Are guitars just big ukuleles with 2 extra strings?

The guitar guys who come into my office pick up a uke, think they're gonna "shred" on it, and the re-entrant tuning throws them all out of whack. It's hilarious.

So I would say "no, the tuning is jacked on guitars, too".
 
I really disdain snobbery in either direction. Guitar snobs suck, but ukulele snobs are even worse.
 
I usually just get "the smile", the "It's a toy guitar" smile. I picked up my husband's guitar for something I'm working on, and it just felt ridiculous. Seriously why does an instrument that sits in your lap need to be that big?

Oh man, I agree about uke snobs! The worst!
 
LOL, lately when I see pictures of people with guitars my first thought is "What is WRONG with that ukulele? It's so BIG!!!"
 
It's hard to beat the portability of an ukulele. I love the guitar and have played for years but it feels like I'm trying to wield a boat.
 
Not to mention that guitars are pitched so LOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWW! :)
 
I think a tuba is just a very big bugle with keys. :)
 
Well, considering the history, the guitar is actually a pretty new instrument. Derived from the Spanish guitar, that itself was derived from a range of stringed instruments that gave rise to the uke. The uke is older, so it's about time these damn guitarists started showing some respect!!
 
It's why I don't get the whole you can't play Spanish style with a uke thinking. I've seen that from guitar and uke players. The thing is from Portugal FFS, of course you can play Spanish style with it and still consider yourself a "traditionalist" - which is what the uke snobs call themselves and it's just hilarious. :)
 
I live in Hawaii and everyone here respects the ukulele. It's actually funny to see guitars. But I don't get offended when people think it's a toy. It does look like a toy next to a guitar. And it is easier to play. And for the most part people just don't know anything about the ukulele. But I can see the ukulele gaining it's own respect. I play both, and I love both.
 
If we're basing the validity of an instrument on size, then orchestras are full of toy instruments. But yeah, I grin and bare it like everyone else. If the person is a jerk then there's no point in being a doormat about it, but most people don't realize how offensive they're being, when they're trying to be nice. (That isn't an ukulele observation, but just something in general.)
 
I'd played guitar most of my life until 2006 when I discovered the uke because I was looking for an easy to carry instrument to sing with when I travelled. After that initial encounter, I completely stopped playing guitar and got a massive dose of UAS (Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome) that has not ended even to this day! I never had GAS (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome). Do any of you have GAS out there? hehe

I've nothing against the guitar. It just seems too darn heavy now and those chord stretches so wide. To compensate for this size difference, I've bought a tenor uke when I feel like going guitar! hehe

Pete
 
Why yes... Yes they are!

And motorcycles are just bicycles with testosterone poisoning.
 
Interestingly enough, I've been prone to want to sing more harmony while playing the uke than I ever did with the guitar. I wonder if it's because of the re-entrant tuning? That high "G" string has always messed with my vocal lines in a good way! Woohoo!

Petey
 
"Are guitars just big ukuleles with 2 extra strings?"

Next time you're asked this question, try replying: "Are Fiats just big Harleys with two extra wheels?"

That'll make 'em scratch their heads awhile. :)
 
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I don't and didn't ever think a guitar was just a uke on steroid with an extra chromosome, I mean string or two.

They are boomier, louder, and have a different tonality due to the bass notes. When I listen to my favorite guitarists, it's a different experience. I love the guitar, but I love PLAYING the uke more (played both as a kid) and I love the uke to hold...they are like puppies or dolls. You can cuddle them! And they are too cute and pretty. This fuels UAS. Never had GAS....well, that's not true, I have that frequently, but you know what I mean.

I like listening to guitarists like Milos Karadaglic --this is an impressive CD by an interesting guy, he was interviewed on Sirius XM a while back. The cd has PIANO music that he arranged for guitar but...the original piano pieces (by Spanish composers like Granados) were intended to imitate --you guessed it, GUITAR!!!

But this music could equally go over to the uke in the hands of virtuosos like Jake S. and many other extraordinary players. But you don't get the bass accompaniment you can do with a guitar.
 
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