Why is it?

Just wanted your thoughts on these two questions.

Why is it that once you get into playing the ukulele, you are never satisfied to stop at one or two? What takes us over to want more and more?

Just wanted to know what your reasons are.

Many thanks,
ETF

Maybe because all brands play differently. My soprano sounds great on some songs and does not seem to fit for others. My concert sounds great whatever song I play on it. There are so many variations on the vast amount of ukes that we have to choose from that we want to experience all of it. The look, the feel of it in our arms, and of course the sound. It's a very addicting instrument. Sorta like the guitar. Who do you know that has been playing the guitar for a long time that has just one?

I think it's caused by a virus

Honestly, I think it is because people buy a lot of 'average' instruments and play another that is slightly better or different. Not that there is anything wrong with that, to each their own. I have found that I could keep one uke and be happy for the rest of my ukeing life. It is however a really nice instrument, a Moore Bettah. Once I acquired it I have bought a couple other instruments but ended up selling them. because there was no point in keeping them to sit unplayed.

All that said I do have 5 ukes. My main player, a Koaloha I got for my 5th anniversary (cant sell), a beater for the kids to beat up and play with (cant sell), a soprano I messed up so I would not feel right selling it and my 3 year old like to play it now, and an electric that I could sell but probably wont. So I am guilty of owning multiple ukes myself and I still look at Markeplace ads, HMS, and ebay for deals on higher end ukes. I dont know what is wrong with me.

dnewton2 said:

Honestly, I think it is because people buy a lot of 'average' instruments and play another that is slightly better or different. Not that there is anything wrong with that, to each their own. I have found that I could keep one uke and be happy for the rest of my ukeing life. It is however a really nice instrument, a Moore Bettah. Once I acquired it I have bought a couple other instruments but ended up selling them. because there was no point in keeping them to sit unplayed.

All that said I do have 5 ukes. My main player, a Koaloha I got for my 5th anniversary (cant sell), a beater for the kids to beat up and play with (cant sell), a soprano I messed up so I would not feel right selling it and my 3 year old like to play it now, and an electric that I could sell but probably wont. So I am guilty of owning multiple ukes myself and I still look at Markeplace ads, HMS, and ebay for deals on higher end ukes. I dont know what is wrong with me.

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Haha. You're not alone. I'm guilty as well. I don't think anything is wrong with any of us. It's just a human condition to want more and more.

dnewton2 said:

Honestly, I think it is because people buy a lot of 'average' instruments and play another that is slightly better or different. ...

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I think there is an awful lot of truth to that for many people. A lot of "UAS" is just realizing that the ones you have aren't quite as nice as the next one. This is why I always recommend up front that you get the best instrument you can afford unless you're just not sure you are going to stick with it (even then, if you get a good instrument you've got a better chance of getting most of your investment back).

Another "good" reason to buy inexpensive instruments is if you aren't near a shop where you can try them out and you're just not sure what size you're going to end up really liking. Inexpensive instruments give you a chance to try all the sizes without breaking the bank.

That said, there are some people who just love to collect and have things and for those folks the conquest is the thrill. There are many folks on this forum who keep buying ukes while many of the ones that the "shiny has worn off of" are left to turn to dust in their cases. (Since picking up the uke, I'm guilty of this with my guitars...)

For most of us though I think UAS pretty much tapers off after we've found really satisfying instruments. I can think of only about two instruments I really want now and they're to fill in very specific "holes" in my collection (a really good longneck soprano in mahogany (and one of those new KoAlana concerts would probably scratch that itch) and a really good concert resonator).

That doesn't mean that I don't keep an eye on the marketplace or that I might not buy some other uke if the fancy strikes, but I no longer really feel like I "need" another uke. I no longer even spare a second glance for "cheap" ukes of any stripe, because I know they will just sit in their cases no matter how cute they might be.

John

Also, most people's first instrument is inexpensive (laminate). It doesn't take long to hear the benefits of a solid wood uke. And overall Uke's are far less expensive then quality guitars. So that may contribute as well.

soprano, concert, tenor, plus low and high G in each.

So, the minimum in an serious uke player's "bag of clubs" is, by definition, six.

And for those that dig country tunes-- you know, songs about trains and roping cows and cheating on your wife with the minister's daughter; real Merle Haggard stuff--they get a baritone, too.

coolkayaker1 said:

soprano, concert, tenor, plus low and high G in each.

So, the minimum in an serious uke player's "bag of clubs" is, by definition, six.

And for those that dig country tunes-- you know, songs about trains and roping cows and cheating on your wife with the minister's daughter; real Merle Haggard stuff--they get a baritone, too.

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don't forget the banjo ukes and resonators brother! And sopraninos he he...aaaaaaarrrrgrrgrgghghgh! Where will it all end!!!!
:deadhorse:

I have several ukulele in my collection. Each has its own particular tone and it makes sense to keep ukes that sound unique. I record certain "tracks" with various ukes for an overall blend of tone, the same was I add guitar, bass, mandolin, tipple, and other instruments that I play.

I bought a Lanikai uke for my Daughter 5-6 years ago when she expressed an interest in learning to play but she gave it back to me to watch over until her kids (now 4 and 7 years old) got old enough to play with it without wrecking it.
That started my ukulele journey. Then, about a year ago my wife brought home an Airline Harmony from the 2nd hand store for $6.99 thinking it was a toy guitar. I was going to give that to the grand kids but you guys here told me to hang it on the wall and get them a Dolphin as the Airline may have some collector value ( I found a picture of the same model in a 1954 Montgomery Wards catalog [for $4.95]. Except for some paint chipping on the edges, I don't think it had been played much and the strings on it looked like they were original).
Then it's off to Uke Republic for a chocolate Dolphin.

Review of the three:

Airline: This birch soprano is not much of tone machine: thin and not very loud, although the intonation with Aurora red strings is not bad all the way up the plastic fretboard. I would say the bridge is coming up but it look like it's been that way since it left the factory.

Dolphin: Tone is OK for Country, Rock or Reggae, anything I want to bang away on. Ballads, Tom Waits, Pogues suffer on it. Great for throwing in the car or if I think I'll have to wait somewhere. Not very loud.

Lanikai LU-21C: Best sounding of the three, louder as well and I like the concert size better than a soprano. Doesn't quite fit under a United airline seat but close enough that I've never had any trouble traveling with it that way. It's all laminate but I'm satisfied with it enough that when I have give it back, I don't think I'll be satisfied with replacement not in at least the $300 range.

I can't justify anymore than about $500 for a uke until I spend that much to upgrade my guitar collection so, I'm on a slow hunt for a $300-500 ukulele. At that point the Lanikai and the Dolphin go to the kids and I'll have just the wall hanger Airline and this mystical "better" sounding uke that I've not heard yet. Although, there's something about that Dolphin for banging around on.

I have managed to restrain myself to a 'brace' (is that the collective term for two uke's ??) of Ukes. My original European 1920's Soprano Uke which has a thin neck, and is good for pickin, and my 'The Gibson' Soprano which is 'The bees knees'. I am working hard to avoid being drawn to the dark side and coveting any more Uke's.... May the Force be with me ......

There are too many instruments with mojo out there that I can't stick with only one. Sure, my favorite uke overall is my Johnny Marvin, but there are some things that it isn't perfect for. My Pono is incredible and complex and deep, but it can't do classic uke songs very well. My Gretsch is very playable and loud, but it doesn't do that big-sounding uke thing very well.

No matter what, if you give me a uke I will probably find something that I prefer playing/hearing on a different uke. You could even hand me a 5K and I would find something that I just don't like on it as much as I like it on a different uke.

That's how I justify it, anyways. Besides, I'm young, I have a decent job and I don't really spend money anyways, so I spend it on ukes I like.

First, you only need one ukulele, and that's fine. Then you want one of each size, and that's okay too. Then you want to try different tone woods in each size, and you're getting in deep. Then you want to try different brands with different tone woods in each size, and you're in over your head. Then you want to try high-G versus low-G, five, six, & eight-string ukes, not to mention banjoleles & resonator ukes, and before you realize it, you have a hundred ukuleles and you're heading for rehab, which consists of a trip to Hawaii to visit the coolest shops and factories, oh and to buy a few more ukes. It never ends. UAS is a progressive, incurable, and FUN disease!

Yup. At that point, you caught the virus that Kissing referred to. If you're shuffling down the street to the nearest factory tour, and you start hearing that Zombie bluegrass band sound from The Walking Dead... You have the virus.

(The guy playing that zombie banjo, also played in Battlestar Galactica. When it was time for one of the final big cues, he reached for everything on his wall. Everything included a vintage koa uke. You can read about it over in Bear's blog.)

Steedy said:

First, you only need one ukulele, and that's fine. Then you want one of each size, and that's okay too. Then you want to try different tone woods in each size, and you're getting in deep. Then you want to try different brands with different tone woods in each size, and you're in over your head. Then you want to try high-G versus low-G, five, six, & eight-string ukes, not to mention banjoleles & resonator ukes, and before you realize it, you have a hundred ukuleles and you're heading for rehab, which consists of a trip to Hawaii to visit the coolest shops and factories, oh and to buy a few more ukes. It never ends. UAS is a progressive, incurable, and FUN disease!

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I've tried to explain to people that in some ways I view ukuleles the way I think of shoes. I only need one pair of shoes if my only objective is to keep my feet covered. But I enjoy running more in running shoes than I would in loafers, and I would prefer to wear dress shoes to a wedding. There's not only an experiential difference between playing an 8-string baritone and a four string baritone, there's a "which-sounds-better-for-this-song" difference as well, and the ukulele with the most pleasing voice for me for a given musical composition is the one I want to play for that composition because it enhances my playing experience.

Having said that, and mindful of jokes about Imelda Marcos's shoes (anyone remember her or those jokes?) I frequently reflect on how fortunate I am to be able to acquire the ukuleles I want, and I've been making a concerted effort recently to share that fortune by either gifting an ukulele I no longer use when I get a new one or buying an ukulele to rehome. I really do appreciate that lots of people can't, or choose not to, divert funds they need for other things to the goal of filling out their ukulele spectrum.

This is a good thread! Yes, I remember Marcos. What a beeotch!
I only need one uke, I'm not on a quest to aqcuire more. Maybe I'm not a very good American, but mass acquisition, to me, is a waste of money and energy. My best friend, who lost everything, thinks I'm smart. Maybe.
However... (you knew I was getting here, didn't you)
When I found my Kala suddenly unplayable, it was down for 4 days while I messed with it, trying to fix it. I thought I had it fixed, it sounded great (I'm NEVER changing strings again, LOL).
Then I won my little Luna at our uke fest yesterday. Not a uke I would have "sought out" necessarily, but I like it. After getting acquanted with it for a day, while ignoring my Kala, I picked up the Kala again. It was messed up again! And nobody has touched it! I was really glad to have the new uke to play, and I'm happy, as long as ONE of them works!
Hmmm... does anyone think my Kala got sick again because I cheated on it with another uke?

addicted2myuke said:

It's a very addicting instrument. Sorta like the guitar. Who do you know that has been playing the guitar for a long time that has just one?

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On the guitar forums I frequent they call that GAS. (guitar acquisition syndrome) I guess here it would be UAS.

It is like finding food to eat, you can eat all the same food in every meal every day, but you won't do it. Some variation to give refreshment, some just fit in your mood, and some will balance out what your body actually need.

my wife is a visual artist and I like to think of ukes like her paints. She uses a mixture of colours and shades on her palette to highlight different moods and feelings...warm, cold, serene, intense, whatever they may be....but the contrasts are crucial in presenting the theme of the story she is telling on the canvas.

As musicians, our canvas is our song, and so it follows that a range of instruments of different scale lengths, wood combinations, strings and tones are helpful in accentuating the emotions we are representing in our performances of them.