A lesson in loving what you have

YogiTom

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As some may know, I recently pulled my listing for the aNueNue Moon Bird Soprano which I originally bought in a moment of UAS insanity. After recording a sound sample and review for my NUD, it sat in its case, unplayed. Hence why I thought selling it would be a better fate for it.

Well, today I pulled it out, barely had to tune it up, and started noodling around on it again.

Wtf was I thinking trying to sell this thing off at such a financial loss?? I kind of want to go back in time and slap myself for ever thinking I couldn’t have a lot of fun playing this little Bird. I would put it only slightly behind my Kanile‘a Platinum in terms of combining a bright tone with good note separation and a rich, warm sustain. The smaller size is t nearly the drawback I originally thought it was.

I’ve even noticed things I didn’t before, like a very subtle radius on the back! I love this design element, and I think it really helps this little thing boom and ring out so sweetly. Also, it smells fantastic inside the sound hole (something I’ve only recently started to notice in ukes). The back brace also appears to be made of matching rosewood, making it disappear when you look inside. A nice touch.

All this to say, I’m glad I had the opportunity to give this one another chance. Knowing what I know now, I would’ve been very sad to let it go for the price I was asking in the marketplace.

Anyone else out there revisit a previously “not for me” uke in their collection and discovered a new love or appreciation for it?
 
On the (much) lower end I've been having a similar experience with my Kala-TEMB. I don't have room for it and I have too many tenors, but it's pretty and it makes me smile to play it and it does sound noticeably different. Every time I go to Craigslist it I end up playing instead!
 
I have a love/hate relationship with a couple of mine too, but never get as far as thinking about selling, would lose too much.

Take them out now & again, have a pick or strum, & a few tunes later, put them back into their gig bags - until next time. ;)
 
Anyone else out there revisit a previously “not for me” uke in their collection and discovered a new love or appreciation for it?

I sold five, realized later that I had made a mistake, and then bought them again - both new and used. That's why I tend to buy more than I sell. I'm afraid I'll regret it later.
 
...but never get as far as thinking about selling, would lose too much.

Losing money is always a consideration when selling anything. On the other hand, a sale would provide income. If I pay $2,000 for a uke and sell it for $1,000, I'm gaining $1,000. The only loss was incurred when I bought it. Sitting in the case, it's not earning you anything, unless you use the uke to make money.
 
Losing money is always a consideration when selling anything. On the other hand, a sale would provide income. If I pay $2,000 for a uke and sell it for $1,000, I'm gaining $1,000. The only loss was incurred when I bought it. Sitting in the case, it's not earning you anything, unless you use the uke to make money.

It's NEVER earning you anything unless you play professionally or the value has increased. Selling, however, allows you to recover some of your funds and lessens your loss.
 
Losing money is always a consideration when selling anything. On the other hand, a sale would provide income. If I pay $2,000 for a uke and sell it for $1,000, I'm gaining $1,000. The only loss was incurred when I bought it. Sitting in the case, it's not earning you anything, unless you use the uke to make money.

The way I see it you are out $1000. You are without the uke and you are out the $1000 you could have spent on something else. (the opportunity cost) The only thing you gained out of the scenario was the experience you had with the uke while you owned it.
 
The way I see it you are out $1000. You are without the uke and you are out the $1000 you could have spent on something else. (the opportunity cost) The only thing you gained out of the scenario was the experience you had with the uke while you owned it.

This is sorta how I feel about that. It really doesn't feel so much like loss, though, as much as "investment" in myself.

I'd been having a lot of trouble with my favorite uke, intonations issues. It was driving me crazy to play up the neck, it was so far out that even other people cringed. I was constantly checking my tuning. I decided that the bridge must be placed incorrectly, and 2 luthiers sort of agreed with me. Not wanting to have it in a shop for days, or weeks, I jumped on the chance to have a new custom uke built.
Then after having what seemed like issues (buzzes) to me, everyone else said I was nuts, I put the original uke in the hands of Donna Loprinzi. She measured and measured and found another problem, and adjusted it as well as she could without major surgery.
Now it is more fun to play, it will never be perfect, so I'm encouraged to play the new uke for stuff that requires fretting above #7.
The buzzing I think I hear in the other uke comes and goes, but I know it isn't operator error. I'd quickly admit it if it were, and change my hand position, or ignore it on an open string. The chords and notes go by quicker than they used to anyway....
I'm learning to appreciate more and more, the ukes I have. I don't think I need any more at this point.
I'm pretty content with these little guys!
 
I love everything I have. That's why I'm such a hoarder. :drool:
 
I love many ukes. I just don't feel the need to own everything I love.
 
I love everything I have. That's why I'm such a hoarder. :drool:

Owning 3 different sized ukes is not hoarding. Unless there is more ukes than the ones in your signature. Haha.
 
... All this to say, I’m glad I had the opportunity to give this one another chance. Knowing what I know now, I would’ve been very sad to let it go for the price I was asking in the marketplace.

Anyone else out there revisit a previously “not for me” uke in their collection and discovered a new love or appreciation for it?

Tom, I’m so glad that you’re keeping the fat little bird around. I’m such a fan of it and can I say it’s the only adorable ukulele at the high end? I understand your plight as my wifey constantly drops gentle reminders where I’m merely window shopping for ukes on my phone. I’m being given with the “1 out 1 in” sentence too.

I did sold off my only concert uke of solid cedar with rosewood back and sides which I think I should most probably kept it. But i was pretty certain that I’m a pure soprano guy at that point in time. I ended buying a Martin concert C1K to replace it.
 
This is sorta how I feel about that. It really doesn't feel so much like loss, though, as much as "investment" in myself.
!
I so agree. Life is filled with investments in ourselves like eating, caring for others and pursuit of our passions that feed the soul :) Even the animals at home seem to listen and enjoy Gram’s uke time. At least I’m a happier person when I’m strumming and hopefully making progress :)
 
The way I see it you are out $1000. You are without the uke and you are out the $1000 you could have spent on something else. (the opportunity cost) The only thing you gained out of the scenario was the experience you had with the uke while you owned it.

Logic and beautiful ukuleles don't play well together. : ) If I was being purely logical, I would have done a lot of research and bought just one $500 uke and stuck with it, resisting the temptation to buy other sizes or styles. The same applies to a lot of things. I should have just two pairs of pants - one for working around the house and one for dressing up. For me, much of the fun of ukuleles is the variety.
 
A few months back I debated selling a uke that I dearly loved because it had a few features I disliked (older friction tuners, gloss neck) and lacked a feature I wanted (pick-up). I could sell it and buy another model of that brand that was "perfect," or I could invest some time & effort and get new tuners and a pick-up installed. This uke had such a wonderful sound, feel, and playability that I chose to modify it instead of sell it. Now, in retrospect I know that I made the right decision. Selling it would have been totally dumb and I would have regretted it immensely.

On the other hand, I have tried & sold about a dozen other ukes. Some were fairly quick decisions. Others stayed with me for awhile longer. I've never had a big regret about any of those.
 
I was surprised when it didn't sell and am glad you found a new appreciation for it. Time will tell if it sticks or fades. This is a constant issue for me with traditional sopranos. I always want them, but very rarely play them when I have them. Then I sell them. Then I start looking at Laughlin 5K or's or Kiwaya Master's. Then I think, I'm an idiot for even thinking about sinking that kind of money in something experience tells me I won't play over time. So I bought a longneck KoAloha all 'hog soprano thinking that would fill the niche for me. It is a great uke. But again, I almost never play it. And almost any uke is easy to sell when it's not being played much. Then I get it out and think, why would I sell this? Limited production. To me, it sounds better than the koa ones and can scratch my soprano itch. And then it gets put away and the cycle starts anew.

I have been selling a lot of instruments lately and still have a handful to shed which includes many tenors that get regular play. I just have too many and there are still a few other builders whose ukes I'd like to own for awhile, so some have to go. And I know as I play each it only makes it harder to decide. So I tell myself by letting them go, I'll get to meet new ones and new friends.
 
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