Dip in quality

Kibes37

Kibes37

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I’m really starting to feel like I don’t want Ukes I have to baby. I have Kanile’a and a Clara (here any damn day);) I also desire a moon bird badly when funds are right. However, I’m finding not really caring about my Opio (still kinda babied, won’t stand for damage, but gets left out. Plus outside play) is freeing and relaxing. I’m super anal with my Kanile’a. I was gonna go barebone on the Clara, but I ended up getting most of the bells and whistles. So now it’s more expensive than my Kanile’a. Defeats some purpose. I have a beater soprano en route and I’m starting to drool over a black flea. I previously would not even entertain looking at one. Do I really need to go high end anymore? I think one Custom and a Moon Bird and My UAS will be for durability and care free play. I love the idea of good well priced deals with “sleeper” sound quality now. Seems like I’m heading towards a few real nice Ukes in cases in my closet and a bunch of character rich cost efficient models accessible and played much more. I suppose nice ones for recording will be a huge plus...
 
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Riffing on Jerryc41's "The Camera You Have with You" thread, a ukulele you're not afraid to play will sound much better than one that gets left in its case!

Part of my "is this too expensive" equation includes if it's pricy enough that I'd be afraid to play it. I'm pretty lazy, and if I can't keep an instrument out and at hand it's not likely to get played. My better acoustic guitar spends too much time in its case in favour of the lesser instruments that get hung on the wall year round.

There's also diminishing returns in sound quality - most of my inexpensive ukuleles sound great on their own, even if there's a noticeable difference when played side-by-side with a more expensive one (and honestly speaking, the limiting quality factor is the player not the instrument).

--Rob
 
I'm often surprised how much abuse just a regular wooden ukulele will withstand. Not bulletproof by any means, I've broken one, but I don't baby them and they do fine. I will admit that I do have one that I baby, but the rest enjoy life to the fullest.
 
I’m not a fan these days of worrying about belt buckles, headstocks catching things or rouge dog tails. I’m trying to care less about possessions in general. I have justified spending what I have already on the fact these Ukes are more than objects to fawn over. They bring immense joy, they help my concentration and memory, they make me better with my left hand in general, they make me a better listener and I’m way more constructive of a person when I have a sound goal... Becoming fluid and at home with this instrument. I’ve mentioned it before, but Kimo is right. They have their own personalities. Looks can be deceiving...
 
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I have a Kimo Baritone, beautiful wood (Swiss Moon Sitka and pepper quilted bubinga) and glossy finish. I babied that uke like crazy. Then 2 weeks ago, I dropped the case lid on it and the fang of the latch dented the top. I was devastated!!! But then.....I started really playing it. Chunking, strumming, tapping, really going at it. Now this Kimo is not perfect to look at but perfect to be played!
 
I totally get that. Maybe a blessing in disguise. Well done moving on... I probably would have put a dent in my wall and taken some anger management classes after that ;)
 
Rllink said:
I'm often surprised how much abuse just a regular wooden ukulele will withstand. Not bulletproof by any means, I've broken one, but I don't baby them and they do fine. I will admit that I do have one that I baby, but the rest enjoy life to the fullest.
Click to expand...

This is so true. I can see it now... a group of Portuguese sugar cane workers in the late 1800’s sitting around talking about humidifying their machetes, what case to keep them in, and worrying about taking them to the beach. Then one asks... “What string winder do you use?”. Sorry I couldn’t resist.

John
 
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I think that some people become emotionally attached to their ukuleles and the thought of them getting hurt is too much.
 
All my ukes are out, only for sale ones get put away. I look after all my ukes but most are used ukes or have come with a little beauty mark already. Although I look after my instruments and don't go out of my way to damage them it's very freeing to not worry about adding to the beauty marks story (as it were).
 
So true. The biggest impediment to enjoying ukes appears to be the care that must be taken with them, especially in the humidification dept.
 
A story I have related before. My brother inlaw has a Martin HD-28 guitar solid spruce and rosewood ($3500) that he bought in the 60s. He spent 10 years as a teenager back then hitchhiking around North America busking and living on the streets. He still plays that same guitar on stage today. It weathered all kinds of storms, has been repaired a few times and still sounds great.

All of my custom ukes have been out of the house and I take the Koolau traveling with me extensively. I use to have a Pono Pro Classic cedar and macassar ebony that I took camping all the time ($1200), it had some dings and scratches but was in great structural shape. Life is too short to play crappy sounding ukuleles around the camp fire, at friends houses and cottages, on the beach or on a mountain top.
 
I currently have & have had nice ukes in all price ranges. I take reasonable care of them, and I’m very bummed when one gets dinged. But I wouldn’t stop taking any of them, regardless of price, to any of my jams or performances. I recently got a Blackbird Clara for travel & camping. Some might think that’s too expensive of a uke for those purposes, but I got it because it’s sturdy, should travel well, and sounds fantastic.
 
Life is too short to play crappy sounding ukuleles around the camp fire, at friends houses and cottages, on the beach or on a mountain top.[/QUOTE]

Words to live by.
 
Kibes37 said:
Life is too short to play crappy sounding ukuleles around the camp fire, at friends houses and cottages, on the beach or on a mountain top.
Click to expand...

Words to live by.[/QUOTE]

I remembered your video..........I knew the phrase "mountain top" would resonant (pun intended) with you ;)

I take very very good care of my ukes but I bought them to play them. If a ding or scratch happens it does hurt but then it is magically transformed into a player and that is what it was made to be.
 
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Ain’t yours till you put some marks on it.

My Martin S1 is my beater uke and I played it everyday. Granted it’s not really high end, but it’s not cheap either. But it’s the uke that I have learnt most of the stuff on. There are so much strumming scratches near the sound hole that you would think they are part of the wood grains.

As it’s always out next to my sofa, the frets have receded a little due to the high humidity now. But it’s still very playability and affected nothing. I’m glad that Martin didn’t bind the fret edges as they most definitely have considered this situation. So I think our ukuleles, especially by reputable makers, are made to last for playing in some less than ideal condition.

So get your Clara (at least the Clara) out for what it is meant for. Just my thoughts.
 
I know what you mean. It's the same with a car. You either keep your "loved one" tucked away and never use it, or you use it and accept the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune." It's nice receiving a new uke that is absolutely perfect, and wishing it would stay that way, but that's not life. There's nothing wrong with having "use marks" on something. The only real downside is if you decide to sell it, because everyone likes perfection.

Instruments played by professionals are expensive, and they show signs of wear. If you're buying a used ukulele, you expect to pay less than new, so an appearance that's less than new is only reasonable. I take care of my ukes, but I also play them, and if they develop imperfections over time, so be it.
 
Thanks for the input and perspective guys. You are all right about just playing and letting go. All Ukes deserve a mountain top strum!
 
My prettiest and best-sounding concert used to be my Ohana cedar/willow with rope binding. I babied it. And then I left it on a chair at a jam in a bar. It hit the tile floor hard. Cracked on the lower bout where the top and sides meet. Nearly ripped off the bridge. I was devastated.

I took it to a luthier. She reglued the seam, but couldn't repair the gloss finish. It's no longer my prettiest concert, but it still sounds wonderful. And I don't mind taking it to gigs any more.
 
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