UAS: Is there a cure?

I don't want to be cured!!!!

I am not frustrated with my progress, I have come a very long way. I have never thought a better instrument would make me a "better" player. A good instrument with a great set up makes playing easier, especially barr chords.

I just enjoy the different sounds I get from the different sizes, wood combos and builders. I agree with Mivo when he said sticking with just one instrument and one book may have caused me to become bored and lose interest.

I play and practice a lot because of all the different instruments I have. That in itself makes having UAS not as lethal as some make it out to be. We are all different and certain things work for one person and against another

StigW said:

....... LEARN TO PLAY the damn thing.

Click to expand...

I think that is the intent of everyone on this forum, whether you have one or lots of ukes.

A lot depends on tone, & song, not every uke fits well to some. Blues don't sound so good on a soprano.

Having options is good.

UAS: Is there a cure?

For me it was tightening finances. Can't spend it if you don't have it to spend.

Sporin said:

UAS: Is there a cure?

For me it was tightening finances. Can't spend it if you don't have it to spend.

Click to expand...

Yup. Me too. Haven't bought anything in almost 2 years.

Sporin said:

UAS: Is there a cure?

For me it was tightening finances. Can't spend it if you don't have it to spend.

Click to expand...

wayfarer75 said:

Yup. Me too. Haven't bought anything in almost 2 years.

Click to expand...

Funny how that didn't work for me! After a career transition from the for-profit to the nonprofit world that resulted in much tighter finances, somehow I've ended up with more ukuleles at one time than I have ever had before. Life is strange sometimes

UAS is not something to be cured. If you have the money, or want to incur the debt to do so (though that would not be my recommendation), buy to your heart's content. It's your business. There are worse things you can be doing wth your finances.

You can play almost any type of music you want to play on any particular singular ukulele you might own but....your current ukulele might be a soprano in re-entrant tuning and you want a concert strung with a low G or... your current ukulele is a soprano but you want the fuller sound and higher action of a tenor to play finger style Celtic tunes or...your current ukulele is a K-brand and you want to take take a plastic or budget ukulele on a camping trip etc. etc. There are many ways we could justify why we own or desire more than one uke but we don't have to justify it to anyone.

I know there are UU members who spend more time buying, collecting and admiring than playing. "Just learn to play the damn thing" means nothing to them and is perhaps an affront to their appreciation of the instrument. And if we say "there is a case to be made for 2 instruments", then shall we also say that no one ought to own more than two ukuleles?

I currently own two ukuleles but I can see myself owning another one or two sometime down the road. I certainly won't tell someone else they need only two or four or forty.

Granuloma Annulare has cured me of UAS. Unfortunately, it prevents me from playing ukulele. Do you really want this cure?
Now I'm selling all of my guitars, banjos and ukes.

My newest problem is HAS - Harmonica Acquisition Syndrome.

John Sargent said:

Granuloma Annulare has cured me of UAS. Unfortunately, it prevents me from playing ukulele. Do you really want this cure?
Now I'm selling all of my guitars, banjos and ukes.

My newest problem is HAS - Harmonica Acquisition Syndrome.

Click to expand...

I'm sorry to hear that John. I am glad you found another passion though.

StigW said:

I'm with you. There is a case to be made for 2 instruments (low g, high g) of the size that fits you, and possibly a baritone if you want that tuning. Otherwise, LEARN TO PLAY the damn thing.

Click to expand...

Not really with me. I don't have a low g and I don't have a baritone, and I don't have any desire for either.

DownUpDave said:

I don't want to be cured!!!!

I am not frustrated with my progress, I have come a very long way. I have never thought a better instrument would make me a "better" player. A good instrument with a great set up makes playing easier, especially barr chords.

I just enjoy the different sounds I get from the different sizes, wood combos and builders. I agree with Mivo when he said sticking with just one instrument and one book may have caused me to become bored and lose interest.

I play and practice a lot because of all the different instruments I have. That in itself makes having UAS not as lethal as some make it out to be. We are all different and certain things work for one person and against another

Click to expand...

I agree with you Dave. And I always like your approach to it. You just enjoy them. That's enough reason.

bikemech said:

UAS is not something to be cured. If you have the money, or want to incur the debt to do so (though that would not be my recommendation), buy to your heart's content. It's your business. There are worse things you can be doing wth your finances.

You can play almost any type of music you want to play on any particular singular ukulele you might own but....your current ukulele might be a soprano in re-entrant tuning and you want a concert strung with a low G or... your current ukulele is a soprano but you want the fuller sound and higher action of a tenor to play finger style Celtic tunes or...your current ukulele is a K-brand and you want to take take a plastic or budget ukulele on a camping trip etc. etc. There are many ways we could justify why we own or desire more than one uke but we don't have to justify it to anyone.

I know there are UU members who spend more time buying, collecting and admiring than playing. "Just learn to play the damn thing" means nothing to them and is perhaps an affront to their appreciation of the instrument. And if we say "there is a case to be made for 2 instruments", then shall we also say that no one ought to own more than two ukuleles?

I currently own two ukuleles but I can see myself owning another one or two sometime down the road. I certainly won't tell someone else they need only two or four or forty.

Click to expand...

I don't think people need to justify their purchases. In fact, I don't think that people should even try to justify them. But they seem to feel like they should, and it is entertaining to read them. Sometimes I read them and I think, why don't you just say I liked it and I bought it? Why go though such mental gymnastics? But I do like to read about other people's UAS, and if I ever catch the bug I'll buy them as I please.

I agree. You like it, you have the money, buy it. It's nothing to me what someone else does with her/his money.

Guitars cured me. Can't really play those either, but they take up so much room that it was easier to stop GAS.

Snargle said:

Or...do I want to be cured?

I bought my first ukulele in December 2015; an Oscar Schmidt OU2 laminate concert. My second was in January 2016; a Kala KA-SRT/MA solid spruce/rosewood tenor.

Just this morning a placed an order with Mainland Ukuleles for a Mainland Solid Mahogany Long Neck Concert Pineapple Ukulele. Although this particular model has been out of stock for a while, I got an excellent deal on a "scratch & dent" one that has a small finish flaw on the headstock.

That's three. I wonder if I'll be able to stop there?

Click to expand...

As somebody who's name I shall not give once said to me, "My wife told me what my next ukulele will cost me is my marriage."

That's a great cure for UAS.

-- Gary

For me there is a cure of sorts, but not necessarily a real acquisition syndrome cure. It is called more interests. As I have gone along through life, I have developed a number of interests and when one becomes more important my UAS is diverted to another type of *AS. In some ways it doesn't change the monetary outlay, but it does force me to decide how I want to spend the extra fun money I have.

I recently retired and I did ramp up some if my overall acquisition purchases prior to retirement to help stem purchases after my income was reduced. Not that I won't be able to eat if I buy a nice ukulele, but it is easier to be content these days. Actually I have found contentment can be a very worthy goal in life.

John