Why guitarists don't understand us...

Pete Howlett

Pete Howlett

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At the show at the Cheltenham Acoustic Guitar Show this weekend I had a prime position. I saw loads of guys walking through trailing their wives/partners. You know the type - I'm a totally stunning guitarist, watch me as I try every guitar on your stand. The ladies would smile and walk over to my booth trailing their partners. My line - 'Why are you smiling?'. Their response: 'They are so cute!' By this time the husband/partner has caught up with them as I pick up and instrument ready to put it into their hot hands. And hey presto, you'd think I was handing them a steaming turd! Nearly everyone admired the workmanship but as guitarists, refused or struggled to play the humble ukulele. Boy am I glad I don't make guitars anymore - these guys were soooo boring.
 
Don't assume every guitarist knows how to play the ukulele, and don't look down on them for it! You're trying to sell ukuleles, right? The ukulele doesn't come off so humble when you only think of how great you are. You should encourage them! Maybe you could print out a large visible chord chart.

This whole mentality of "I'm humble, and you're not... so that makes me better than you" is completely hypocritical. Greet potential customers with care and understanding, and spread the love of ukulele.
 
pete,
chillax dude. relax and try to see things from anothers perspective
 
You know that there are people on this forum that like and play BOTH the Ukulele and the Guitar right? ( such as Aldrine, and Ryan to name a few )
Not every person is like the ones that you experienced.
I feel that we are all musicians, and/or lovers of music, and I think that it is good that we can come together like this.

Don't worry about the people that snobbed your instruments, it will waste your energy. Try instead to reach the people that may be interested in your products. The Ukulele is growing in popularity again, and some people are picking it up for the first time and loving it.
Who knows, there might be a handful of people in a big place like the one that you described that do like the Ukulele, and maybe they just hadn't made it over to your booth yet.
Try to be positive.

Aloha
Bob
 
It sounds like the guitar trade show you entered was not much of a success then... that is too bad. Then again, you said there is not much ukulele building going on in the UK, so perhaps your experiences are those of the unrecognized pioneer (with a 100+ year old instrument, lol).

What about the general atmosphere at the show? Visitor profile? Did you get good reactions, contact with other builders, stuff like that or was it one big drag? Perhaps both you and the guitarists were slightly biased in your reactions to each other? I mean, did you give them a quick demo and let them have a hand at it? Please tell us a good story as well :)
 
Pete Howlett said:
At the show at the Cheltenham Acoustic Guitar Show this weekend I had a prime position. I saw loads of guys walking through trailing their wives/partners. You know the type - I'm a totally stunning guitarist, watch me as I try every guitar on your stand. The ladies would smile and walk over to my booth trailing their partners. My line - 'Why are you smiling?'. Their response: 'They are so cute!' By this time the husband/partner has caught up with them as I pick up and instrument ready to put it into their hot hands. And hey presto, you'd think I was handing them a steaming turd! Nearly everyone admired the workmanship but as guitarists, refused or struggled to play the humble ukulele. Boy am I glad I don't make guitars anymore - these guys were soooo boring.
Click to expand...

Pete, looks to me like you have a clear potential market there -- bored wives that get dragged to guitar shows but have had enough of their husbands macho 'axeman' antics.

I often wonder why clothing stores and beauty shops don't have a men's 'creche' where we can watch DVDs and play poker while our wives do their thing. Perhaps 'ukulele lady workshops' are the path to riches at guitar shows. (Not to mention more fun than talking to big hairy guitar wielding blokes.)
 
Perhaps a few tenor ukes would be nice to wean them down... The reentrant tuning took me a few months to click. As a guitarist of many decades, I first tried the uke in August of last year. When I saw several hundred people in a presentation at a music museum, it sparked my interest. When recruiting new ukulelists, I first ask them if they play guitar. Then I say play me a "G", just like on your guitar. Play me a "C", just like on your guitar. Play me a "D7", just like on your guitar. Then I explain that they just played "C", "F", and "G7" and show them a few popular tunes played in that 1,4,5 progression. Stick around, Pete. There's a lot of interest in your work, here. :) Ric
 
Tough audience. Bravo for trying Pete. The guitar-only crowd will catch wind sooner or later that ukes are formidable instruments and some will be flocking to specialty builders more at some point in the future. In the meantime, like it's been said, you have a captive audience here Pete.
 
David Barnes said:
Pete, looks to me like you have a clear potential market there -- bored wives that get dragged to guitar shows but have had enough of their husbands macho 'axeman' antics.

I often wonder why clothing stores and beauty shops don't have a men's 'creche' where we can watch DVDs and play poker while our wives do their thing. Perhaps 'ukulele lady workshops' are the path to riches at guitar shows. (Not to mention more fun than talking to big hairy guitar wielding blokes.)
Click to expand...

I like this idea. You'd also then probably start getting male visitors, when the single guys see all the ladies congregating around one table.
 
maybe have a DVD playing w/ footage of Jake, Aldrine, Abe, Troy Fernandez, Imua Garza, Lyle Ritz, Herb Ohta, Koeki K, James Hill, etc...etc????

As a long time percussionist, going to conventions and expos... I tend to gravitate more to a booth w/ an endorsed artist or some great footage on a monitor.

Some people need to physically see the potential of this awesome lil' instrument, yknow?


(I like the idea of showin the uke to the wives though! haha
makes me think of those guys who get all close teaching them how to shoot pool)
HAHA
 
JoeyJr858 said:
(I like the idea of showin the uke to the wives though! haha
makes me think of those guys who get all close teaching them how to shoot pool)
HAHA
Click to expand...

the "pottery scene" from the movie GHOST just popped into my head.

can you imagine deach teaching someone to beat drums?...

"this is the way you beat the drum... and this is the way i beat my..." :eek::rofl:
 
NukeDOC said:
the "pottery scene" from the movie GHOST just popped into my head.

can you imagine deach teaching someone to beat drums?...

"this is the way you beat the drum... and this is the way i beat my..." :eek::rofl:
Click to expand...

334676286.jpg

Is that a mound of clay or are you just happy to see me?
 
Last edited:
JoeyJr858 said:
Ho Damn!!!
That's Funny!!!
Ahahahahahahahahaha
Click to expand...
NOT FUNNY!!! its disturbing! im going to have nightmares for a week. my "moist" dreams will suddenly turn dry because as soon as i see the girl's face in my dream ill realize that its deach's face! where's the vomit smiley???

ok enough threadjacking. back on topic. mostly because i dont want to see where this goes from here if it continues to go off track!
 
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