Uke design/construction 'break throughs' ... what is next?

So I recommend you spend you time innovating with your ukulele and enjoying playing time with friends. Don't wait for a better mousetrap, just use whatever you have in the house today and see if you can develop a new style or arrangement to share with your friends.

This could be the answer to so many threads....
 
.... I recommend you spend you time innovating with your ukulele and enjoying playing time with friends. Don't wait for a better mousetrap, just use whatever you have in the house today and see if you can develop a new style or arrangement to share with your friends.
This could be the answer to so many threads....
But not the topic of this thread.

Honestly some people are just curious about new technologies. Not going to help them play better. Nobody in this thread suggested that could happen. But some people have the desire for a ukulele that they can leave out in their pool house, or in their car, of stuff in a backpack and it won't be damaged. Others may be looking for a stage instrument with greater projection, a different tone, or even just an unusual look. Some of the innovations mentioned in this thread speak specifically to those types of things.

No need to piss in the cereal bowl if you are not going to positively contribute to a thread.
 
But not the topic of this thread.

Honestly some people are just curious about new technologies. Not going to help them play better. Nobody in this thread suggested that could happen. But some people have the desire for a ukulele that they can leave out in their pool house, or in their car, of stuff in a backpack and it won't be damaged. Others may be looking for a stage instrument with greater projection, a different tone, or even just an unusual look. Some of the innovations mentioned in this thread speak specifically to those types of things.

No need to piss in the cereal bowl if you are not going to positively contribute to a thread.
Agreed. A lot of people just like to talk about ukuleles. I mean, that is what we are here for. If people didn't talk about ukuleles here there wouldn't be much reason to have a forum about them.
 
The irony of all this is that people enjoy talking about the ukulele, as mentioned above, but every key stroke or tap is one less note that could have been played.

John
 
The irony of all this is that people enjoy talking about the ukulele, as mentioned above, but every key stroke or tap is one less note that could have been played.

John

When the uke becomes a chore, I'll give it up. If I want to play it for an hour a day, fine. If I want to play it for an hour a week, fine. I enjoy ukulele in general: shopping for them, reading about them, playing them, listening to them. I never force myself to play when I don't want to.
 
When the uke becomes a chore, I'll give it up. If I want to play it for an hour a day, fine. If I want to play it for an hour a week, fine. I enjoy ukulele in general: shopping for them, reading about them, playing them, listening to them. I never force myself to play when I don't want to.

^ +1

John
 
The irony of all this is that people enjoy talking about the ukulele, as mentioned above, but every key stroke or tap is one less note that could have been played.

John
Using your logic, every moment spent not playing the ukulele is a wasted moment. I see no irony in enjoying multiple aspects of the ukulele. I can enjoy the ukulele looking at it, playing it, researching its history, listening to others playing it and even thinking about its future.

I am also a former competition shooter, I still enjoy shooting guns, building guns, making custom ammunition for my guns to get the greatest accuracy I can attain, collecting and talking about guns but every moment spent researching powder loads and ballistic coefficients is a moment I am not shooting.

That is not irony. It is enjoying all facets of the topic, be it an instrument that plays music or a mechanical device that shoots projectiles into tiny groupings hundreds of yards away at thousands of feet per second.





When the uke becomes a chore, I'll give it up. If I want to play it for an hour a day, fine. If I want to play it for an hour a week, fine. I enjoy ukulele in general: shopping for them, reading about them, playing them, listening to them. I never force myself to play when I don't want to.
Yes. Exactly.




Perhaps we can now return to the topic?
 
FWIW... my post was in response to other posts that suggested not spending time discussion ukulele innovations but using that time to innovate by playing the ukulele more and the irony of the time spent to post that.

In no way was I suggesting that posting to UU or anything else other than playing the ukulele is a waste of time. I generally play everyday, but sometimes it goes a week or more, but I only play for fun. I have no aspirations to become more competent, or advice for others. I'm retired and have a lot of other things I do and more than enough time to do them. Lord willing I will live long enough to forget everything I know so I can learn it all over again.

John
 
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FWIW... my post was in response to other posts that suggested not spending time discussion ukulele innovations but using that time to innovate by playing the ukulele more and the irony of the time spent to post that.

In no way was I suggesting that posting to UU or anything else other than playing the ukulele is a waste of time. I generally play everyday, but sometimes it goes a week or more, but I only play for fun. I have no aspirations to become more competent, or advice for others. I'm retired and have a lot of other things I do and more than enough time to do them. Lord willing I will live long enough to forget everything I know so I can learn it all over again.

John
Interesting comment, as I am in the same boat. I suppose this topic would warrant its own thread. But I'm feeling fine where I'm at. Sometimes I try to get a little fancier with what I'm doing or I dabble in something a little different, I try to get better at what I'm doing, but when it comes to "innovating" on my ukulele I just don't have the urge to do that. I play my ukulele every day, but I seldom practice anything.
 
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There are two drawbacks to the Flea. The back can slip around a lot. The top is recessed into the molded back. The resulting edge can get uncomfortable pressing into your forearm.

It's not the best uke I own. It is the best one to leave in the car.

I love my flea, but I count a couple more drawbacks - the plastic fretboard and bridge design prevent switching back and forth between high and low G. You can't do wound strings on the plastic fretboard and when I got a non-wound low G it wouldn't fit in the slots on the bridge (I wasn't willing to modify the bridge to experiment with a string I wasn't sure I would like). The other thing that bugs me about fleas is their current polyfoam case is huge - the older model wood cases take up about half the space.

And I agree that the flea is the best to leave in the car - my Blackbird Clara is technically more durable, but I can afford to replace the flea...
 
So would that be a "tenor" Guitar then, or are you saying that all baritones really aren't uke's? lol
 
So would that be a "tenor" Guitar then, or are you saying that all baritones really aren't uke's? lol
I think that anything can be a ukulele if you want it to be. I've yet to see something that defines a ukulele. So I guess if you want a baritone to be one, it can be.
 
Wow, I never knew electric tenor guitars were a thing!
I learn something every day....
A friend of mine who used to travel and sing with Burl Ives plays acoustic tenor guitar, among others. It's his favorite instrument. I call it his industrial size uke.

Now, as far as breakthroughs that are useful, watch this video. If it doesn't make you smile, nothing will.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqeujVGG3ZA
 
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Wow, I never knew electric tenor guitars were a thing!
I learn something every day....
A friend of mine who used to travel and sing with Burl Ives plays acoustic tenor guitar, among others. It's his favorite instrument. I call it his industrial size uke.

Now, as far as breakthroughs that are useful, watch this video. If it doesn't make you smile, nothing will.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqeujVGG3ZA

That was a great video, Nickie.
 
Bass on the green side and Baritone on the purple, hence I call it a Bass'nBari. Scales are 22" and 20"".
 
Magnetically suspended soundboard

Here is something I've not seen before. Magnetically suspended soundboard for ukulele.

 
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