I was wondering, do ukes have bad days? It seems that some days I can play a uke and it sounds great but other days the very same uke doesn't sound that hot. (I'm talking about sound quality given that I play it with the same level of skill each time.) I'm not talking about a subtle difference but rather the difference of "I'm keeping this uke forever!" and "Hmm... I wonder if I should sell this uke for something I'd like better."
I was wondering, do ukes have bad days? It seems that some days I can play a uke and it sounds great but other days the very same uke doesn't sound that hot. (I'm talking about sound quality given that I play it with the same level of skill each time.) I'm not talking about a subtle difference but rather the difference of "I'm keeping this uke forever!" and "Hmm... I wonder if I should sell this uke for something I'd like better."
I was wondering, do ukes have bad days? It seems that some days I can play a uke and it sounds great but other days the very same uke doesn't sound that hot. (I'm talking about sound quality given that I play it with the same level of skill each time.) I'm not talking about a subtle difference but rather the difference of "I'm keeping this uke forever!" and "Hmm... I wonder if I should sell this uke for something I'd like better."
I know. I feel the same way. I think my ears or tastes change on some days, though my Luna resonator does have some days where the lower strings do seem to make the cone move or something. Maybe on a molecular level with strings and woods, ukes have the equivalent of bad hair days.
I have this experience all the time. Where and when I play can make a big difference in how I experience the sound of my ukes. The acoustics of a room can have a big impact on how I hear the sound. I feel like room temp and humidity levels can make a difference as well. But even just playing in my office/music room at home, the sound can vary. There are times when I focus more on playing one or two of my ukes, and park the others for a little while because I'm not feeling the sound of the others as strongly. Then, things will flip flop. I think my ukes sing best in the early morning and late at night. Or maybe that's just when I'm in a more relaxed frame of mind, and I can listen better to what my ukes are saying to me????
I have definitely been on the edge of selling a ukulele, then heard it again, in a difference way, and decided to keep it. I'm trying to be better at patience with each ukulele, and give it more of a chance before giving it up.
I've experienced this before when jamming with my friend. She has a lovely Harmony baritone which sounds lovely 99% of the time, but one particularly humid, overcast day, it just sounded off and we couldn't figure out why at the time. My concert is laminate, so it sounded more or less the same as usual, but her baritone felt particularly dull and muted that day.
When I have a hangover, none of them sound good. And, sometimes during high humidity, some sound dull from wood bloat. And, of course, I wear strings quickly, scratching and dinging the hell out of the strings so an instrument can go from great to poor in a few days of intense playing. The worse sound is after a bad night on the town, a tropical storm bearing down and dead strings...
This happens to me all the time. Playing the same ukes, same place. Same way. Usually when one uke sounds different, they all do. Some days they sound so alive and resonant, and other days they sound dead. The (bad) days only happen occassionally. the ukes still have quality sound, the difference is in the resonance.
If I'm tired and didn't sleep well the night before, most all of my ukes don't sound too good. The strings seem off. Or the tuners aren't holding the strings.
But then again, my fingers aren't positioned quite right in the frets, and my thumb placement is a bit off. And my right hand index fingernail is catching on the strings a bit. ...
Some days, one uke sound great, whilst another sounds off.
My perception of their sound or action or the the strings do seem to change a bit from one day to another. Plus a ukulele I thought sounded great a year ago, doesn't quite cut it today. As my skills have improved, and I have acquired some very good instruments, some of the older mid-level ones just don't sound or play quite right. Yet others still hold their own very well.
Absolutely, yes! Like the others, I have put this down to a change in temperature and humidity. But there are definitely days when I think, "Man, this uke sounds so much better today than yesterday."
Absolutely yes, more times then I like, I call it fussy ear. Somedays I might prefer bright and punchy other days warm and mellow. I dapple in guitar and there are days when I am all about the steel string sounds and dont like the sound of nylon. Other days it is the opposite. Fortunately these extremes don't happen very often.
Two lessons I have learned from this. Don't go immediately selling an instrument you think you are tired of and own LOTS of instruments. That way you can always find one to play that you like.
There is no question in my mind this happens. The ukulele, being a smaller sound board, can be susceptible to changes in humidity and temperature. Strings can make a huge difference. Are they broken in. Are they wearing out? The player, if tired etc all add to the experience.
If I’m having one of those moments, I try another ukulele. If they all sound off I put them away and play later. Sometimes strings are just due to a change .
I have also experienced this with guitar but to a much lesser degree. I thin size accentuates the situation.
