What's Happened To My Mainland

mangorockfish

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I was sitting in my sleeper (I drive a truck) with the A/C going and reading posts on the UU Forum. I pull out my new mahogany gloss concert and pick it up and strum it between posts and I don't know if it is the coolness of the A/C or what, but it almost took my head off. It seems so much louder and clearer tonight. It may be starting to open up. I love it.
 
My guess is that you infected it with truckin' mojo. Did you keep it behind your seat by any chance, between the sheets of the sleeping compartment? Case solved.

Either that, or you have to start watching out for breath tests.

Congrats on "breaking in" your ukulele, even if by an unorthodox method ;)
 
I'm sure it sounds much better with the truck engine turned off :D
 
Maybe it was the acoustics of the truck cabin...sort of how everyone sounds better singing in the bathroom...or strumming the uke on the toilet. :D
 
Have I got a tip for you.... have you ever strummed INTO the toilet? Crazyness!

Stop. The Madness!
 
I wonder if the vibrations of traveling around in the truck all day mightn't have
opened it up a bit. I've heard of people breaking in new violins by sitting them in front of loudspeakers and playing loud music.
 
The acoustics of the place where you play make a huge difference to the sound of your uke. One of my sopranos doesn't sound pleasing to me when I play it at home in my living room, but outside in the open air it sounds gooood. I was thinking of selling it, then I discovered its little secret, and now it is my alfresco uke.

Also your uke will sound different to you as the player. Get someone else to play it, and you will hear it differently. That's why it's a good idea to take another player with you when you go to try a uke, with a view to buying it. Get the other guy to play it while you listen. It gives you an idea of how it sounds to the listener. Just don't take a brilliant player - they make ALL ukes sound good.

Ukantor.
 
well.. my ukulele sounds better at night...
 
I wonder if the vibrations of traveling around in the truck all day mightn't have
opened it up a bit. I've heard of people breaking in new violins by sitting them in front of loudspeakers and playing loud music.

Ha, never thought of that...its so simple. Now I just need a new instrument

my uke sounds phenomenal in small and medium rooms...but you get out in the wide open spaces and the projection is all gone for obvious reasons. I was thinking of putting a soundhole on the top side portion to project a little my way.
 
I hate the sound of a banjo uke indoors. Outdoors they are much better, and get better still, the further away you stand.;)

Ukantor.
 
The acoustics of the place where you play make a huge difference to the sound of your uke. One of my sopranos doesn't sound pleasing to me when I play it at home in my living room, but outside in the open air it sounds gooood. I was thinking of selling it, then I discovered its little secret, and now it is my alfresco uke.

Also your uke will sound different to you as the player. Get someone else to play it, and you will hear it differently. That's why it's a good idea to take another player with you when you go to try a uke, with a view to buying it. Get the other guy to play it while you listen. It gives you an idea of how it sounds to the listener. Just don't take a brilliant player - they make ALL ukes sound good.

Ukantor.

I heartily second this comment. It's one of the things I love about acoustic instruments. A buddy of mine lives in an old bungalow style house with hardwood floors. When we jam in his living room, acoustic guitars and ukes sound awesome, because the sound fills the room and bounces around so nicely. My friend pointed out that playing in his house is like "playing inside of a giant guitar."

Carpeted rooms are a bit of a drag, since the carpet kind of dulls the sound. Bathrooms do rock for all the reverb. One thing I love is sitting on a pier, facing the water, and strumming....sounds so good! Playing outside in general sounds great.
 
Could be you were holding your uke away from your body. If you play it close, it mutes the sound. Sometimes you see people saying the "proper" way to play is away from the body, but for me, it howls too much. I use the close/away technique a lot, depending on what I'm going for. Depends on the uke, too, how much it responds to dampening to wood's vibrations.
 
Im sorry, did you say you had it in your truck? And you did not make a video for Johns Ukulele in my car channel on youtube?
SHAME ON YOU!!!!! :D
 
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