Do you spend more time looking at ukes or playing them?

Ryan<3Ukes

Ryan<3Ukes

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Just a personal reflection thread. Honestly, if you play casually or you're just a collector I think its okay to have as many ukes as you want. Even if you're not I really don't think there is anything wrong with it, especially if you like to perform with different ukes or just love having them. James Hill has performed with a couple ukes, his 2 custom G-strings (I want to know if he still has those) and his dasilva custom. On his website it also says he travels with three ukes, his dasilva, myamoe slide( I am assuming thats a lap steel), and his beansprout banjo. Thats just a little extra info for the James Hill lovers. I've never seen him play slide so I don't know what he uses the mya-moe slide for. Unless the chopsticks thing counts as slide. Btw thats really fun and I think everyone should try that. I've noticed that a lot of the really talented players like Jake,James, and Aldrine have had a few ukes but Im assuming thats also just coincidence. Although I can honestly say that a lot of people on this forum that has/had raging UAS can follow that example so here is another question : Do you think having more ukes has made you want to play more or does playing more make you want more ukes?
 
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Aloha,
I've collected quite a few in the short period that I became a born-again uker (according to mmStan). I play everyone of them, rotating 5 at a time. I do love looking at them, making sure they're clean and polished. I also love taking pix of my Ukulele Ohana (on Facebook).
In short, I do have the "Uku Itch" but I'm loving it.................................BO..........................
 
After a bit of play and the purchase of more than 30 different top quality ukes I've ever had in two years, I think I play now with more pleasure, knowing that I have the better than my ears have heard in uke, with my financial limitations.( I sold many ukes until reach the set who I have today)
 
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I am fortunate to have a nice group of ukulele's. The more I play, the more I want to play......the more ukulele's I have, the more I would like to have. I am always interested in hearing what unique voice the next one may have. I am not a good player, but it is hard to believe anyone could enjoy doing so any more than I.
 
Paraphrasing the line from the Mr. Bean movie - "I sit and look at ukes."

Me, though, I play them. When they're not being played they're in their cases and cases are boring to look at. :)

John
 
Ryan<3Ukes said:
... James Hill has performed with a couple ukes, his 2 custom G-strings (I want to know if he still has those) and his dasilva custom. On his website it also says he travels with three ukes, his dasilva, myamoe slide( I am assuming thats a lap steel), and his beansprout banjo. Thats just a little extra info for the James Hill lovers. I've never seen him play slide so I don't know what he uses the mya-moe slide for. ...
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Just for info.

James has one of his G String ukes tuned to low A and over the last couple of years only really uses it for Billy Jean.

He likes his DaSilva best and has that tuned to high A, as is his other G String. Occasionally he uses the G String instead of the Da Silva, as in Paris last year. For jamming he uses the Da Silva.

I have only ever seen him use May Moe for O Susanna.
 
I gotta admit if I spent as much time practicing as I do shopping for ukes and accessories, I'd be quite good.....but I don't, and I'm not.
 
rpfrogner said:
I am fortunate to have a nice group of ukulele's. The more I play, the more I want to play......the more ukulele's I have, the more I would like to have. I am always interested in hearing what unique voice the next one may have. I am not a good player, but it is hard to believe anyone could enjoy doing so any more than I.
Click to expand...

Yup. Feel exactly the same and couldn't say it better.
 
For the first year, I spent a lot of time looking at ukes .because I didn't know what I wanted. Now (after 2 and 1/4 years being a uker) I spend about 99% of my time trying to learn to play the ones I have. Of that I'd say 90% is on my 1 tenor, and maybe another 9% on my good soprano. The Flea brings up the rear with perhaps 1%. Obviously, I am not a collector. I often think that I should probably just sell the soprano and Flea, so they could get more playing time.
 
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Waaay more ukes than talent, I look at them as art and as an artist I can't help but be an art collector. Ukes are functional art.

BUT that said I find I don't like having as many now. Currently I have time to practice and as my health is improving I can do more of that, so I am zeroing in on which I enjoy most. I think trying out a lot of different ukes for awhile has honed my ear and my sense for what I like as far as feel. So I am working on refining keepers. Then I suppose I will refine those. I don't like the soprano scale as much as I did so am downsizing those, for example.

I am seriously working my program in a 12 Step group for collectors... not really but I feel like that is how I should look at anything I have been collecting overall, and I am reducing all of that stuff. I want to own it, not have it own me.

But I feel that anyone who has the funds and the room should have as many as they want! ;)
 
I tend to do alot of research, buy a beginner instrument, then buy "The One" I think is the keeper.

For instance, I own an entry level Taylor acoustic guitar. A 314 series. There are much nicer looking and much nicer playing guitars out there. But the 314 is perfect for me. The right size and sound, and it didn't cost so much that I go crazy about little dents and dings.

I'm going through the same process with Ukes.

I started with a Luna Tattoo concert, but I wondered if a tenor size would be a better fit for me, so I got a Cordoba tenor.

I like the sound of the concert, but I like the flexibility of the Tenor.

So now for the Brad Donaldson Uke I'm working on, which will probably be "The One", I'm going with the Tenor size.

Now that I'm on Brad's list. I spend all my time playing.
 
Sometimes (when my wife isn't home to laugh at me), I get out several ukes and take turns playing each of them to the others. It's like a little concert. I particularly like to do that with the three Martins.
 
I have a wall of ukes and at least once a week I like to play a particlae piece on all of them, savoring each one, kind of like tasting different ice cream favors you know?

Chris Tarman said:
Sometimes (when my wife isn't home to laugh at me), I get out several ukes and take turns playing each of them to the others. It's like a little concert. I particularly like to do that with the three Martins.
Click to expand...
 
Definitely play. I've almost stopped shopping and admiring them.
 
I play about 2 hrs. a day divided up with eating and sleeping and working around the house. I only have 1 concert and 1 baritone and a rehab guitarele made into another baritone that I have tuned DdGgBE.
 
itsscottwilder said:
For instance, I own an entry level Taylor acoustic guitar. A 314 series. There are much nicer looking and much nicer playing guitars out there. But the 314 is perfect for me. The right size and sound, and it didn't cost so much that I go crazy about little dents and dings.
Click to expand...

The cool thing about Taylors is I just don't think there are any lemons - or if there are they're incredibly rare and Taylor is great about fixing them.

Back in 2001 or 2002 I had enough jingle in my pockets to buy a really nice guitar and I went to my favorite shop (which carries a large selection of really nice instruments) fully expecting to return with an 8- or 9-series Taylor. I played every Taylor they had (as well as many of the Martins) and, after several hours, walked out with a 314CE. The high end models I played looked amazing but they didn't sound or play one spec better than that humble little 314 and I just couldn't bring myself to pay good money for pure bling.

John
 
i have two uke stands in my living room.. i rotate which two ukes to put on the stand. the others go away out of sight.

then when i rotate them, getting a uke out of its case is a little bit like getting a new uke!

currently on the stands are the maybell BU and the rob collins cigar box, although the moto uke is leaning against the wall behind them!

currently waiting on a gibson UB2, so that will be going straight on the stand. and the maybell has been sold and is awaiting posting
 
Chris Tarman said:
Sometimes (when my wife isn't home to laugh at me), I get out several ukes and take turns playing each of them to the others. It's like a little concert. I particularly like to do that with the three Martins.
Click to expand...

Aw, that's cute! I bet the ukes like it too. And I bet your wife wouldn't laugh!
 
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