What's the best type of Uke? (a joke, sort of)

igorthebarbarian

igorthebarbarian

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Q: What is the best type of ukulele?....
A: The one you play the most!

I may have nicer ukuleles by Blackbird, but the ones I play the MOST, by far, are the Flea and the Fluke that sit by my sofa.

The best uke is the one you play the most.
 
Even if one has several of one body type let say soprano, each one has its peculiarities in playability. I find it needing time to adjust when I switch between ukes too much so I can't seem to familiarize myself quickly on any one uke. So I try to stick to one uke for a couple of weeks so I get really familiar to the playability of one. Right now im learning on my teton mahogany and really trying to hone in on playing refinement on it. So teton is my best now.
 
igorthebarbarian said:
The best uke is the one you play the most.
Click to expand...

I can find no fault with this reasoning. If it is true, then my "best" ukulele is a beat-to-heck 60 year old Japanese no-name soprano I bought off ebay in 2000 for about $15 inc shipping.

I've owned far "better" ukes and still do, but none of them make me a better player or bring me more happiness. This uke has history. It's even died and been resurrected.
 
igorthebarbarian said:
Q: What is the best type of ukulele?....
Click to expand...

The one I bought most recently. Just now a 6 string tenor. Before last weekend a baritone. before that... :nana:
 
ubulele said:
"Played most" has to do with many factors that have little relation to quality or even to which ukes give one the most enjoyment. I have one uke which I keep out of case in the bedroom, so it gets a disproportionate amount of play in comparison to its quality–it wouldn't be my "deserted island" uke, and in fact, if something bad happened to it, no great shakes. I choose other ukes according to what tuning they're in, or whether they have a cutaway, wider nut, pickup, smaller body or particular tone. "The best uke is the one you play the most" strikes me as a "deepity".
Click to expand...

Don't be so grumpy, he was joking.
 
I'm fortunate to live where ukes don't need to be humidified, so they can stay within easy reach. My nicest ukes get played the most.
 
Play nice. You don't want to make your mods all grumpy, do you? (Rhetorical question.)
 
I'd say, the one that suits my present mood..........
......or the one that feels right in the hands today........
......or the one with the right tone...... :)
 
If I could answer this, I would only have one of the bunch of ukes in my signature. :) I feel I narrowed it down (sold the rest), though, and what I play the most changes a bit on mood. The "chilliest" picks are the Famous and the Blackbird, because they live outside their cases and I don't need to glance at the hygrometer for their sake. I do like the others, though, they have their own voices and I bonded with them (still cozying up with the Farallon, but it's easy to like even though it doesn't have the individuality of a wooden uke).

One thing I know, though: if I could only have one, any of them would keep me happy. I actually think any uke would do that, as long as it has good intonation and playability.
 
Last edited:
I seem to naturally split my time between all my ukes. I love them all in their different ways. Spent the last couple of days playing my soprano. The only one I have now strung with a high G. Does anybody ever string a soprano with a low G?
 
Fuzzbass said:
The only one I have now strung with a high G. Does anybody ever string a soprano with a low G?
Click to expand...

Herb Ohta Sr. does, although I have no idea what he uses for the low-g. He makes it sound really good, too.
 
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