Is there such a thing as UDS - Ukulele Dispersal Syndrome?

The title says it all. I know that I have had and continue to be infected with Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome. I have custom matching tenor and baritone ukes being built by Scott Wise in Margaret River, Australia.

At the same time, I am rotating out of soprano, concert and inexpensive ukes. I am experiencing Ukulele Dispersal Syndrome. I recently sold a very nice solid Koa Oscar Schmidt concert (few people knew they made a solid koa anything) and a Lanakai baritone. I'm trying to find a new home for my Fluke tenor.

Maybe it is Instrument Dispersal Syndrome as I recently sold a very nice Schilke XA1 Cornet and I currently have a Deering Boston 5 string Banjo up for sale.

I've become convinced that my fat old fingers will never be happy with a short scale instrument so I'm concentrating on tenor, baritone and guitar now.

I'm pretty sure I'm putting my Beansprout Banjo Uke up next.

I don't think its a syndrome. Just a temporary treatment for UAS. Its always temporary. I'm afflicted with UAS and GAS.

mr roper said:

I don't think its a syndrome. Just a temporary treatment for UAS. Its always temporary. I'm afflicted with UAS and GAS.

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I have decided to quit complaining about UAS and even GAS as it seems I've come down with a condition that is far, far, more expensive - MAS (Motorcycle Acquisition Syndrome). I guess the good news in that respect is that they are so expensive and require so much room that I'll realistically probably never have more than two...or maybe three...well...I could rent another storage area...

John

OldePhart said:

I have decided to quit complaining about UAS and even GAS as it seems I've come down with a condition that is far, far, more expensive - MAS (Motorcycle Acquisition Syndrome). I guess the good news in that respect is that they are so expensive and require so much room that I'll realistically probably never have more than two...or maybe three...well...I could rent another storage area...

John

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I gave up on motorcycles for what I hope is the last time. I got a nice used MB CLK convertible with low miles that I can drive year round and carry multiple instruments in.

I'm getting ready to disperse a few of mine.

Actually, today I just made a list of guitars I'm going to unload.

Next is to go thru the ukes and weed them out.

I've a habit of falling in love with ukes in stores. I'm sort of the Charlie Harper of ukuleles.

There's a few I really want to keep; my Koalana Soprano, an Ibanez Concert, my newest: a thin travel Kala Tenor, and a quilted ash/ spruce Lanakai concert. Of course my Framus Baritone/Tenor and my Gretsch banjolele.

Then get rid of a bunch I don't play or don't like. A Kala Soprano, an LU21T, a Kala concert A/E, maybe my tattoo Luna A/E cutaway. Or maybe not the Luna. And a few others.

I'll post them here before I put them on ebay. But not quite yet. Busy, busy, busy.

John Sargent said:

I gave up on motorcycles for what I hope is the last time. I got a nice used MB CLK convertible with low miles that I can drive year round and carry multiple instruments in.

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OH man, don't get me started on SCAS - fortunately where I live I can only park two cars (and a couple of bikes between them...).

John

Yes! Buy what you want, play what you want and pass them down the line! Share the Love!

Sold, traded, and given away several. Just have one right now, and one guitar. And one drum set...

Hope to upgrade the Uke eventually, probably won't upgrade the guitar, don't need to upgrade the drums, except for the cymbals.

OldePhart said:

MAS (Motorcycle Acquisition Syndrome). I guess the good news in that respect is that they are so expensive and require so much room that I'll realistically probably never have more than two...or maybe three...well...I could rent another storage area...

John

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That is funny John. Yes, storage is the key. I lived in VA for 15 years, and built a 2000 sq ft workshop. Had my woodworking tools in half of it, and the other half housed 8 motorcycles and a boat. We've since moved into a neighborhood setting, and I'm down to 2 spaces in a 3 car garage. 1 motorcycle, and tools crammed in so tight I can hardly walk in there !!

After 6 months of playing and buying 8 ukes, I sold the 1st shortly after buying it because I did not like the feel of soprano, then bought only tenors. Made room for 6 on in my bookshelf...



...but when I ordered the last one, I decided instead of squeezing it into the shelf space, I would just sell one. As it happened, I played my uke at the annual New Year's eve party I attend, and a first timer to the party came over and said he's been looking to buy a uke, but didn't know what to choose. I told him I had on for sale and he bought it.



Yesterday with the humidity being 5% here in Los Angeles, I took out my Lanikai solid top monkey pod and discovered a crack below the bridge, bummmm-errrrrrrr! In trying to decide how to go about fixing it, my young cousin mentioned he wants to start playing ukulele, so I gave it to him, even with the crack and a missing amp plugin panel screw, he was happy to get a tenor monkey pod cutaway with electronics, his father (my 1st cousin) is happy that he didn't have to spend any money, and I'm happy because I passed it on AND last night bought an exact same configuration Lanikai zebra wood on eBay to fill the space on my shelf.



So not only am I in there with UDS, I'm still right there with UAS.

John Sargent said:

The title says it all. I know that I have had and continue to be infected with Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome. I have custom matching tenor and baritone ukes being built by Scott Wise in Margaret River, Australia.

At the same time, I am rotating out of soprano, concert and inexpensive ukes. I am experiencing Ukulele Dispersal Syndrome. I recently sold a very nice solid Koa Oscar Schmidt concert (few people knew they made a solid koa anything) and a Lanakai baritone. I'm trying to find a new home for my Fluke tenor.

Maybe it is Instrument Dispersal Syndrome as I recently sold a very nice Schilke XA1 Cornet and I currently have a Deering Boston 5 string Banjo up for sale.

I've become convinced that my fat old fingers will never be happy with a short scale instrument so I'm concentrating on tenor, baritone and guitar now.

I'm pretty sure I'm putting my Beansprout Banjo Uke up next.

Click to expand...

nah i switched over from baritone electric guitar as my main instrument for my music project
to an electric baritone ukulele pretty big change. I'm always selling instruments and buying new ones.
Nothing wrong with experimenting for a while, moving on to a new tool, etc etc
the best part about making music is you can always sell your instruments to buy new ones
and when you get tired again or want the old sound back you can just rebuy them (or in the case of custom
thats slightly different but still).

3 years ago in my doom metal phase i never thought i would be here now
playing a baritone ukulele. so things change people change.

I think I have become addicted to selling. Ebay auctions closed and I sold a Fluke and a Deering Banjo yesterday. Now I'm thinking, what should I list next. The Beansprout banjo uke will be listed there in a few days if no one bites in the Marketplace. I may list a National Resorocket guitar too.

I have MIAS (worse than UAS - or GAS because it involves any Musical Instrument). But recently I have had a spate of MIDS.... but only in order to fuel my MIAS. I just had to buy a great Tear-Drop Shaped Lap Steel to play in my blues band.

I had to get rid of my Viola (which I rarely played) and my Celtic Harp (which I never learned to play) in order to finance this one.

Next up? UAS - I've got a Chinese Electric Steel Strung Tenor in the making as part of the team here on UU who made a bulk purchase.

Then I've really got my eye on an Electro-Acoustic Baritone Uke..... Oh Lord, will it never stop?

OK, I'm just too deep into UAS, not only am I in with steel string arch-top with Barbablanca, but yesterday I was cruising the eBay blem section and came across a Lanikai S-TEK tenor cutaway spruce top, mahogany back and sides with Fishman Kula preamp that is very much like the Eddie Finn I sold New Year's eve. I realized I actually like that "plain" style, so I bought it. Now I will be making room for 7 ukes on the shelf.

I think it all makes sense. I used to collect art glass, and after a while, there's always a tendency to grow with your collection and decide to opt in different directions. When it comes to guitars, I'm keen to sell a very nice red Hofner verything semi-hollow electric and my Vox amp. . . and put the money toward a nice old Guild. With ukes, I've decided I like the mahogany sound, so I"ll likely swap out my current spruce top for something else. Both of these instruments are in fine condition, but people change, their interests change, etc.

mr roper said:

I don't think its a syndrome. Just a temporary treatment for UAS. Its always temporary. I'm afflicted with UAS and GAS.

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I'm afflicted with neither UAS nor GAS - thankfully enough. But I've had periods when I found new homes for one instrument after another. Most recently (from Sept-Nov 2013) they happened to be ukes, because I had several I didn't play. Now I have no uke, so I won't call it UAS when I purchase one. But some of you probably will. LOL. And FTR I will never be uke-less again. Sad state.