Would you have just one uke if you found THE ONE?

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dhoenisch

Guest
Hey all, I've been doing some pondering lately, and thought it would make for a bit of a fun and interesting discussion...

If you found THE ONE uke you always wanted, regardless of the cost, and had to give up most, or all of your others to get it, would you?

I have some long sought-after ukes (for me anyway), most of them in my signature, but I think, if I found that ONE vintage 1920's/30's era Martin soprano in really good condition, either in Koa or Mahogany (since I have played and love both), I believe I'd be willing to sell or trade ALL of my ukes for it, and make it my one and only as I doubt I'd really ever play any of the others.

Anyhow, just a thought. How about you all? Is there that ONE uke you'd be happy enough with that you wouldn't really need the others?

Dan
 
No the Uke is simply to versatile to have just one.

Between the different sizes, woods, tunings etc. At most I would narrow it down to 3 or 4 and Even that is limiting it a lot!

Interestingly even though I also play classical guitar, there I only have/need/want one guitar which I'm very comfortable with.
 
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I've already found "the one," in ukes (Maui Music), Guitars (Allen Beardsell), and mandolins (Peter Coombe). These are lifetime instruments that I plan to have forever. However, that does not stop me from tasting and collecting other instruments. I enjoy variety of tone and playing experience, so having different instruments in my arsenal is important to me. I also enjoy the process of collecting, so learning about different builders and how those ukes feel and sound is a lot of fun and musically satisfying.

In reading forum posts for various instruments over the years, there will always be those who want the one instrument that speaks to them, and there will always be those who enjoy the variety of having different instruments to choose from. That's what makes life fun!

John Entwistle agrees with me:

 
I have found THE one. A Moore Bettah super-concert.
 
Most? Yes. All? No Most of my ukes wouldn't be missed all that much if I replaced them with a "dream uke." Some, like my inherited Martin pre-war O, will never go. Recently acquired a Kamaka White Label soprano I'd probably keep, and my solid koa Mele tenor given to me by my wife and son. The rest?
 
Hey all, I've been doing some pondering lately, and thought it would make for a bit of a fun and interesting discussion...

If you found THE ONE uke you always wanted, regardless of the cost, and had to give up most, or all of your others to get it, would you?

I have some long sought-after ukes (for me anyway), most of them in my signature, but I think, if I found that ONE vintage 1920's/30's era Martin soprano in really good condition, either in Koa or Mahogany (since I have played and love both), I believe I'd be willing to sell or trade ALL of my ukes for it, and make it my one and only as I doubt I'd really ever play any of the others.

Anyhow, just a thought. How about you all? Is there that ONE uke you'd be happy enough with that you wouldn't really need the others?

Dan

I think I would always want a low G and a regular G. So two would be required :D
 
Having more than one will let you rediscover instruments and keeps it fresh. Also some ukes sound better on some songs than others. Plus I like different strings, different tunings.

I was able to take a good look at the equipment onstage at a recent Springsteen concert. The Boss had at least 12 different guitars there for the show. Many were duplicates with I guess different tunings, strings.
 
Having more than one will let you rediscover instruments and keeps it fresh. Also some ukes sound better on some songs than others. Plus I like different strings, different tunings.

I was able to take a good look at the equipment onstage at a recent Springsteen concert. The Boss had at least 12 different guitars there for the show. Many were duplicates with I guess different tunings, strings.

I always love checking out the kit before a gig.

Did he play all 12?
 
Nah. Ukulele are like candy or chips. Can't stop with just one. I don't need to have all of them. But there are distinct differences between the ones I have that make them all desirable to me. I can only think of about three more that i "need."
 
Yes I would but I'd want a duplicate as a back up. Once you play a really nice uke you can forgo the others IMO. This is what fuels my UAS, the search for a really satisfying uke. My Gretsch plays better than any other uke I own including the Ponos. Unfortunately it was inexpensive and so not the best sounding. Not solid wood. But if I had to keep only one that would be it.
 
Hummm....funny that you would start a thread like this as I was just thinking this week, after acquiring my first Kamaka, a stock koa soprano, that this may be the only uke I play. I did not get the Kamaka with the intention of finding a one singular uke to play but this particular uke, ore than any other that I have owned or played, really feels like it is a perfect fit both physically and in terms of sound.

Time will tell. If I play this uke exclusively and the other two that I have carefully selected while on my uke hunt don't get any attention then eventually they will find new owners.

One uke only... could be... might be... time will tell.
 
No. There is no "the one" and if there were I'd still want different ones. Every one is different and unique.
 
Not with little kids in the house. The nice one (martin oxk) lives in a hard case, the lanakai sits around the house.
 
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Different people with different preference, that makes the world fun and beautiful.

I myself have found a lifetime ukulele, which only arrived 3 days ago. It is not a mass production uke, it has every characteristic I was looking for, the best one in my affordability circle. This is my second ukulele (I have bought more than those two, but all gift to others). Therefore, my UAS was just started, then already cure.

My first uke, it will be back up uke, and it is special landmark of my ukulele journey.

I respect people purchase as many, try as many, resell, or collect ukuleles. These are healthy activities.:D
 
I could easily keep my Luna spruce top concert and get rid of all the rest, which are entry and mid level sopranos. The Luna has the best set up - not surprising as it came from HMS - and the neck length is perfect. I just like the longer concert.

But... that is at this stage/quality of my playing. I think that for a while, there will always be one on the horizon. I have never tried a tenor - my Outdoor Ukulele is still in production. And, I have never tried a baritone.

I have never tried a higher-end ukulele. which will change as I am down for the Clara Roadtrip. That would come the closest at this stage to being my forever uke choice.

So, a few years from now, yes -I can see me with one ukulele. But not now when I am just starting out.
 
Like other's have said, "there is no one". However, if my house was on fire and could only grab one, it would be my 2011 Kamaka Soprano.
 
I actually have thought a lot about this recently. If I had a singular uke I loved above all others I know it is the only uke I would ever travel with, and probably the only uke I would ever play. But that being said, I would probably want a backup uke - just in case. And then I would have a hard time deciding which of my other ukes to keep as that backup.

I suppose if I had "the one" - OP's term - (in my mind a Moore Bettah), I would keep my KoAloha as the backup with the Kanilea as my reentrant uke. Then the Kamaka because I would not want the other two Ks without that one, for historical reasons if no other. So I could easily sell or give away my KoAloha Pineapple Sunday, my two Kamoa ukes and my Hawaiian Ukulele Company soprano.

But I guess that is a long way of saying even though I would only use the one uke, I would want at least one other - even if it was just for backup purposes.
 
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If I didn't play both low G and reentrant with equal frequency, yes. And it would be my Kamaka Ohta-San.

Since I play both low G and reentrant, I could happily live with just TWO ukes. But like wickedwahine above, I believe a backup uke is necessary - so that makes THREE total, which is where I hope to be very soon (my 4th uke is up for grabs on the Marketplace as I type, with no intentions of acquiring any others).
 
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