My first month....

As the title suggests, this is my first month, learning to play a ukulele. I have three already. I see more in my future.

I'm not sure how I got started. I think I was looking on youtube for a song and saw James Hill. He appeared to be enjoying himself and thought, why not me?
I don't know anyone that plays here in town. I think I'm the only one in a city of 200,000 that even plays a ukulele, based on the selection they have here. All entry level stuff. One string choice and not a very good one.

My first ukulele is a Ohana SK 70 L. I got it off eBay. They claimed they did set up work. I looked at it very closely. I think maybe they checked it to see if it was okay before they sent it. None of the tell tale signs were there that suggested anything had been physically done to it.
It's a lacewood laminate with a spruce top. It is bright and loud. The body is a bit deeper than a typical soprano. This may be why the volume is a bit louder. I really like it. It's the one I go to most of the time.

I bought a Flea Soprano. Natural with the basics. I like the width of the fret board. It will make a dandy little beater. It's not very loud though. I had read that it had good volume. I've swapped the strings out a couple times. Aquila's are on it now. It still sounds like there is a sock stuffed into the sound hole. I'll see if I can get some Worth strings locally. They might brighten things up.

I ordered an Islander MC-4 from HMS. It came with a Ukecrazy hard case. It came yesterday. I checked it over. You could see by the polish of the frets and the condition of the fret board that someone had worked on it. I've played on it for a couple hours already. I like it.
I had read the neck was a bit wider. I thought I would like that more than a standard neck, due to me liking the Flea. I may have to buy another concert ukulele to check that theory. The tone is okay. It is a laminate so I didn't expect big things from it. I doubt you could do better for the money.

I played guitar once upon a time. The learning curve isn't too terrible because of my experience with it. I stopped playing guitar when I lost the tip of a finger. The pinky. Half inch shorter with no pad on the end made what was once easy almost impossible. My hands are not the biggest either. On the ukulele I can manage a few chords that involve a stretch and the use of it. Mostly, I look for songs that that require the use of 3 fingers or less to make a chord. There are a pile of them, thankfully.

While on youtube looking up ukulele stuff. (Takes up most of my free time now) I saw a Mya Moe made with a Orford Cedar top and Cherry back and sides. It was fantastic and out of my price range. However Ohana makes the CK 80 concert ukulele with the same top and myrtle back and sides. I have no idea what it sounds like but, that might be doable. Solid wood concert ukulele is definitely next on the UAS list.

Okay, you can go back to what you were doing now. I hope that wasn't too long and uninteresting.

Welcome to UU. I think your on the right track, since you sound practically like everyone else here !! Can never have too many ukuleles.!!

What city of 200k are you from?

I love it, you have been playing one month and have bought three ukuleles already, you are a natural fit for this place.

I have been playing about 6 weeks and I have 2 ukes on hand, another in transit and there is a 90% I will make a deal on another in the next week. I had promised myself I would not get caught up in UAS, yea right. I have had GAS ( Gear Acquisition Syndrome) in everyone of my other hobbies and there have been lots of those, so I should have known better. But ukes are sooo small and cute and easy to keep accumulating, kinda like Cabbage Patch Dolls, anybody remember those.

In a city of 220,00 there has to be other uke players. Find a uke jam/group gathering or start one. That is the most fun thing about the uke, playing with others. I hunkered down in my basement every winter with an acoustic guitar, then when the snow melted I would put it away and not touch it till winter came again. Was really kinda boring and lonely.

I have a finger condition were my pinky is basically screwed up and I have very limited use of it as well. Nice thing about the uke is the small size and enough different chords you can always find a work around.

Thanks for sharing and good to get to know you

Ohana, Flea, Islander - hey, you're off to a good start. Have fun and let us know if you get the CK-80. (We love pictures, by the way.) I have the soprano version (SK-80) and think it's nifty.

Forkliftguy said:

As the title suggests, this is my first month, learning to play a ukulele. I have three already. I see more in my future.

I'm not sure how I got started. I think I was looking on youtube for a song and saw James Hill. He appeared to be enjoying himself and thought, why not me?
I don't know anyone that plays here in town. I think I'm the only one in a city of 200,000 that even plays a ukulele, based on the selection they have here. All entry level stuff. One string choice and not a very good one.

My first ukulele is a Ohana SK 70 L. I got it off eBay. They claimed they did set up work. I looked at it very closely. I think maybe they checked it to see if it was okay before they sent it. None of the tell tale signs were there that suggested anything had been physically done to it.
It's a lacewood laminate with a spruce top. It is bright and loud. The body is a bit deeper than a typical soprano. This may be why the volume is a bit louder. I really like it. It's the one I go to most of the time.

I bought a Flea Soprano. Natural with the basics. I like the width of the fret board. It will make a dandy little beater. It's not very loud though. I had read that it had good volume. I've swapped the strings out a couple times. Aquila's are on it now. It still sounds like there is a sock stuffed into the sound hole. I'll see if I can get some Worth strings locally. They might brighten things up.

I ordered an Islander MC-4 from HMS. It came with a Ukecrazy hard case. It came yesterday. I checked it over. You could see by the polish of the frets and the condition of the fret board that someone had worked on it. I've played on it for a couple hours already. I like it.
I had read the neck was a bit wider. I thought I would like that more than a standard neck, due to me liking the Flea. I may have to buy another concert ukulele to check that theory. The tone is okay. It is a laminate so I didn't expect big things from it. I doubt you could do better for the money.

I played guitar once upon a time. The learning curve isn't too terrible because of my experience with it. I stopped playing guitar when I lost the tip of a finger. The pinky. Half inch shorter with no pad on the end made what was once easy almost impossible. My hands are not the biggest either. On the ukulele I can manage a few chords that involve a stretch and the use of it. Mostly, I look for songs that that require the use of 3 fingers or less to make a chord. There are a pile of them, thankfully.

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IMHO I would slow down on the buying. You will find what you like even 1 month from now will change a lot! Are you getting one of each size? Soprano, Concert, Tenor or are all the ones you got the same size?

I also think the flea/flukes sound like stuffed socks. My uke shop says its love em or hate em they are nicely made though I just prefer solid wood uke's.

I am entering Month 3, and I have 3 ukulele's.

With that said, Baritone's are fantastic and the Pono Mahaogony Baritone is so lovely.

Try Martin M600 strings on that Flea. Bright without twang on my concert Flea. Easy to find online if you can't find them locally.

Hello and yay for being a month in and loving it. You sure have been busy!!!
I have an Ohana concert with rosewood back and sides - cedar top. Love that thing.

Reply @ DownUPDave ... I Googled some sort of ukulele anything for here in town and got the stores that sell them and very little else. I work afternoons all the time. Any group thing would have to happen on a Saturday. My weekends? I know what I'm doing on the weekend long before I get there. My Significant Other keeps me busy.
I'll probably retire in a couple years. Maybe a ukulele club/group is something I can try to put together then. Part of my retirement plan is sitting on my front porch, on a nice summer day, playing a ukulele and drinking a cold, cold beer. <sigh> I get warm and fuzzy all over just thinking about it.

reply @ Pixiepurls. I have 2 soprano's and a concert. The soprano ukulele's play very differently. The concert Islander has a slightly wider neck. Makes me want to give a standard size concert neck a go. The Flea will likely go to work with me. It should fit in my locker nicely. One thing I can say for the Flea, it looks like it can take a licking.
The plan is to get a solid wood concert ukulele next. Cedar or spruce top. Back and sides is up in the air. Rosewood would be nice. I'm still looking. Once I get one, that will be it for a while. I have no plans for a tenor or a baritone at this time.