Ukulele Baby-ing

I have been playing the uke for a little while off/on, I'm curious about those who play other instruments; do other people baby their instruments as much as we baby our ukes? It seems like people get upset, myself included, when our ukes even lightly touch a hard surface; more time fretting over little stuff? Not poking anybody just curious if it is some form of uke insanity. When I see other guitarist, mandolin, or whatever I always see a used and abused instrument.

I baby my gear by my very nature. I have had guitars for years without a scratch, same with ukes, but I gig and I travel and take instruments with me. I am also a photographer and carry cameras and lenses, too. Again, not a scratch.

I do my best to take good care of everything I own... even my shoes. But you know, in the course of heavy playing and gigging, stuff does get worn, scratched, whatever. If you were to closely examine any of the instruments I own, you'd find some kind of wear, whether it's belt rash and fret wear on my electric guitar, or fine scratches in the varnish on my 200 year old fiddle, or marks from strumming on my acoustic guitar and ukes. But I'm not careless, and nothing has any horrific structural damage or ugly marring. I don't allow the thought of scratching up an instrument to inhibit my playing.

That said, I don't warm up my car before sticking instruments in it. I don't sleep with any of my instruments... they are tools of the trade. But if I end up having to stop somewhere while travelling, particularly with some of my higher end instruments (violin, Ramirez guitar) I do not leave them in the car.

Not that I don't care about my uke, but I don't baby it at all. Wear marks, scratches, etc, I consider "love bites." Of course, this is coming from someone who backed over his first uke in his car one fine morning, so...

I myself have always babied my guitars as much as my ukulele. Maybe not all of them, my electric guitars are always beat up do to traveling. I do have a story that happen to me today, I'm traveling for work right now, in my rush to leave I didn't get a travel case for my new ukulele. This morning I was leaving to go home for a short 12 hour stop before leaving again. But anyways I hit my ukulele on the rocks on the side of the house I stayed at!! OUCH! Needless to say I'm. Buying a case tonight when I get home.

ukecantdothat said:

Not that I don't care about my uke, but I don't baby it at all. Wear marks, scratches, etc, I consider "love bites." Of course, this is coming from someone who backed over his first uke in his car one fine morning, so...

Click to expand...

I'm with ya there (although - I have yet to run over any of my instruments!)

In my care, my ukes are considered "survivors" - it gives them personality

I baby my guitars just as much as my ukes. The only thing I throw around is my recorder but those things are impossible to kill.

I've played guitar and bass before coming to the ukulele. I've never really babied my guitars and basses. They usually stay out on their stands in the room. They don't get any humidifiers or fancy oil for the fretboard or any of the "nice" treatment. Maybe a little wipe down when I change the strings but that's about it. Even that could be awhile ... the nylon strings on my classical guitar are from 2004 (I think). They all play fine and sound great.

It's different with ukes though. I always keep it in the case when not played and just yesterday ordered some humidifiers from MGM. Maybe this is all due to my first uke needing the bridge re-glued after a few days of extreme weather changes. That's the most serious damage I've ever experienced on any of my instruments and fortunately not too expensive to fix. I've also noticed that the sound from my ukes can vary alot from day to day. So I give ukes alittle more extra care and hopefully that keeps things consistent.

lisaxy424 said:

...I have yet to run over any of my instruments!...

Click to expand...

Give it time Lisa. Give it time... ;}

I'm careful but not "overly" careful. The instruments gets hauled around the house all the time and I leave it leaning against many soft objects. But I'm concerned that one day someone will sit on my uke.

I keep my guitars and ukuleles in the cases when I'm not using them, more to avoid disasters like stepping, sitting, or stuff falling on them. Keeping them in the cases helps with keeping them at the proper humidity level in the winter which, I think, is critical because drying out is major damage. I don't abuse my instruments but I don't really baby them either.

Yeah depends on the uke though, my soprano is the out and about take it to the beach (sand and salt), when I get my Ohana CK-75g though that will not leave my house.

My guitars, I have a Yamaha acoustic and seriously every dent has a memory to go with it, its kind of sentimental damage (only cosmetic), they always trigger a smile. I would never get rid of those dings... a beaten guitar shows its been well used and in a way loved, its been many places, made many friends and had many good (some drunken =D ) times with me.

casarole45 said:

Yeah depends on the uke though, my soprano is the out and about take it to the beach (sand and salt), when I get my Ohana CK-75g though that will not leave my house.

My guitars, I have a Yamaha acoustic and seriously every dent has a memory to go with it, its kind of sentimental damage (only cosmetic), they always trigger a smile. I would never get rid of those dings... a beaten guitar shows its been well used and in a way loved, its been many places, made many friends and had many good (some drunken =D ) times with me.

Click to expand...

Heh, my Yamaha 12 string is like that. That thing has been everywhere, seen everything, and has some battle scars to prove it. That's the only one of my guitars that appears loved though. It's also the only one I cart around.