Do you still play your first ukulele?

My first ukulele was a junky Gremlin. I loaned it to a friend, who then gave it to his boss.

No. My first ukulele was a Lanikai CKCGC Concert from guitar center because they gave me 40 days to try it out. It was very cute and I liked it very much. But even though I was a beginner, I became dissatisfied with the sound after about 8 months. I changed the strings. I listened to other people's ukus and sound samples on line. I think I caught a bit of UAS from this forum then. I picked up a vintage Martin tenor and stopped playing the Lanikai. Every couple months I would pick it up to play, thinking it's not so bad. But each time I didn't really care for the sound. Since it had been a great starter for me I gifted it to the Ukulele Kids Club.

Martinlover said:

I think I caught a bit of UAS from this forum then.

Click to expand...

I think that happened to many of us! Without the forum, I think I'd either have quit the hobby early on or I would still only own one uke. Three of mine I even bought from here! But I also feel that these different ukes have really enriched the journey, and still do. The forum/community has undoubtedly deepened my ukulele experience.

Mine was a dreadful soprano with a bright red finish applied using what looked like household gloss paint. The nut was badly applied with great gobbits of glue that had oozed out when it was put on and it sat at an angle across the slot it was set in and with appalling cheap nylon strings with dreadful intonation, the C string being noticeably worse than the other three. A set of standard Aquila Nylguts improved things tremendously but nothing was going to cure the underlying faults. I should probably have binned it but I gave it to a charity shop instead. I fairly quickly replaced it with quite a nice Korala concert but that has gone too, sold to a friend who is very happy with it.

I have tried and passed on a variety of ukes and the oldest I have now is a Bruko concert in Rosewood - one of their "specials" - and that's a keeper. It not only looks good but sounds good too. I still play it fairly often.

The first ukulele I purchased was a Lanikai LU-21T I bought on Maui a dozen years ago. I still have it, but don't play it anymore, it collects autographs now. It became my beater for a while after I got my second ukulele about 10 years ago, a Pono Koa tenor I not only still have but play pretty much daily.
Recently my mom mailed me a photo of me playing an ukulele at our place on Maui we had in the early '80s. I really don't remember that, so I don't know if it was just something mom bought for decoration or if it was a friend's or what...
Apparently I've had the bug longer than I remember!

I only played ukulele for two years, so I still have my first, a Malala MK concert.
I haven't played it since I got a solid wood concert this Christmas, but I plan on keeping it as a "beater" for outdoor use or as my "very best guest ukulele".
Though not as mellow and clear as my new concert, I think the laminate somehow has more immediately and bark than my solid wood Cort ukulele.