Warn guitar players not to use their picks on your ukes!

kissing

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Brand new Pineapple Flea from MGM arrived in the mail today.
Absolutely lovin' it.

I let my electric guitarist friend play it.
After he was done, I see some scratches on the surface from his pick!!
ARGH!! It's brand new!!#$@
 
I can't think of a good reason to use a ANY kind of pick on a ukulele, personally. Well, if you haven't grown out your fingernails than I imagine that they'd have a purpose, but otherwise I don't see much of an advantage to using them.

In any case, scratches are just character being imprinted on your instrument. :D
 
I don't use a pick, but I'm sure certain people find it works well with their style, if someones plays a uke really well using a pick, then theres no way thats a bad thing, you could get some ultra bright and clean sound using one.

I'm hoping its a gloss finish so you can just buff the scratches out if not like Brandon says it'll add heaps load of character... and next time you play his new guitar... I think you know what to do ;)
 
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I rarely use a pick. When I do, it is usually a thumb pick when I am specifically picking and not strumming. But, like said above, I don't worry about scratches from just standard playing and use. Don't abuse your instrument, but signs of use is always a better thing then an instrument laying dormant. Look at SRV's guitars.. He used his stuff, lol..
 
Nothing wrong with using a pick. Merely a matter of style. In fact, a pick can make a mellow uke sound much brighter and louder.

It's the user's technique that's sloppy, not the pick. I played guitar for many decades and made almost no marks on any of the dozens of guitars I owned from picks.

Plus there are different density picks you can use - i always preferred the thinner, more flexible picks because I felt they gave more control over how the notes were played. So they'er less likely to mark the surface.

I prefer my fingers on a uke becuase of how I play - a mix of strumming and picking - plus the nylon strings require a softer touch with the pick than I was used to with steel-stringed guitars. But now and then I play with one because flatpicking can do things fingerpicking can't.
 
What a bummer that your "friend" beat the crap out of your new ukulele.

I never let anyone use a pick on my ukes. If they want to beat up their own instruments, that's cool. But doing that to someone else's instrument, especially a brand new one, is very inconsiderate.

And reading the above responses is a good reminder that lots of people only read the title of a thread, and not the actual post. :rolleyes:
 
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Sorry about your uke. That's a bummer.

Maybe it was something in the air this weekend, I let a friend of mine play my guitar (which I have managed to keep mint for 4 years) and put a big old scratch in the top. I plan to buff the heck out of it tonight and hope it goes away.

I feel your pain.
 
Its a satin finish, as its a Flea.

I buffed at it frantically with a soft cloth. It's a lot less noticeable now, but it's still there.
I habitually keep looking at it :(
 
dont stress, flea top surfaces are pretty bad for resisting scratches imho. mine is 18mnths old and worn to hell, and i dont use a pick!
 
Brand new Pineapple Flea from MGM arrived in the mail today.
Absolutely lovin' it.

I let my electric guitarist friend play it.
After he was done, I see some scratches on the surface from his pick!!
ARGH!! It's brand new!!#$@
Sorry Brah, I feel your pain, but you don't have anyone to blame but yourself. Ya gotta lay the ground rules and control the situation.
 
I agree in part with the "battle scars and character" theory. Of course it is nice if you get to put your OWN battle scars on your instrument, rather than having someone else do it for you...
 
Hey, if someone asks what it's from now, you've got a story........... "Oh yeah that was from when Hendrix played my uke live on stage, I wish he had used a leather pick"

Personally I wish my uke had more scratches, I play the thing so hard all the time with no worry about scratches, and the gloss finish is still fine, it has a ton of very small scratches, but you can't see them unless you look for em.
 
Thanks for the understandings :)

I don't mind the ukulele getting worn with time with my own influences. But it really sucks when someone else has done it... and on the first day of having it too lol.
He was sort of shredding a bit madly on the high frets on the E and A string, so under those strings are some pick marks. They're actually not that noticeable, and you can only see if it you sort of look at it closely knowing its there. Its more psychological damage to me than on the actual uke, because I'm a rather fussy guy lol.

I guess an important lesson has been learned. I'll definitely inform any future samplers of my uke not to use picks, and explain that the uke is mainly played by hand and that I'd rather if my uke could avoid pick marks.

Because to be frank, under normal hand-playing circumstances, those scratches would never appear.
Actually, sensible picking with a pick wouldn't cause scratches either (the annoyance returns argh).

I did tell him about it, in passing. He did apologise and feels some guilt (though I politely insisted that it wasn't a problem).
I guess life would just have to go on. It's not that big of a deal afterall. An annoyance that was beyond my control at the time.
I find myself compulsively checking that spot each time I pick up the uke, to try and convince myself that it's not too bad. But its not a good feeling.. it'll take a bit more time to get over because I'm such a sook over any damage or unnecessary blemish to my babies.
 
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I had a kid use a plastic spoon on one of my "cutomers play" ukes. Then he turned around and used the pop top of a soda can... ugh. If it is not your instrument... ask. It is just courtesy.
 
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