Is it just me?

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BigD

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Is it just me or is there never an end to trying to find the perfect ukulele? I havent had nearly the exposure as some of you, most of you probably, but i just seem to be unhappy with my ukes recently. My go to uke, my cheap (not a bad thing) makala tenor is just not what it used to be in my ears. Itll always have a special place but i dont know if my ears have developed or what but its just not there anymore. I also just received a very nice solid koa tenor by trade from another member ( he was awesome to work with by the way, truly upheld the nature of this site) and im still not happy. Its a great uke, very bell like but still warm, looks fantastic. AND IM STILL NOT HAPPY!! it just doesnt feel right in my hands and i cant pinpoint it, to the point where ill more then likely post it for trade soon, which is a shame because its exactly the look i like. How many of you exchange ukes on a regular basis? How many of you have found " The One" and you could go without another your whole life? Im also not in any way rolling in the dough by any means so its hard to finance these kind of things but it truly bothers me till no end.
 
I think I'd be fine with my Fluke for the rest of my days. Black, Tenor, wood Fretboard, Low G tuning. It has a beautiful sound and I've gotten used to the strange neck shape. I think though if it was to be my only uke I'd go to a reentrant tuning.
 
To me there is no such thing... I have 30+ and I love them all... Each one is perfect for a particular mood, moment, song etc...

In the end it's not about the instrument or you, but about the music. In the same manner as a painting there is no one perfect brush...
 
Olarte said:
To me there is no such thing... I have 30+ and I love them all... Each one is perfect for a particular mood, moment, song etc...

In the end it's not about the instrument or you, but about the music. In the same manner as a painting there is no one perfect brush...
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I agree with Ivan, that there may well be NO perfect ukulele.
I have some that sound great, feel great and look great which are all part of the equation, but none of mine are perfect for every song and mood.
Part of the fun and the journey !!!!
 
I seem to be one of very few people....I have found my ukulele. I in no way mean to be a snob -- really....but nothing plays as nice to ME as my Moore Bettah. And I only need one.
As for the cash part....I understand that. It took me months to pay my husband back for my ukulele. What I don't really understand, and it doesn't really bother me because it's not my money, is when people buy what I consider a lateral purchase. They don't upgrade in quality. And then they sometimes don't like that one either. I think all that money spent could be put towards one really good one. That's just me, though.

It did take me quite awhile to get used to my ukulele. My KoAloha neck was way different than the MB neck. I also went from a concert neck to a tenor neck. There is for sure an adjustment period on that.

I am in a minority though...take what I say with a grain of salt.
 
Bill1 said:
it is a lot easier to buy another uke than it is to spend 30 minutes a day, every single day, for a year or more, doing stuff that will help you learn how to make most ukuleles sound good.
Maybe you could set yourself a goal that you wont buy another uke until you learn how to make the one you own now sound great.
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Ouch. That hit me square between the eyes!
 
sukie said:
I seem to be one of very few people....I have found my ukulele. I in no way mean to be a snob -- really....but nothing plays as nice to ME as my Moore Bettah. And I only need one.
As for the cash part....I understand that. It took me months to pay my husband back for my ukulele. What I don't really understand, and it doesn't really bother me because it's not my money, is when people buy what I consider a lateral purchase. They don't upgrade in quality. And then they sometimes don't like that one either. I think all that money spent could be put towards one really good one. That's just me, though.

It did take me quite awhile to get used to my ukulele. My KoAloha neck was way different than the MB neck. I also went from a concert neck to a tenor neck. There is for sure an adjustment period on that.

I am in a minority though...take what I say with a grain of salt.
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I'm also a bit puzzled by the lateral-purchase mentality - personally I'd rather have one good uke than a dozen or more middling ones. That being said, though, I'll admit to having 4 good ukes :)

The thing that I've found is that my needs have changed since I started playing. If I played reentrant only, and solo only, I could easily limit myself to a single uke. But I do need both a reentrant and a low G, and lately I've been glad that I've got 2 of each since my main-player reentrant uke has been in the shop for over a month getting some kinks ironed out.
 
My experience was that I bought a "starter" ukulele first just to see if I wanted to keep going - $150 Lanikai, which I still have. I did reach a point where it just was not doing it for me anymore, and it did have some intonation problems. I bought my Koa Pono next, and I thought I would never need another ukulele. It was perfect! But then I thought that the tenor Ukulele was not really "uke-y" enough, sopranos were still too small for me, but I wanted to try a concert, so I got a nice concert. Then I wanted a six-string... That's pretty much how it goes for me. But each new ukulele was quite different from the last, either a different size, tone, function, style, etc.
I have played Sukie's ukulele. I think if I had Chuck Moore build an ukulele for me, that would likely be "it" and I would not need to buy another one, but I would still keep the ones I already have!
 
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I understand that spending the same amount of money is a "lateral purchase" in terms of dollars, and I did find much more satisfaction in spending enough for a KoAloha. But if I hadn't liked the KoAloha, I might have made a "lateral purchase" of a Kanilea or another comparably priced uke, and been happy, because ukuleles can vary significantly at the same price point. But an "upward purchase" can make a difference -- if it's the right one.
 
at one point I owned over 30 ukes. Most were cheap Chinese ones though I did own 4 KoAlohas, a couple of mainlands, three Meles and a Kamaka. Now I own way less and I am saving up for my last big purchase. I debate going with just one uke, but I doubt that will ever happen (I like the 6 string and the 8 string) as well as a low g tenor and a concert. So basically I only need 4 ukes.

However if I could only choose one ukulele it would be my KoAloha concert.


I do not understand lateral import purchases. Save that money.
 
Well, I've found "The Four". I love my current line-up of three tenors and a soprano - all quality hand-made instruments. They're all tuned re-entrant C but they each have unique sound and feel due to the design, wood combination, and different string sets. For me the search has ended, though I may have said that before. :)

I did spend a lot of time and money going through many fine ukuleles the last two years to get where I am today. But I'm glad I was able to do that because I learned a lot and it made me appreciate what I have now. I'm having much more fun playing music than searching for instruments these days. Ivan and Bill: right again.
 
Let me butt in with my :2cents: Before you sell that koa uke down the river change the strings! Then give them at bare minimum two weeks of playing 30 minutes every day to settle them in. Go through some of the Uke Minutes on this site maybe. If you still don't like it try another set of strings. For koa I use Worth Clears or Southcoast mediums. Even fresh Aquilas are okay if you have some on hand. IF after two or three string changes and some daily practice time you don't have a different view then move it along.

I will not divulge how many ukes I bought prior to changing to fresh or different strings on ukes I already had, even if only 3-6 months on the strings (and OMG 1+ years on some ukes that mostly sat!) depending on play time, on ukes I wasn't happy with, which after a string swap and time to settle I wondered what the heck I was thinking... :p

It may give you time to figure out that even if strings don't help, you don't like the neck or the fret wire, or something else. Then you will be closer to zeroing in on what you do like.

The OTHER thing that makes a HUGE difference but which you may need help with is SETUP. If your strings are too high for your comfort it may never seem right. I have had my Kanile'a for 5 years and got it from MGM and it was supposed to be properly set up. I finally sat down with it and scoped it all out, did some serious adjustments and now I am finally pretty happy with it, except now I know I like a narrower neck and fretboard. Can't fault the sound or playability now one bit though.
 
Teek said:
Let me butt in with my :2cents: Before you sell that koa uke down the river change the strings! Then give them at bare minimum two weeks of playing 30 minutes every day to settle them in. Go through some of the Uke Minutes on this site maybe. If you still don't like it try another set of strings. For koa I use Worth Clears or Southcoast mediums. Even fresh Aquilas are okay if you have some on hand. IF after two or three string changes and some daily practice time you don't have a different view then move it along.

I will not divulge how many ukes I bought prior to changing to fresh or different strings on ukes I already had, even if only 3-6 months on the strings (and OMG 1+ years on some ukes that mostly sat!) depending on play time, on ukes I wasn't happy with, which after a string swap and time to settle I wondered what the heck I was thinking... :p

It may give you time to figure out that even if strings don't help, you don't like the neck or the fret wire, or something else. Then you will be closer to zeroing in on what you do like.

The OTHER thing that makes a HUGE difference but which you may need help with is SETUP. If your strings are too high for your comfort it may never seem right. I have had my Kanile'a for 5 years and got it from MGM and it was supposed to be properly set up. I finally sat down with it and scoped it all out, did some serious adjustments and now I am finally pretty happy with it, except now I know I like a narrower neck and fretboard. Can't fault the sound or playability now one bit though.
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Good
Advise here. I just sold a kala cedar top that I should have changed strings on first.
But I'd never have been happy with the kala. It was to deep.
 
At one time,I had a very bad case of UAS. I was always looking for the next "better" ukulele. I make ukes, as a hobby, and am very pleased with some of my own creations, but that didn't stop me wanting to buy others.

Over a period of about twelve years, I have come to the realisation that among the fourteen (or so) soprano ukes that I now own, I can always find one that satisfies my current mood. Perhaps I've just found the ideal number of ukes for me.

The most unlikely contender for the title of my favourite uke is a KoAlana. It is one of the very early KoAlanas which earned that brand such a bad name. It was given to me by a store who considered it to be unsaleable junk. It took me about three hours work to put it into playable condition. A close examination shows it to be really badly made and finished, but it plays well and sounds excellent. It would be one of the very last ukes I would part with.
 
BigD said:
How many of you exchange ukes on a regular basis? How many of you have found " The One" and you could go without another your whole life?
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I have never exchanged a 'ukulele for another. I have found "The Nine" (all sopranos) and can't buy anymore unless I get rid of one or get rid of my wife. I joke with the 'uke group that I am more of a collector than player. Now it's time to learn to play them.
 
For me it was all about finding the kind of ukulele that had that magical combination of sound and feel. I went through so many ukuleles to work it out. It doesn't mean I've stopped looking but I now know exactly what brands have that sound and feel I want (for me that's a thin neck and loud open sound - KoAlohas and Martin being my safe bets.)
 
Interesting thread..i am a complete novice and bought a £15 cheap one at first.....more like a toy..it was a soprano....I couldnt get my fingers on the strings properly so I bought a Kala tenor for £99 ..still cheap by most standards on here but I am comfortable with it.Maybe when i can play a decent tune all the way through my taste might change but I dont think I'll ever sell it
 
Thinking on this, buying more than one uke and even buying laterally is very good prep for getting just what you want down the line in one or two ukes if that is your goal.
 
I have made three lateral purchases, because I wanted the different wood choices. For some reason, the different woods are important to me.

I don't buy and trade often. I have the same three, one of each size, that I've always had.

I have recently discovered that I am a concert girl. Love the sound and love the feel of it in my left hand, so I am thinking of getting a Blackbird Clara, because they have a big sound, are resonant with a good sustain and very tough and durable. I want to have a passive pickup installed in it. But, I will always have a reentrant and a low G uke. I like the different sounds.

I believe that there is a "the one" ukulele out there, for a person who wants to find "the one". I've played the same clarinet for almost 30 years and if I find the right ukulele, it will be the same.
 
sukie said:
I seem to be one of very few people....I have found my ukulele. I in no way mean to be a snob -- really....but nothing plays as nice to ME as my Moore Bettah. And I only need one.
As for the cash part....I understand that. It took me months to pay my husband back for my ukulele. What I don't really understand, and it doesn't really bother me because it's not my money, is when people buy what I consider a lateral purchase. They don't upgrade in quality. And then they sometimes don't like that one either. I think all that money spent could be put towards one really good one. That's just me, though.

It did take me quite awhile to get used to my ukulele. My KoAloha neck was way different than the MB neck. I also went from a concert neck to a tenor neck. There is for sure an adjustment period on that.

I am in a minority though...take what I say with a grain of salt.
Click to expand...

I agree with you.

Mine is perfect for me as well. It was big bucks, but worth every penny and it probably saved me money in not purchasing a whole stable of ukes.

Oh, mine is a Compass Rose (adirondack spruce top / Cherry back and sides)
 
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