Uncle Rod's conundrum

Uncle Rod Higuchi

Uncle Rod Higuchi

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LORD willing, I will be attending the Ukulele Guild of Hawaii (UGH?)
November Luthiers' Event at the Bishop Museum, Nov 22-25, 2019
and I have a problem... which ukulele to bring with me.

Disclaimer: (needless to say?) I will not be playing one of the Luthiers's
custom ukuleles, and I've somewhat narrowed my choice between (believe it or not) the Martin C1K and the Soprano Outdoor Ukulele!

Now, the Martin will represent a more traditional wood build (koa, made
in Mexico) vs the Outdoor Ukulele's polycarbonate/plastic material.

I don't want to offend the Luthiers, but neither will I be playing a custom uke so neither the Martin nor the Outdoor Uke would be in keeping with
the nature of the Event, technically. But those are my options... for now :)

Faced with that conundrum... what would you do and why?

looking forward to your suggestions and opinions :)
 
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Martin. I think it represents a more traditional look and sound.
 
Hey Merlin666, on Thursday the 21st around noon at the Highway Inn near the Kamaka Factory, those who take
the tour will be having lunch and I intend to crash the 'party' so feel free to join them/us :)

after that I'll probably return to The Makai Food Court at the Ala Moana Shopping Center, the end near Cinnabon.
In fact, I'll probably start my day there before hiking to SALT in Kakaako and the Highway Inn. So if you're in the
area, please stop by. We can sing and play for the paper lei makers. That's what I've been doing everytime
I return to HNL. They are teaching me how to retire :)

Anyway, if can, I hope to meet you in HNL. I'll be arriving on Wed the 20th and leaving for Seattle on Mon the 25th.

keep uke'in',
 
Uncle Rod Higuchi said:
Hey Merlin666, on Thursday the 21st around noon at the Highway Inn near the Kamaka Factory, those who take
the tour will be having lunch and I intend to crash the 'party' so feel free to join them/us :)

after that I'll probably return to The Makai Food Court at the Ala Moana Shopping Center, the end near Cinnabon.
In fact, I'll probably start my day there before hiking to SALT in Kakaako and the Highway Inn. So if you're in the
area, please stop by. We can sing and play for the paper lei makers. That's what I've been doing everytime
I return to HNL. They are teaching me how to retire :)

Anyway, if can, I hope to meet you in HNL. I'll be arriving on Wed the 20th and leaving for Seattle on Mon the 25th.

keep uke'in',
Click to expand...

Thanks, we will arrive on the 13th and leave on the 27th for an escape from snow and cold that has hit us early here. We are definitely considering factory tours again, and I haven't gone to Kanilea yet. Bit of a stretch with the bus. Do you carry spare ukes to your performances?
 
Bill1, I love your comment primarily because I wanted some support for my leaning toward bringing
my Outdoor Ukulele. well said! good points (to help justify my leanings :) )

Merlin666, If I want to help you out I'd better bring 2 ukes with me :) That would solve the Martin or OU
conundrum. Actually, I have ukes in HNL so I will try to remember to have a couple with me. They will
both be Sopranos so I hope you'll be able to play them. NOTE: just to clarify, these are not performances,
just informal singing and playing so no pressure.

Bill1 what a refreshing perspective on my conundrum! I hope the Luthiers can appreciate the same point
of view :)

Thanks Guys & Gals for sharing your points of view.

the cat's out of the bag in the sense that I'm leaning toward bringing the Outdoor Soprano.

anyway, keep uke'in',
 
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Uh, I think I'd lean towards the Outdoor uke, except I have heard that they don't sound all that good. ("Disappointing" is the most frequent comment I have heard.)

However, if yours is up to your standards for intonation and sound, then by all means take it. The luthiers won't see it as a competitor of theirs and will no doubt, as Bill1 said, be curious about it.

Have fun regardless which you choose.
 
Yeah, it's not a wood uke sound, but like ChoirGuys says, "It's not a bad sound. It has its own voice."
I thought I would be put off by 'clicking' sounds, but I really don't hear them... at least not in a distracting
way.
The more I play the OU Soprano, the more I like it. I like its size even though some chords feel a bit
crowded on the soprano scale. but I can live with that :) I simply find the Tenor a bit large for my reach,
or lack thereof :)
Anyway, this most current experience with the OU Soprano has been a much more enjoyable one since the
original issue I had years ago. Hence, my desire to bring it to HNL in a couple of weeks.

Thanks everyone! and if anyone still wants to give me their 2 cents worth, please do so.

Love this community and I appreciate those of you who took the time to share your suggestions
and opinions.

Please remember to click on the ukulelebootcamp.weebly.com link to gain access to the free
Holiday Songbook that's just waiting there for you :)

keep uke'in',
 
Ok my two cents is for the Martin. I also like the idea of acquiring a uke while there. But it's your choice, your joy and your finances. Flip a coin and see if you're comfortable with the coin's decision. That may help you decide on what your heart wants. Let us know how it goes and Enjoy :)
 
keenonuke said:
Flip a coin and see if you're comfortable with the coin's decision. That may help you decide on what your heart wants.
Click to expand...

I've heard this a couple places--great advice.

Uncle Rod, thanks to another thread you recently posted about the Outdoor Soprano, I'm about to have both ukes you are considering, so I could weigh in in a few days, but for now I'd say go with what feels good.
 
Uncle Rod,
Take an empty case, and fill it there.
 
Uncle Rod Higuchi said:
Merlin666, If I want to help you out I'd better bring 2 ukes with me :) That would solve the Martin or OU conundrum. Actually, I have ukes in HNL so I will try to remember to have a couple with me. They will
both be Sopranos so I hope you'll be able to play them. NOTE: just to clarify, these are not performances,
just informal singing and playing so no pressure.
Click to expand...
Awesome, I love informal singing though am at the age where lyrics fade from memory more quickly than I can sing them. I own concert and tenor ukes, but love to play whatever comes my way ...
 
Merlin666, no worries, i'll be bringing an ipad and we can share the screen (lyrics and chords) :)
I may also have a copy or 2 of the STRUM Kanikapila Songbook for our use and possibly to share
with others who may want to sing along with us :)

Looking forward to seeing you at The Makai Food Court at the Ala Moana Shopping Center. I may be
heading there shortly after I arrive in HNL. Here's my phone number so you can text me to confirm
whether I'm there (206)-234-6972. I should be off the plane by 1 or 1:30 on Wed afternoon, the 20th.

Til then,
 
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Thank You, Everyone, for your support and encouraging words of counsel and advice.

I like that 'flip a coin and consider' bit of advice :) Sometimes it is a battle between
the head and the heart....

Believe it or not, I'm actually considering the Carbon OU Soprano as a companion
to the Green Soprano. I do like Blue, but they would simply be the same but in different
colors whereas the Carbon model would be an upgrade.

Mahalo!
 
just a heads up, I don't know why but I've really been bitten by the Outdoor Ukulele Polycarbonate ukuleles.
I may have stumbled upon some recent YouTube videos that captured my attention. That must have been it.
I remember watching Jody (Girl Meets Uke) and ChoirGuy/Dr Christopher Russell (UkeStuff) and Vic who were
doing reviews and comparisons with the Outdoor Ukulele Tenors and Sopranos.

Anyway, that led to my ordering and receiving the Green Soprano model which I have had for only about a week,
but which I am enjoying a lot! Hence my Conundrum :) Now I may be increasing the confusion by considering
the purchase of a carbon Soprano as well! I'm sure UAS has nothing to do with my situation [call me
"Cleopatra"... if you catch my drift]

I haven't pulled the trigger, but the 'gun' is in my hand! Yikes!

Pray for me Brothers and Sisters... but not too seriously :)
 
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