Help me with a very tough decision

Aldrine Guerrero

Ukulele Underground Staff
Joined
Nov 26, 2007
Messages
1,523
Reaction score
29
Location
In a tiny rock in the middle of the sea :D
Okay it's been a little over a year since I got Mika (my tenor Kamaka) but I've always had my eyes set on a full custom Kamaka ukulele. The waiting list is long on a fancy one but the ones with an already pre-made template I heard is not too bad. A few months from what a friend told me.

Now here's where the decision becomes tough. I have enough for the down payment on one but a little short on the full. I can always save up and get enough for the full BUT...

I thought since I'll have a new Kamaka after that, Mika should go to a new home.

I'd love for someone else to have the same sound experience that I've had with Mika. She's done magic and wonders for me, so maybe it's someone else's turn.

Mika is a tenor Kamaka that I bought stock from a music store here on Kauai. I picked her up and immediately noticed potential. I knew what I wanted and what kind of sound I was looking for. I consulted Jake Shimabukuro about taking it back to the Kamaka shop and have some things modified. The product of Mika's makeover is the sound that you hear in my video's or if you ever came to our live performances. She produces a nice and warm tone with great fretboard feel. Anyone who's ever played her can tell you how nice the action and response is.

Should I sell her or not? Can you guys give me your opinions? If I should sell, how much should she go for? What would YOU do?

Here's a video of Nakashima Mika (the pop singer that Mika was named after) singing "Glamorous sky"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuY0-n2RFUc
 
Last edited:
yo aldrine, i'll buy it for all i've got. a $50 costco card and $10 from my bank account :D (New Years hurt me good.)
 
WOW! I would be pretty amazed if it were on sale, but I say u shouldn't sell her. I would rather save up and buy a new one. Two Kamakas are better than one. Plus, wouldn't u miss the warm sound of her that u got in ur videos and performances?

Well if ur gonna sell, I might be willing to pay the price. How much did u get Mika for?
 
Last edited:
i agree with mister misguided, i would keep Mika. its always nice to have a backup. plus it has brought you good magical, virginity taking times.


on the OTHER HAND....


Fred Miu is looking for a new Tenor as well. :D


arrangement i suppose?
 
Happy New Year Aldrine.

I think you should keep the uke. Just keep playing it while you save the extra $ for a new one. I don't know if you ever play with a low G but you could set her up for that after you get your new one.

I don't play with low G that often but recently I've been enjoying it a bit while working on Europa and most recently Bryan Tolentino's beautiful chord melody version of Over the Rainbow. He is reviewing the tab now so hopefully I will get it posted soon.
 
i'd keep her too. haha i smell competition thouhg if you do sell her.

man a down payment for a uke... how much does a full custom kamaka cost???
 
i'd keep her too. haha i smell competition thouhg if you do sell her.

man a down payment for a uke... how much does a full custom kamaka cost???

kyle is true. people would fight over Mika like crazy.

sometimes they can be from $700-1200 i believe last time i checked
 
i wouldnt sell her, she is a part of you...it would be like selling your soul
 
dont sell her

just go busking with her on the streets till u can afford a better one
 

Attachments

  • DSC_4107.jpg
    DSC_4107.jpg
    84.7 KB · Views: 16
  • DSC_4115.jpg
    DSC_4115.jpg
    53.4 KB · Views: 14
  • DSC_4131.jpg
    DSC_4131.jpg
    83.3 KB · Views: 11
  • DSC_4141.jpg
    DSC_4141.jpg
    61.5 KB · Views: 16
  • DSC_4148.jpg
    DSC_4148.jpg
    92.4 KB · Views: 16
keep it for memorabilia, if you sell your favorite uke that you've held onto, you'll eventually miss it. I'm sure you can get a lot of money for it though just because you've demonstrated its capabilities.
 

Attachments

  • 20-SPM Back.jpg
    20-SPM Back.jpg
    95.2 KB · Views: 54
  • 20-SPM CloseFront.jpg
    20-SPM CloseFront.jpg
    92.1 KB · Views: 185
  • 20-SPM Front.jpg
    20-SPM Front.jpg
    83.6 KB · Views: 508
  • 20-SPM HS.jpg
    20-SPM HS.jpg
    89.8 KB · Views: 268
I would keep it because you've been through a lot with it, made special moments with it, moments you'll never forget you did. So i would keep it then when you want to play with her again you could just play and hear her soothing sound. hahah.
 
haha im going back and forth through threads like CRAZYYYY!!!


and Mika IS a beautiful pop singer too. and since you named Mika (uke) after Mika (pop singer) i would keep her.
 

Attachments

  • MyCollection (7).jpg
    MyCollection (7).jpg
    96.8 KB · Views: 21
  • MyCollection (10).jpg
    MyCollection (10).jpg
    96.8 KB · Views: 24
  • MyCollection (12).jpg
    MyCollection (12).jpg
    96.5 KB · Views: 26
  • MyCollection (0).jpg
    MyCollection (0).jpg
    97.8 KB · Views: 29
  • P1020758.jpg
    P1020758.jpg
    93.7 KB · Views: 20
  • Trilogy.jpg
    Trilogy.jpg
    90.9 KB · Views: 24

Attachments

  • Ohana1.jpg
    Ohana1.jpg
    50.2 KB · Views: 4
  • Ohana2.jpg
    Ohana2.jpg
    41.3 KB · Views: 4
  • Ohana4.jpg
    Ohana4.jpg
    30.3 KB · Views: 4
  • Ohana5.jpg
    Ohana5.jpg
    39.6 KB · Views: 5
haha im going back and forth through threads like CRAZYYYY!!!


and Mika IS a beautiful pop singer too. and since you named Mika (uke) after Mika (pop singer) i would keep her.

Hahahaha yeah... imma post up the Mika Nakashima video on the first post to show everyone who Mika is named after.

Mika singing "Glamorous sky" live acoustic :3
 

Attachments

  • 2011-12-10_14-56-16_741.jpg
    2011-12-10_14-56-16_741.jpg
    99.3 KB · Views: 4
  • 2011-12-10_14-56-24_837.jpg
    2011-12-10_14-56-24_837.jpg
    93.1 KB · Views: 4
  • g 2.jpg
    g 2.jpg
    101 KB · Views: 25
  • m-1.jpg
    m-1.jpg
    99.2 KB · Views: 6
  • martin head.jpg
    martin head.jpg
    98.3 KB · Views: 6
  • martin.jpg
    martin.jpg
    101.1 KB · Views: 6
i like how you gave your ukulele a name haha. i thought that was great!!!

Hahaha.

Well I believe that when you give an ukulele a name, the relationship between a musician and his instrument becomes more personal. Thus, anything that comes out also becomes more personal as well. Tis a beautiful thing my friend :3
 

Attachments

  • MT-4-R.jpg
    MT-4-R.jpg
    94.3 KB · Views: 17
  • 217.jpg
    217.jpg
    97 KB · Views: 4
  • 216.jpg
    216.jpg
    95.6 KB · Views: 3
  • 215.jpg
    215.jpg
    101.8 KB · Views: 5
  • 214.jpg
    214.jpg
    96.2 KB · Views: 6
  • 213.jpg
    213.jpg
    101.3 KB · Views: 4
At least it's not Luka... :)

Agree with the rest. If you can and still make ends meet, I'd keep her. I've sold or given away a few guitars that at some point, I ended up regretting. I just got my very first guitar I ever bought back from my brother who ended up never learning and even though it's a POS, it's my first guitar, so I'm stoked to have "it" back. I call it "it" because it has no personality and sounds like crap, but we have a history as being my first. Sounds like an abused spouse, eh?
 
Hahaha.

Well I believe that when you give an ukulele a name, the relationship between a musician and his instrument becomes more personal. Thus, anything that comes out also becomes more personal as well. Tis a beautiful thing my friend :3

hmm touche my friend...i am going to have to think of a name that means something to me and my uke.
 

Attachments

  • P1010621.jpg
    P1010621.jpg
    47.5 KB · Views: 18
Top Bottom