Bling

Down Up Dick said:
Well, different strokes for different folks, I guess. I just wondered why so many UUers had negative views of bling. :eek:ld:
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The different strokes maxim is true for all human choices it seems. But I am also befuddled by why some users, in general, have such negative views on other Ukers who acquire visually beautiful instruments. But as you say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
 
My mantra is "understated elegance in all things". That would include my ukuleles.
 
Bling is fine and so is a pretty finish but in the end it comes down to sound and play ability,My current favorite is a 23 Martin soprano it looks like hell but sounds like heaven
 
Well, it’s very interesting to see that so many UUers are so serious about their ukuleles. I guess I’m outta step yet again. :eek:ld:
 
Theres different depths of bling, I am happy with a mahogany sop that has no decoration whatsoever, I love my spalted maple sop, the lil ohana sopranissimo with binding top and bottom, abalone rosette is fasntastic, but I did aquire one guitar that was welll over the top for me... I just cant play it, it aint me...
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Dansimpson said:
Theres different depths of bling, I am happy with a mahogany sop that has no decoration whatsoever, I love my spalted maple sop, the lil ohana sopranissimo with binding top and bottom, abalone rosette is fasntastic, but I did aquire one guitar that was welll over the top for me... I just cant play it, it aint me...
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Ha! That guitar looks like one could play very fast pieces on it like “Sabre Danse” or “Flight of the Bumble Bee”.

Have you seen any of the hand-painted ones, usually sopranos, on the internet? I think that would be fun to do, but I am definitely not a painter. But if one paints something on his/her uke, he/she could have one that was really unique.

How ‘bout a decal? That might work. :eek:ld:
 
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I'm not a fan of bling on my ukes, but then I'm not a fan of bling in my life, period. I don't wear jewelry, drive a flashy car, wear clothing with sequins or artwork on it, or really buy anything that is purely decorative. Just a personal preference and something I can't imagine spending extra money on.
 
I'm a magpie. I love bling. I love bright colours. I have a seafoam green acoustic guitar, a bright pink strat, and a blue uke. My car is volcano orange.

Bling can be used to enhance or it can be used to distract.

There's a big difference between tarting up a cheapie and enhancing a good one. I love the harlequin effect on the Koaloha Naupakas. I adore high figure woods and elaborate inlay on a high end instrument.

High figure veneer and overdone inlay on an instrument that costs less than a good family dinner just look like they're trying too hard to be something they aren't. The super-shiny, high gloss, intensely "abalone" purfled uke on the super-store's wall just looks tawdry to me. The plain ones, the simple colored ones, and the laser etched ones seem more honest. They can be interesting without being pretentious

That said, I'm still secretly in love with the blue-dyed high-figure laminate maple Kala ('cause: blue!), but I'm not sure I'd want to be seen in public with it :)

"It costs a lot of money to look this cheap" -- Dolly Parton
 
I agree with you about the coloured stuff for kids, I think its a great idea. Things like the Nuvo and Pbone ranges are phenomenal, and get easier to play instruments into the hands of kids a lot more cheaply than in the past. Yeah you probably wouldn't want to see them in a symphony orchestra ;) but that isn't why they are made.

I'm not good enough to play in public, but when I am and take a uke on holiday etc I'd want something bright and fun looking. People seem to love the Outdoor blue uke and its pretty blingy to my eye. ;)

My first experience of the ukulele - where I live there is a lake and it gets crazy busy on hot days. one day I was in my kitchen, and I heard music - and I'm what is that? bright happy summer music, and I stick my head out of the window and someone is at the bus stop playing a little painted uke ...

Sorry bit of a digression. If I had a 'collection' I'd want both plain and bright.

I think these look great!
 
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hollisdwyer said:
But I am also befuddled by why some users, in general, have such negative views on other Ukers who acquire visually beautiful instruments.
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A Beau Hannam uke is hardly bare bones, but people love them - and for good reason. Beautiful sight. Beautiful sound.
 
I admit to liking the look of the wood grain of my ukes, a rosette & a bit of plainish edge binding is as far as I want to go with mine. :)

I dislike that rope binding imensly, not sure why, because when I started out I quite liked the look of it. :confused:

Plain brown wrapper's OK by me. ;)
 
How does one know how a uke sounds until he/she has gotten it home or opened it’s box and banged away at it awhile?

When one goes shopping for a uke he/she probably knows the size and maybe the wood he/she wants, but then he/she has to pick using it’s look and availability.

I’ve bought all of mine by their type and their looks. I’ve liked ‘em all except the cheap looking, expensive Flea. :eek:ld:
 
I guess I'm straddling the middle on this issue. My KoAloha concert is pretty plain (except for the abalone fret markers and headstock logo) and my Kala "MGM" tenor is kind of blingy. The others are somewhere between the two (although the fancy binding on my aNueNue could be considered bling by some). The beautiful koa wood on the KoAloha is plenty, but I do enjoy the more elaborate decoration on the others. I would draw the line at an over-the-top model like some Bruce Wei "let's see how much inlay we can put on one instrument" models.
 
Jerryc41 said:
A Beau Hannam uke is hardly bare bones, but people love them - and for good reason. Beautiful sight. Beautiful sound.
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My BH is my most blingy instrument in a way. Except for a comfort edge and cutaway it has about every option but all are restrained. No lashings of paua shell purfling but that’s just my personal preference. It started out as a relatively plain model but while I was waiting for it to start I kept on adding more and more options as I saw Beau’s craftsmanship in the build photos he posted on FB. They were so beautiful I couldn’t help myself and I’m glad that I didn’t. My other Ukes are blingy in different ways. I always find the extra cash for master grade woodsets. You can’t beat natural beauty. I also always insist on bindings and BWB purfling for the body at least. All of this is not really bling IMO but more of a mainland design vernacular. But then again I have never visually favoured the plainer traditional Hawaiian style of build. They maintain a continuity of heritage but have never floated my boat.
 
Down Up Dick said:
How does one know how a uke sounds until he/she has gotten it home or opened it’s box and banged away at it awhile?

When one goes shopping for a uke he/she probably knows the size and maybe the wood he/she wants, but then he/she has to pick using it’s look and availability.

I’ve bought all of mine by their type and their looks. I’ve liked ‘em all except the cheap looking, expensive Flea. :eek:ld:
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Buying a new or 2nd hand Uke sight unseen or commissioning one from a Luthier is a leap of faith always. Living on the edge of the known universe I have always had to make that leap. Luckily I have never been disappointed.
 
Down Up Dick said:
How does one know how a uke sounds until he/she has gotten it home or opened it’s box and banged away at it awhile?

When one goes shopping for a uke he/she probably knows the size and maybe the wood he/she wants, but then he/she has to pick using it’s look and availability.
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I've owned 5 ukes, 3 which I still have and 2 which I've sold. Each was purchased over the internet so I had no way of trying them out before receiving them. They were from Lanikai, Ohana (2), Pono and Kala. I was pleased with the sound of all of them but some sounded better and different than others. If the brand is reliable and has a good reputation and you have a chance to hear sound samples of ukes from the same model or similar then it's more than likely you'll get one with satisfactory sound or better. Since I can be fairly assured I'll like the sound with this approach, I let my eyes do the shopping! I want a beauty or something interesting to look at!
 
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Down Up Dick said:
How does one know how a uke sounds until he/she has gotten it home or opened it’s box and banged away at it awhile?
Click to expand...

I go online & listen to as many samples of it being played as I can find & assess whether it's the uke or the player, & whether I like the sound/tone or not - some ukes I thought I might like, after hearing several sound samples, I decided against buying, but usually they sound pretty good, then when I get mine, I put my favourite strings on it anyway. :)
 
The only "bling" for me and my simple tastes is the natural looks of the wood grains. Excess abalone (other than a modest rosette, perhaps) is like the overdone "look-at-me" makeup of a painted whore, and inlaid designs remind me of garish tattoos and body piercings. (I've never worn makeup or gotten tattooed, either, and the only things I have pierced are my earlobes, FWIW_)

bratsche
 
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