pdxuke
Well-known member
Excuse the long post, but I'm thinking on paper, and I'd like your thoughts...
Now, I'm going to preface what I'm going to write by saying that this thread is not about money. Those of you who have followed my ramblings know that when I buy a uke it's because I can afford to pay for it. The UAS fund is solid and separate from the household fund. So I never need permission to spend money-- not even from my bride.
I was in the local shop today that recently started carrying a great inventory of Ohanas, and I discovered something that I knew, but never really appreciated before: different copies of the exact same model can--wait for it--sound differently than the one next to it. (Doh!) Same strings, same age of the strings. Even in a production line Uke like Ohana. I never thought it was possible until I heard it with my own ears.
Since it's my spring break, the end of this week will most likely end my "UAS season" (like hunting season ) and then as I move into the last third of the school year, I'm insanely busy teaching day and night (middle school day, university by night) and stressed and only play and evaluate ukes on weekends. Then the summer, where I play and play and by fall decide which ones to keep.
So, I go to the shop, because I want to end the season with a tenor Ohana, which will give me all three sizes of that manufacturer. I'm at the shop, and I am playing a TK35G and liking it, even the gloss finish, when--
an SK35G catches my eye.
Now, I already have an SK35 (satin) AND an SK38, which sound different. But there's something about this SK35: the finish is really dark--almost like the Martin 1s and 2s were. So I try it.
And the sound knocks me off my feet.
It is rich and mellow (even with the Aquilas, that make it brighter, usually.) And it sounds different than any SK35 I've ever played.
I try it next to all 6 of the SK35s in the store. It's not my imagination. Even the clerk hears it.
So now, what do I do? I can't get both. I can get either the tenor or the SK35G. This will be the last purchase of the season, and if I pass up the tenor, I won't spend the summer with one.
So what should I do? What Would YOU DO?
Now, I'm going to preface what I'm going to write by saying that this thread is not about money. Those of you who have followed my ramblings know that when I buy a uke it's because I can afford to pay for it. The UAS fund is solid and separate from the household fund. So I never need permission to spend money-- not even from my bride.
I was in the local shop today that recently started carrying a great inventory of Ohanas, and I discovered something that I knew, but never really appreciated before: different copies of the exact same model can--wait for it--sound differently than the one next to it. (Doh!) Same strings, same age of the strings. Even in a production line Uke like Ohana. I never thought it was possible until I heard it with my own ears.
Since it's my spring break, the end of this week will most likely end my "UAS season" (like hunting season ) and then as I move into the last third of the school year, I'm insanely busy teaching day and night (middle school day, university by night) and stressed and only play and evaluate ukes on weekends. Then the summer, where I play and play and by fall decide which ones to keep.
So, I go to the shop, because I want to end the season with a tenor Ohana, which will give me all three sizes of that manufacturer. I'm at the shop, and I am playing a TK35G and liking it, even the gloss finish, when--
an SK35G catches my eye.
Now, I already have an SK35 (satin) AND an SK38, which sound different. But there's something about this SK35: the finish is really dark--almost like the Martin 1s and 2s were. So I try it.
And the sound knocks me off my feet.
It is rich and mellow (even with the Aquilas, that make it brighter, usually.) And it sounds different than any SK35 I've ever played.
I try it next to all 6 of the SK35s in the store. It's not my imagination. Even the clerk hears it.
So now, what do I do? I can't get both. I can get either the tenor or the SK35G. This will be the last purchase of the season, and if I pass up the tenor, I won't spend the summer with one.
So what should I do? What Would YOU DO?