell the guitarlele, even though it is lovely and wonderful, because I spread myself too thin, and I intend to gift the extra ukuMele tenor to my elderly landlady for Christmas.

As for playing them actively, I regularly (at least once a week) play only four of them and typically have one or two that I play daily. Lately, that's been the Famous FS-5 soprano and the Black Bear soprano, previously it was my Barron River tenor that I still do like.

I'm not "done" yet, but I feel that I'm slowly getting to the point where I know what I want. If right now you asked me which one ukulele I would keep if I could only have one, it would be the Famous FS-5G. It's still new to me, so there's the newness factor, but the immense playability and very precise intonation (three times compensated saddle) paired with its sound, volume, and low maintenance aspects (it's quality laminate, though I'd never be able to tell if I didn't know) make this a keeper for me.

While I feel that having experienced so many (by my standards at least) instruments really improved my understanding of my own preferences, and was rather educating, I also feel that it slowed down my improvement. More focus, I feel, is better. Still, seeing how I went through various phases where I favored this or that size, this or that tuning, I think that this journey has definitely been needed, if only to get the wondering and speculating off my mind.

Ideally, though, I'd like to end up with no more than three, and that'll happen eventually. I think I'd feel best with that number.

I have never gotten rid of any ukulele I own. I have a few more than in my signature. I have two wall hangers that could be fixed to be playable - a vintage camp uke and a Kay soprano. Keep meaning to consign some at a local shop, but....

I think I've owned a total of 10 over a period of 8 years. I've kept 3 and have no need or plans to buy more.

When I started looking at ukes as serious instruments on their own, the question was what "fits" me the best. In order to determine the answer, a lot of experimentation was necessary. Many have come and gone - some very good, none too bad. What's in the stable now all get played regularly, and each one satisfies a particular musical niche.

Every one in the stable has been set up, modified and otherwise tweaked by me. I find a lot of enjoyment in taking what some consider inexpensive "sow's ear" models and turning them into "silk purse" specials. So, there is a lot of kinship that's been developed with the instruments by working on them.

Three. A "vintage" Chicago-made Harmony baritone, an Excel soprano, and a "vintage" China-made Harmony soprano.

I don't play the bari as often as I should. I hadn't touched literally in years, so I recently changed the strings and I'm playing it more now.

The Excel is for work.

The Harmony soprano is at home.

I have owned 26 since 2011 and now have those listed in my signature. Almost impossible to find quality ukes in stores here so in order to find the "right" one, I had to purchase and then sell before settling on the right "ones". UU was a life-saver in this because you are dealing with very knowledgeable community of straight shooters who not only know their stuff, but are willing to share and support.

I've bought a few, & they're all still with me.

I have been looking for what suits me best, & I think I'm just about there now, but I still play nearly every one of them, (the original Makalas only occasionally).

Basically what I have as my main ukes are my Kala Cedar topped bari, my tenor necked Solid Mahogany Ohana concert & soprano, my Baton Rouge solid Spruce concert fitted with a MiSi Trio, & my Kala KA-SLNG concert necked soprano. (Plus I have 2 RISA electric ukes, but haven't been playing them much of late.)

I have what's below plus two banjoleles which I count as little tenor banjos. I don't intend to buy anymore as I'm spending my music money on banjo stuff, and it's expensiver.

And yes, I do have a problem keeping up with all my stuff, but I'm old. ld:

I think the most I had at one time was four. Generally I had two at a time till the last two years when I have had just the one.

Now? I just have my recently received Koaloha KCM 00. I try to employ minimalism in my life. My old ukulele is sold. One guitar one Ukulele.

If I were to break the rule (and I often browse) I would have a Martin or Martin style soprano. But for now I'm content and blown away daily by the tone of that Koaloha.

More than 25 in total. Currently 10

Between ukuleles, bass ukes and mini bass guitars (in my signature), I've gone through 34 since I started playing ukulele about 3 1/2 years ago (including 3 basses that are on their way). In the first year I had 16 ukes that I culled down to 4, which I rotated regularly because our uke group meets twice a week, and in the last couple of months bought 2 more. My first was a soprano before I knew about sizes, but when I had a hard time making chords, I bought my first tenor cutaway and that's all I've bought since. I buy for style as much as anything else, each of my ukes has something distinctive for me, and also play very well.

Then a couple of years ago I started playing bass and continue to accumulate and modify those, also rotating them regularly. Since I will only play very short scale bass, no more than 25 inches, I modify the few that are available to look like popular full size basses, and actually will buy a 3/4 guitar to convert into a mini bass, I have 3 like that.

I stopped worrying about GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) a while ago and just enjoy the process of searching out and modifying what I find. I actually thought I would stop at 10 basses because that's all that would fit on a wall rack I put up, but that did not stop me, so I just bought another rack to fit 10 more, we'll see how soon that fills up.

In the almost 50 years of playing guitar, I only bought 5, and since playing uke, I haven't touched my guitars.

Too busy looking for the next one to count but it is greater than 40.

Forty-seven!

Currently about 10 out of appx 30 (not a good rate I now realize). The thrill of the hunt...