After the breakup, I got all broke up

[rainbow21]

"Regrets! I've had a few..."

So have you sold an ukulele and later regretted giving it up? Why did you sell it? Why do you regret selling it? And are you doing anything about the situation?

 

[Tiger Camo]

I have a Rebel Pluto that I have to sell (times is tough), and I know I am going to regret it and, since there are only 12 of them in existence, the likelihood that I can do anything about it someday is pretty damn slim. This makes me sad.

 

[BuzzBD]

I regret selling the first archtop ukulele I made. It was the first ukulele of that style I had attempted and it was a killer sounding ukulele. I sold it to a manager of a music store in Astoria, who loved it and was a terrific player. I just figured I would make another one. Wrong! Six archtops later I was unable to replicate that instrument. A couple were close and nice instruments, but I should have kept it for further observation. Ten years later, I am having another go at archtop ukulele and after a very extensive redesign, I have achieved some good results with consistent outcomes.
Brad

 

[KaminTheWeaver]

Yes, but my story has a happy ending. I sold my Kanile'a Super Tenor because I thought it sounded too similar to some other ukes I have. I regretted it pretty quickly and told the buyer that I would buy it back if he ever wanted to sell it again. About a year later he reached out to me to see if I was still interested and now it's safely back in my music room and played often.

 

[badhabits]

Heck, I've bought/sold/rebought/sold/rebought +/-sold ukes that I thought I did/didn't like, even after knowing I should not based on notes I'd taken...some people never learn! Fortunately all were fairly cheap ukulele, never the exact same one but the same model.

 

[Blank Williams]

Yup, I had a vintage Kamaka soprano that I loved, but I became convinced that I needed a mahogany Kiwaya so I sold to fund the purchase of said Kiwaya. I had the Kiwaya for a month before I sold it. I knew I’d regret selling the Kamaka and I was right. Later on I saw the very same Kamaka I sold to some guy for sale at a guitar center, but they wanted more than I bought it for so I passed. I’m honesty hoping to spot it for sale again. It was easily the best ukulele I’ve ever played. I was a dope for selling it.

 

[Ukecaster]

I once had a wartime Martin Style 0, whose top had apparently been damaged, so a prior owner had Joel Eckhaus (of Earnest Instruments) re-top it in a gorgeous wide grained spruce, with a tort top binding. It was a sweetie, and had passed through the hands of 3-4 UUers before I got it. I was in a UAS haze at the time, and stupidly sold it. Def should have kept it, as it was a very unique, and great sounding Martin soprano. I know the guy who has it, but haven't been able to pry it from his cold, live hands.

 

[KohanMike]

In the first year I played uke, mid 2013, I accumulated 16 tenor cutaway ukes, all under $200. When I decided to step up, I contacted Mim, who recommended a Kala with solid cedar top, acacia koa body. She didn't take trade-ins, so I bought it with trade-ins near me at McCabe's Guitar Shoppe. After culling my collection to 4, it became my go-to uke for the last 8 years. I slowly added 4 more until a couple months ago when I realized I've been using my Lanikai thinline most of the time.

It turns out it was due to nerve damage to my neck spinal cord from radiation treatments for Hodgkins Disease many years ago. I decided to let go of my 7 standard depth ukes, but to fill the gap, I bought 3 thinlines and had a custom thinline made by my builder, Bruce Wei Arts in Vietnam for $885 with express shipping.

On another note, that same year later, I started playing bass uke and got so caught up in it that I accumulated 31 (by way of 54), including modifying them to look like commercial basses, one being a Fender Jazz bass, Olympic white with tortoise pickguard. With the same reason of the nerve damage, I decided to keep only the most comfortable thin ones, so I sold 27. But I kinda missed the designing efforts I made to so many, especially the Olympic white/tortoise, so little by little I'm buying more of the bass ukes I like and modifying them to look like some of the ones I sold, the one up next will be Olympic white with tortoise pickguard.

 

[TBB]

I bought a wonderful vintage Martin style 3 from @spongeuke back in 2016, it was my dream uke it sounded wonderful and I absolutely loved it. A couple of years later I got my initial cancer diagnosis and pretty much completely stopped playing, I didn’t feel like I could justify having the money tied up in one instrument and I sold it.

I regret it hugely, there was a whole load of unhelpful stuff going around my head at the time and I should have hung onto it for a bit longer to see how things panned out. But I made the decision that I thought was the right one at the time and I guess that’s all we can ever really do.

As far as “doing anything about the situation” I mainly try not to think about it I hope I might get the chance to buy another one day, but given the state of the dollar / sterling exchange rate, I’m not exactly holding my breath!

 

[spongeuke]

I once had a wartime Martin Style 0, whose top had apparently been damaged, so a prior owner had Joel Eckhaus (of Earnest Instruments) re-top it in a gorgeous wide grained spruce, with a tort top binding. It was a sweetie, and had passed through the hands of 3-4 UUers before I got it. I was in a UAS haze at the time, and stupidly sold it. Def should have kept it, as it was a very unique, and great sounding Martin soprano. I know the guy who has it, but haven't been able to pry it from his cold, live hands.

View attachment 148978

I had so many other options that I passed that one on. Was it you?

 

[spongeuke]

On the thread. I might have had some remorse but in the long haul I'm happy some one is having a good time with ones I've strummed.

 

[richntacoma]

In my short time in the hobby, I have bought and then sold a TON of super nice playing ukes (30??) in the 700-1500 dollar range. I tend to purchase things that I have not tried when they are priced well enough that I can sell them for close to what I buy them for, and only lose a bit/mabye shipping. In all this time, I can't say that I regret selling any. The closest is a Martin 2, but the current owner loves it so much that this just makes me happy. The other that I think about from time to time is a Takumi Koa concert. I really loved it, and if I had not decided that I am an all soprano player, I would not have sold it. Still would love a Takumi soprano.

 

[Ukecaster]

I had so many other options that I passed that one on. Was it you?

No, you sold it to another UUer, who changed the tuners to black UPTs, then I got it. I searched its history on UU, and have a list somewhere of all the previous owners.

 

[Jim Hanks]

Yes, but my story has a happy ending. I sold my Kanile'a Super Tenor because I thought it sounded too similar to some other ukes I have. I regretted it pretty quickly and told the buyer that I would buy it back if he ever wanted to sell it again. About a year later he reached out to me to see if I was still interested and now it's safely back in my music room and played often.

My buy-back story is the Bonazalele I custom ordered

NUD: Bonanzalele Concert

This is my third uke from Pete and Shelley Mai, aka Bonanza Ukuleles. I hadn't intended on getting this one so soon after the second, but these officially launched very shortly after I placed the order for the eggplant SLN, and I just had to get back in line for one of these. Specs: Concert...

forum.ukuleleunderground.com

i traded it plus some cash to a UU-er for another unique banjo uke:

FS: Southern Cross Banjo Uke New Build

Concert Scale open back. Built in Tasmanian Blackwood, Purple Heart, and Claret Ash. Gotoh Planetary Tuners, Remo Fibreskin head. Southcoast Strings, bone nut and hand made bridge in Purple Heart. Top quality hardware ex Ricard Banjos Canada. Price US$975.00 plus shipping. Price reduced. Now...

forum.ukuleleunderground.com

about 4 months later, I spot a UU ad for the Bonanzalele and I quickly agreed to reacquire it. So I basically bought the Southern Cross in two installments

I still have both

 

[greenie44]

Yes, but my story has a happy ending. I sold my Kanile'a Super Tenor because I thought it sounded too similar to some other ukes I have. I regretted it pretty quickly and told the buyer that I would buy it back if he ever wanted to sell it again. About a year later he reached out to me to see if I was still interested and now it's safely back in my music room and played often.

It's so funny that you told this story about a Kanile'a Super Tenor. About 12 years ago, I thought I was playing enough uke to finally get a good one. I went to Hawaiian Music Supply and Mike had me do a sound test, where I turned my back and he played three different tenors. The Kanilea'a Super Tenor won. That brought me to UU for the first time.

I found one for sale used, but the listing was several months old. I contacted the seller and he confirmed it had been sold. The seller and I struck up a friendship and occasionally corresponded.

About 4 months later, he contacted me and told me the guy who bought it from him had it for sale again. I swooped in and bought it!

Now, the rest of the story. I never really connected with the sound of the Kanile'a. It was beautiful and a dream to play, but it never hit me. A few years later, I decided to sell it again. But just before I did, I restrung it to a linear tuning instead of a re-entrant. Wow - what a difference! The uke just came alive. But the sale was in motion, and off it went.

No tears - I have a few wonderful ukes now. But funny that a Kanile'a Super Tenor played a role for each of us.

 

[Jerryc41]

"Regrets! I've had a few..."

So have you sold an ukulele and later regretted giving it up? Why did you sell it? Why do you regret selling it? And are you doing anything about the situation?

In two cases, I later bought replacements.