Do you carry a Uke around?

JackLuis

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I carry one with me when I go to the VA for Medical work. It passes the time while waiting. Last week I had three people come and sit by me just to hear my concert play stuff and three VA workers gave me a thumbs up.

I generally take my soprano or sopranino but took my concert last week because it sounds so good. I think it's the strings, EJ99's that make it chime so. I just play quietly but the chimes kind of penetrate the large halls. One lady came down from the second deck to sit by me she said she heard it from upstairs and came down to see what it was.

Next time I go I'm going to play Country Joe's, "I feel like I'm fixin' to die rag" and see how many grins I can get. :D
 
I have not as of yet brought my uke around, but plan to start taking a soprano, with a strap, slung backwards over my shoulder, like gunslinger-style and go everywhere like that, even if just to see what happens.

Also, it will let me practice as much as possible whenever or where ever it will not disturb folks.

I may get one of those $35 yellow Mahalo 'smiley' ukes, specifically for this purpose since they are cheap enough, but I am not looking forward to doing the full setup it is likely going to require, but when I see The Jives Aces with one, I am reminded and want one of these ukes, and using it to spread the joy seems like a fitting tribute with a uke that has a smiley face graphic on the front.

619oAsSKTDL._SL1500_.jpg

https://www.amazon.com/Mahalo-Smile-Soprano-Ukulele-Yellow/dp/B004WBXY74
 
ALWAYS for years have a UKE with me in travels, even at doctors office wait room sometimes. What a blessing you get from others who listen -enjoy, brings a smile to everyone I meet and even some converts. GO FOR IT, people LOVE to hear it, even a TUNING is salve to others ears. Don't forget to put good strings on it.
 
I have a most likely 50s Martin Soprano that had a completely wrong back put on it. It has no braces there and is not high quality Mahogany if it is at all.
That is the "live in the car"ukulele for the past 10 years. It stays reasonably in tune and is loud and not too un-Martin like in sound. I no longer play it at stop lights.
 
I just carry a Uke, no strap or anything. The Concert is small enough to not be a problem and sounds a lot better than a plinky plunky Sop.

I like to take one to Carl's Jr near my home, in the afternoon there are few people in the place, most are take out folks, and it's air conditioned. There is a group of Sr Citizens that play cards in there once a week.

My Zebrawood ukes are inexpensive enough to not have to worry about them. I'd never carry my solid rosewood and Cedar topped Ohana around in it's hard case. But my ~$50 ukes are made for sharing. I even try to get people who are interested in to trying them.
 
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I have not as of yet brought my uke around, but plan to start taking a soprano, with a strap, slung backwards over my shoulder, like gunslinger-style and go everywhere like that, even if just to see what happens.

Also, it will let me practice as much as possible whenever or where ever it will not disturb folks.

I may get one of those $35 yellow Mahalo 'smiley' ukes, specifically for this purpose since they are cheap enough, but I am not looking forward to doing the full setup it is likely going to require, but when I see The Jives Aces with one, I am reminded and want one of these ukes, and using it to spread the joy seems like a fitting tribute with a uke that has a smiley face graphic on the front.

Just a point of clarification. The Jive Aces, from the videos that I have seen, use a Yellow Makala Dolphin raterthan a Mahalo. I believe that there isn't any sponsorship link; Kala discovered then using a standard yellow Dolphin and then presented them with another that had an inbuilt electric pick-up.

All painted Ukes are not equal; I've heard a few Mahalo's and suggest that you'll regret the purchase. Yellow is a cheerful colour, if you can carry it off. I'm a Kala fan (and have a Dolphin), but I suspect that Ohana do a better coloured Uke. Unfortunately Ohana's SK15 doesn't seem to be available in yellow and costs about double the price of a Dolphin.
 
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But of course I do. I couldn´t go anywhere without my uke! Don´t want to be in the nude, do we? ;)

Ha! oh the horror! :smileybounce:
 
I just carry a Uke, no strap or anything. The Concert is small enough to not be a problem and sounds a lot better than a plinky plunky Sop.

I would disagree that sopranos are "plinky plunky".
 
I just carry a Uke, no strap or anything. The Concert is small enough to not be a problem and sounds a lot better than a plinky plunky Sop.

Some Sopranos do sound plinky plunky to my ears too and I've not heard that sound on the Concert size Ukes. However, some people actually like that plinky plunky sound and seek it our whilst others (me included) don't. In defence of the Soprano I normally choose to play them over Concerts and have managed to select Ukes and Strings that have a fuller sound (My instruments weren't expensive and IMHO my Sopranos are not plinky plunky at all).

I agree that Concert Ukes aren't particularly large, but I find the Sopranos are more (easily) transportable and more comfortable to use in group (close seating) situations, YMMV.
 
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That's a pretty creative way to capture an audience. Are you making any tips doing it? I take mine to the park and play it. Sometimes when I'm out riding my bicycle on the trail I take it along, with a bottle of wine, and stop along the way. I never play my ukulele in any public place where people are forced to listen to me. So the waiting room, no. Out on the streets, sure. I should maybe back off from that a little, because I play it on my front porch where my neighbors have to hear me all the time, but that is the only time I do. But I do some busking, so sometimes I go out and play in the streets, and I wander here and there with my ukulele in hand. But I'm mindful of where I pitch. It is just good business.
 
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When I get back and get my ukes back from where I store them, it will be like being a new player again with new ideas and enthusiasm.
They say, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

We rent a house and spend a week on the beach every summer and over the years, as my playing has improved, I'm more willing to share/play in front of others. This summer my ukulele was a big hit, maybe I'm just getting better, and I ended up jamming with a few guitarists and I gave quite a few lessons to beginners.

So next year, I'll definitely be bringing two ukuleles. (I can already see the "You're bringing two?!" look on my wife's face. lol)
 
I generally do. As one George Harrison said, "You never know when you might need one."
 
I do not. Used to when I was a hospice nurse, I took it to work. I took it to the ALF I worked at too, but was too busy there to get it out most nights.
I just don't have many opportunities to just take it out and play wherever I am, and don't want to damage it.
Oh well.....
 
When people learn that I play ukulele they say, "You should have brought it with you." So now about 90% of the time it goes where I am going. Yesterday I was practicing Jim Croce's "I Got a Name." at the book store just before I recorded it for Seasons. A guy came in bought some SciFi and when I finished gave me an applause.
 
I keep a soprano in my car along with some recorders. I really ought to add some gob irons as well.
 
I have a Caramel sopranino, and Outdoor Tenor, and now this Enya EUR-X1 Soprano, all which I can haul around with me, and all are relatively quiet and not really impacted by temperature. If I am doing anything that has the potential to have unrestricted down time in a place with some space...I bring a uke.
 
I always carry one when I'm traveling, my little KoAloha Long neck soprano. It passes the time at airports with smiles. As I have gotten more cinfident I am happier to play with people around. At least I know I sound better than airport announcements. Also play on trains. Normally pick rather than strum, so it is a gentler sound for those not wanting to be intruded upon. I just suffer from itchy fingers if I'm not playing.
 
For those traveling with ukes in public places, do people come up to you and ask you to play certain songs? If so what songs?
 
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