[I'm sorry of this is too long or seems off-topic, I promise there is a point, and I do make it, this is not a small answer as this is something integral to all the things that I do - feel free to chastise me kindly if necessary]
Not all of us can drop serious coin on a custom or K brand from day one. Lots of times, it's a pattern of stepping stones, and this is evident in countless tales here in the UU forum. Some of us hold on to our first cheaper ukes, and probably all for different reasons.
On ALL of my cheaper ukes, I've learned how, and performed myself fine tuning procedures as needed for each instrument.
Some needed nut slots re-cut, some needed a whole new nut, some needed fret leveling and crowning, and some needed saddle or bridge work.
For example, on my cheapie $26 Mahalo U-30 soprano, I did ALL of these (thanks to excellent videos from OldePhart), and now it plays like a dream and intonation is within 3-cents up to the 9th or 10th fret.
Why bother, some might ask?
Well, I have this annoying habit of wanting to be
self-reliant, and be able to maintain and repair the things I own, whether it be a bicycle, lawnmower, car, computer, or a musical instrument. It forces me to learn things, and to keep my brain from developing atrophy.
With a cheap uke, if I completely mess up and it's FUBAR, then I did not lose lots of money, and if I succeed, then not only did I learn something, but I was able to fix the intonation and playability issues on a $100 uke such that it plays like one that was manufactured to a higher standard (if it is of a certain minimum level to begin with).
Yea, I know I can spend $500 for a Martin tenor, but will the action and intonation be 'exactly' how I want it? Even if the vendor does a full setup, 'MAYBE', but if I learnt to do it myself, and understand all the mechanics and the string geometry, then I can get it perfect to my taste, and make adjustments in the future if necessary instead of paying a 'guitar tech' to do it. I have found no true luthiers local to me in NJ, and if I have to pay shipping both ways, I might as well just buy the tools from StewMac or LMII, and learn to do it myself.
It's like driving a car, but not having a clue as to how to change a flat tire or check your oil or coolant levels, or how to use jumper cables if your battery is dead, and also be able to remediate these items. Sure, you can call roadside assistance, but if you are fit and able-bodied,
and you are ignorant or unwilling, it would seem careless and/or unconscionably lazy for me to not resolve the problem with my own hands. That's the way that
*I* am, I enjoy
DIY. It keeps me out of trouble (for the most part).
Working on indoor projects keeps me from messing with my car (with wild ideas like Doc from 'Back To The Future'), but I can do my own tune-up, oil changes, tire rotation, body work, and basically
any kind of electrical or electronic repair, all by myself.
The same concept applies to my instruments.
Also, it was not until I had better instruments ($$) that I was able to really see the flaws in the ones that I had bought previously. Being able to see the good vs. the bad, IN MY own HANDS, and not in a book, or on a web site or YT video, I could better understand the issues with the instrument, and better understand HOW and IF I would be able to fix it.
This hands-on perception has also allowed me to see WHY a Moore Bettah or Mya-Moe or a Martin or a K brand might be a 'better' instrument than a Kala or a Lanikai. Without the hands-on it seems all like hype and voodoo that you can only
read about here on UU.
So far out of 4 ukes that needed work, after my hands-on 'tinkering', ALL of them are better players, with significantly improved intonation, and since I've invested some sweat into them, they are truly MINE, and not something that comes perfect 'off the shelf'. These are ukes I would NOT sell.
Maybe at some point I will pursue luthery as a hobby, but first I would like to achieve a level of mastery with my playing.
Also, if I became a millionaire, I might have a different option, in that I just might be so busy living out my Bucket List that my priorities would shift and then I might allow someone else to handle my precious (to me) instruments.
Mostly, I have this insatiable desire to understand how things work and I will not rest until I do. This applies to all aspects of my life.
Holding on to cheaper instruments allows me to use them as part of the learning experience, and when they
play BETTER, they are
played MORE OFTEN. Over a 4 days span of time, all 6 of my ukes are in regular rotation in my hands, and all of them serve different functions.
The primary differences and purposes are, for having both low-G and high-g tuning, also having alternate tunings, as well as wanting to maintain a high degree of manual dexterity across all scale lengths.
On the same day I will play both soprano and concert, and maybe the next concert and tenor, and then maybe the next day I will
OMG 'walk on the wild side' and go from soprano to baritone.
Hypothetically, if I replaced all the cheaper instruments with higher end ones, in order to do so with ALL of my ukes in the $400++ range, I'd be spending a ton of money, which I can not afford right now, so the cheaper ukes allow me this flexibility.
If I win the lottery, yeah, then UAS takes over and I'd instantly buy about 12 more, but higher-end ukes. (I wish - ha ha)
Until then, I nurture the ones that I already have and enjoy them all thoroughly.
-Booli
