I Love you, Man...But don't touch my Uke!

pebbleInDaPacific

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 14, 2008
Messages
177
Reaction score
2
Location
Seattle
Ok, so everyone, I want your input on this one. I want to find out if i'm the only one here who thinks about this or if anyone else feels the same way.

Does anyone else here get all uncomfortable when someone picks up their uke to strum it a few times to play a song? I kinda get touchy when someone picks mine up to play because, although I believe in the whole, "lets jam together and be merry" mindset, I don't like it when someone picks up my uke and strums it in a way where they start scratching the wood. I don't want to sound all uptight about it so I just bite my lip and let them enjoy it since that is the way they play.

I do already have love wear from my playing, but they are MY marks and not others. Am I overacting? please set me straight if I am, or let me know if there are others like me out there and how they would handle it. Thanks!:)
 
Ok, so everyone, I want your input on this one. I want to find out if i'm the only one here who thinks about this or if anyone else feels the same way.

Does anyone else here get all uncomfortable when someone picks up their uke to strum it a few times to play a song? I kinda get touchy when someone picks mine up to play because, although I believe in the whole, "lets jam together and be merry" mindset, I don't like it when someone picks up my uke and strums it in a way where they start scratching the wood. I don't want to sound all uptight about it so I just bite my lip and let them enjoy it since that is the way they play.

I do already have love wear from my playing, but they are MY marks and not others. Am I overacting? please set me straight if I am, or let me know if there are others like me out there and how they would handle it. Thanks!:)

I wouldnt like anyone to be hard on my instrument that's for sure.... but luckily my friends all play some kind of instrument & we seem to have a mutual understanding when it comes to playing each others instruments....be easy......
 
I know how you feel. I am the same way. Most people who want to play mine,dont know how to play anything so they are just messing around and I cringe inside....but I cant be rude and say "No you cant touch it".And I cringe because these ukes arent cheap and I do my best to take care of it. Some people dont know or understand that. So its not their fault,most of them.
 
with most, i'm all right...

Aloha All,

I'm usually all right with others playing just about any of my ukes (well, with the exception of certain vintage and high end customs). I consider my threshold to be pretty high in allowing others to strum away but on certain pieces, I can barely let myself play them...let alone others.

ha...ha..ha... :D
Shawn

http://ukulelefriend.com
 
Thats why I take my Flea to work, so I don't have to cringe when I set it down to talk to someone and it gets picked up...
 
I don't have really expensive ukes, so I don't mind if someone strums away.
 
For the most part I let everyone play my instruments, even kids. The one thing I learned, is that the prettier the wood, the more careful 99% of the population tends to be. Also if it's pimped out with abalone or pretty bindings that too will make people gentler.

I've got a Pono Pikake and it's kinda funny there are people who refuse to touch it for fear of hurting it. But what's the fun of an instrument if you stress about putting wear and tear on it. Bruce Shimabukuro has a very nice Ko'olau and the sound board looks like a pack of wild dogs went after it.

We grew up with a simple rule. Treat others things better than you treat your own stuff, and if you can't afford to use or replace an item, then get a cheaper one cause life happens. We still live by that philosophy
 
We grew up with a simple rule. Treat others things better than you treat your own stuff, and if you can't afford to use or replace an item, then get a cheaper one cause life happens. We still live by that philosophy

Great Philosophy!
 
Thanks for all the responses so far! I ask this question, because here in the Northwest (Seattle) it finally stopped raining and it's bbq season. So it's the start of a lot more outdoor jamming. The people I play with do know how to play instruments, but they learned a different way, so they strum right over the face and sometimes chunk, or hit the wood, while I adjusted my playing style when learning so I don't touch the face/soundboard at all.

A beater would sound like the solution, but I think with everything I own, I like to take great care of it. So even if I had a beater, like a mahalo, I would treat it the same way, with a lot of care. hehe..:) Plus, after having played a lot on my Kamaka, I don't know if I would like playing with lesser expensive ones when jamming out especially since I want to sound the best I can with an audience.
 
keep a beater uke handy. that's the one you let them bang up with no worries.

What Russ said - whenever I have something that I like friends/family to participate in I have a "spare" handy - that way we can play together and I don't have to hand over my precious...
 
I share my better uks with experienced players, if it is just someone that wants to mess with one I keep a couple of el-cheapos handy.
 
My uke is pretty cheap so I shouldn't mind if people play it... but I still cringe. It's my baby!!!! But, we've gotta share the ukulele love.
 
I am with you on this!

I, too, love my musical instruments, and treat them very carefully. I cringe to think of others mishandling my beloved uke, or guitar, or whatever. So, it is best if you have a less precious instrument to take out into the world that others can touch without you having a silent fit. That way you can be relaxed instead of feeling anxious. To be on the safe side, hide the good ones at home, and only show them to people you can trust will treat them with the same loving respect that you do.

–Lori
 
I don't think I would mind, its just never happened.
Wouldn't let it be passed around at a party or something though.
 
Dunno, with a Sceptre and a Kamaka I think your insecurities are justified :biglaugh:
 
Top Bottom