Sudden Onset UAS. Help!

So, in the last month, I've bought an Eleuke concert pineapple, and a Mainland red cedar soprano (on it's way now!), and I thought, well, that's all, I know I have more on my list, but I can wait. But now a deal that is nearly too good to pass up presents itself for a Beautiful tenor, which I don't have one of yet, and I feel like man o man, how can I leave it go, you know?

So.

Words of wisdom, anyone? What can I do to prorogue the symptoms?

Also, I'm gonna need a way to display these beauties. I live in Wisconsin, so humidity is rough in the winters, but keeping these babies in their cases just seems cruel.

I'm like on the devil's side here and say "Get it before it's gone!" Ok, I'm pretty weak when it comes to say no to ukes needing a new home.

Let the next five or six good deals you notice go, then jump on the next great deal you find.

I cannot advice you for good piece, but this was my example in just 2 months ago: I pre-ordered my Kamaka but didn't have the patience to wait for unknown months. Another good uke showed up and I grabbed it, suddenly the Kamaka was available when the second order was on its way to my home. It turns out 2 lovely instruments in hand now. I do think that it is a good choice to have them both, even my bank account suffers from it!
Anyway, no matter how you decide, don't regret

TheOnlyUkeThatMatters said:

Let the next five or six good deals you notice go, then jump on the next great deal you find.

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I like that.

I've noticed that if you look in the right places, there will always be a good deal to be had. There will also always be that temptation that another instrument will be better than what you already have or make you sound better.

I'd say to hold off and wait for your Mainland uke to come and play the heck out of it! Make some memories with it. Create a bond with it. Make it hard to replace with another uke. I've noticed for myself the more I play an instrument there is a comfortability that comes with it that makes me not so quick to pick up another instrument... even though playing another instrument is inspiring.

But what am I talking about... if there is a cure for UAS, someone let me know, because I sure haven't figured it out! Ha.

savethecheerleader said:

I like that.

I've noticed that if you look in the right places, there will always be a good deal to be had. There will also always be that temptation that another instrument will be better than what you already have or make you sound better.

I'd say to hold off and wait for your Mainland uke to come and play the heck out of it! Make some memories with it. Create a bond with it. Make it hard to replace with another uke. I've noticed for myself the more I play an instrument there is a comfortability that comes with it that makes me not so quick to pick up another instrument... even though playing another instrument is inspiring.

But what am I talking about... if there is a cure for UAS, someone let me know, because I sure haven't figured it out! Ha.

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AMEN to the "there will always be a good deal to be had." I have the same problems...too many of them. Can't assume an even better deal won't come when you actually "want" a tenor. One trait for beginning ukers that is left off many lists is "patience."

I'd say wait. What might seem a good deal might not be if something more awesome comes up. Also it's more fun to spread purchases out and means you use the new ones more.

PhilUSAFRet said:

One trait for beginning ukers that is left off many lists is "patience."

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Think I waited 5 years before I bought my second uke.

There is no cure, so the sooner you accept it the better.
When people come to my house and see my little stable of UKes, they always ask " why do you need so many" and I reply because I do, that's all I can give them.
Last week I phoned Mike at Mainland just to order a MiSi pickup, and by the end of the conversation I'd bought another Uke and case, and another pickup.I think he has some magic powers that he can send down phone lines, so beware of shops selling Ukuleles.
I need therapy "My name is Leroy, and I'm a Ukulele addict".

When I first picked up the 'ukulele in a serious manner, it was a super-cheap soprano and it was just to see if I liked it and had any amount of ability at it. Once I found the affirmative, I upgraded to a entry-level Luna laminate and handed the cheapo off to a young nephew. I was totally hooked on the 'ukulele by then, and suddenly I found myself coveting every one I saw. That Lanikai Monkeypod? Wanted it much. A Kamaka pineapple? Had to have it. A mahogany Pono? Salivation. A Big Island Honu? Had to have it.

You get the idea.

I became completely infatuated with the instrument, and suddenly wanted everything I saw. Luckily for my wallet, I managed to snap out of the "want want want!" cycle after I found my current uke. It isn't a glamour model, but it is a solid koa and sounds very nice. After getting it, and after giving my suddenly spare Luna to my god daughter, it dawned on me that I didn't actually need all those ukes I lusted after, and my UAS was suddenly gone. Oh sure, it would be nice to have a bunch of shiny new K's, but having 20 ukes wouldn't make me a better player, nor would it really make a lot of sense for me to have so many others just because they were different or nice or cute or expensive. I now think that I would only want two. I'd like to have a hand-built 'ukulele (whether it be a custom, one made by one of the craftsman luthiers, or something made in Hawai'i), so I could have one strung low G and one high. But I honestly don't see the point in me hoarding any more than that. Certainly not double-digit ukes.

That isn't meant as a comment on anyone else at all. If someone has 30 'ukuleles, that's wonderful for them. I may not understand it, but that doesn't matter. On a personal level, having so many just doesn't click, so my UAS no longer really exists at all. In fact, as I've mentioned in another thread my UAS has turned into UDS ('Ukulele Distribution Syndrome), and now pretty much the only reason I want to acquire a new 'ukulele at this point is so I can then pass on the one I have to someone else. I have several nieces, nephews, and god children who I think would enjoy the 'ukulele. And sure, I could just go out and buy them a Dolphin or Kala or some other starter uke, but for me handing down an instrument seems the more personal way to go.

Anyway, this seems like a bit of a ramble, and likely a bit off the mark with your question. But maybe your UAS is just an outward manifestation of your newfound joy at playing the uke, and all you really need is to find one that just fits you the best instead of getting a dozen just to say you have them.

Only my two cents.

TheOnlyUkeThatMatters said:

Let the next five or six good deals you notice go, then jump on the next great deal you find.

Click to expand...

VERY sage advice!

John

Thanks for the advice, guys.

Got the Mainland Red Cedar yesterday, and I think the UAS will be in remission for awhile. What a gorgeous uke! I had played with one for a few minutes at the Milwauke Uke Fest, but my memory didn't do it justice. This one was a factory second. There's a finish blemish where the neck meets the fretboard at the first fret, but otherwise, it's stunning, and the sound is unbelievable. So rich, and full, and resonant and it sustains forever. And it's a soprano! I can't speak highly enough of it.

I've named it Arcite, after one of Shakespeare's Two Noble Kinsmen, to partner with Palamon, my Kala Acacia Concert.



Anyway, I think I'll be playing this one for awhile and leaving the next purchase for later. My birthday is in January -- maybe a nice little present is in my future.

I think you need to get a chance to own one of each size, just to see which ones are best for you. I found that eventually, you recognize which ones are rare and special ukes, and separate them from the "good deal" but not super special ukes. Save your impulsive jumps for the one-of-a-kind (or hard to get) ukes, and take you time selecting from the "good deal" ukes.

–Lori

PhilUSAFRet said:

AMEN to the "there will always be a good deal to be had." I have the same problems...too many of them. Can't assume an even better deal won't come when you actually "want" a tenor. One trait for beginning ukers that is left off many lists is "patience."

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Yes, patience will save you money. It's two months and counting waiting for my Mainalnd that you recommended. It is hard to wait, but if my Mainland tenor is representative of their products, the wait will be worth it.

Lori said:

I think you need to get a chance to own one of each size, just to see which ones are best for you. I found that eventually, you recognize which ones are rare and special ukes, and separate them from the "good deal" but not super special ukes. Save your impulsive jumps for the one-of-a-kind (or hard to get) ukes, and take you time selecting from the "good deal" ukes.

–Lori

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That's sort of been my operating principle, Lori. I started with the Ohana SK-10 soprano a year ago, and then got the Kala Acacia concert in January of this year. I like to play rock songs, so I got an Eleuke concert last month. A good friend has a mainland mahogony soprano that I play more than he does, and I enjoyed playing it much more than my Ohana, so I resolved to upgrade to solid mahogany. Then I played the cedar, and fell in love. So that's that. With two quick acquisitions, I feared it might become a larger problem. I do really want to own a tenor, as you say, to see what size is right. I had thought the Concert was the way to go, but it might have only been because of the upgrade in quality from the laminate soprano to the solid concert, because the cedar soprano really has my heart right now.

Anyway, I think I'm in good shape for a while. A tenor is definitely next, though when is still a question...