op - you're in little rock? awesome. i went hsu in arkadelphia for 2 years with lots of trips to little rock, where i have a lot of friends. right now im right across the river in mississippi. there's even less of a chance for open mic nites here. fortunately, ill be moving (back) to la in a couple of months, so that'll be a bit easier.
ive played guitar forever and drums for a couple of years. what i like about uke is :
-that fewer people play it. i'm not so interested in necessarily "impressing" people, but it's hard to get people to not roll their eyes when you're playing guitar unless you're freakin fantastic or playing a song they know. uke just feels fresh. while it's not really true, i feel like i'm treading new ground when i dabble around on uke.
-portability. i've already played so much more since i can carry it with me everywhere - literally.
-fun/happy. it just kind of makes me smile. i notice people bobbing their heads in time with the music more. more happy faces. it's just special i think
- it also seems to me that the sound varies from uke to uke more than other instruments. this probably isn't very true and i am by no means an expert, but i've played several sets of drums, countless guitars, pianos, etc. i play a 200$ ibanez acoustic electric guitar and ive played a multi thousand dollar taylor, a breedlove, some martins, etc etc and there's no way they sound thousands of dollars better than what i have. the woods and strings on ukes change the sound so much. i've never even thought about the woods and whether its solid or laminated with guitars, but ukes just seem to have more soul for some reason.
-community. not that theyre my favourite instrument - sometimes i really miss the 6 strings. ive got an accordion coming in the mail this week and ive been looking at squeezebox forums, and doing general research, and the very concept "ukulele" just
feels different. it's magical. they're lighthearted, theyre lovely. i'm also a pipe smoker - the only other category of hobby that i basically know i'll get along with the person involved in that hobby. pipe smokers are relaxed, helpful, and patient. you can watch uke videos and talk to people who uke - they're friendly, laid back, and generally happy. it's outstanding. there's a thread about guitar players here, and while it's
definitely not true across the board, there's definitely more douches that play them than ukes. same for a lot of instruments. haven't really met a uker i just couldnt stand. i'll admit the first time i picked one up, it felt like i was playing a kids toy: nylon strings, tiny, $50. but my opinion has definitely been changed.
i love it