On a hanger? In the case? Where do you store your 'ukulele when not playing it?

Wow! Lots of good advice here, most of it falling on the side of caution first. I've got a Kamaka and I'm (hopefully!) nine days away from purchasing a Mainland!!! So it sounds like what I need to do is to get a "cheap" uke that I can have out all the time to play (I really do believe having it hanging right there in front of me will get me playing more) and then keep the solids put away safely until they get to come out and play. With six children (including a 10-month old who's walking and exploring all over the place), 2 cats and 2 dogs, I should probably keep the ukes in a vault!

(And can I just say how freaking excited I am about getting a chance to visit Mainland Ukes next week? I'm actually dreaming about 'ukuleles. Is that weird?)

I put my ukes on my sofa 24/7. No humidity issue from where I live!

Mostly hanging. Above my desk and right in my face. Those get pulled down and played many times during the day. My 'high-end' ukes are Mainlnds, and they get rotated through cases with an attempt to humidify - mostly from paranoia garnered here. Those in cases don't get played much, so I rotate and have at least one of Mike's instruments hanging in front of my face every day. It's the soprano mahogany this morning. Then there's a couple of Kalas, an Oscar Schmidt, a banjolele and a plastic Carnival soprano. In my world, what's in a case doesn't get much play - which defeats my aims. YMMV

I only have one "good" Uke and it is in a Fremont case beside my favorite chair. I use a Dampit humidifier during furnace season... I pull it out and open the case on the ottoman every day - multiple times on a good day. The case becomes a music stand, metronome holder, etc. I like having it at my fingertips, but am a bit neurotic about protection and humidification. I have had this Uke for 6 months and it has quickly become my prized possession. My poor Taylor guitar languishes in the closet - in a humidified case of course!

I use a hanger that I made from some old pallet wood... we don't have much of a humidity issue here though. I can second the suggestion of getting a laminate Kiwaya though for keeping out - I have a Kiwaya KS-0 which has a lovely sound (even nicer and warmer than my all solid Bruko). I've had some sort of musical instrument most my adult life and never really got far on any of them - it wasn't until I had them hung and accessible that I started learning anything properly. Out of sight and all that!

Steveperrywriter said:

...
but is there anybody here who really feels like playing but doesn't because, you know, it's just too much trouble to flip a couple latches and uncase your uke? Not to be snarky, but seriously ...?

Steve

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I wouldn't quite go that far. But I do think it's a pain to keep ukes cased. Not because it's trouble, but really because if I feel like I "must" keep it in a case, I worry about it. Clearly, there's some reason it needs to be in there. Especially when that reason is environmental, I've found I don't play as much. Again, because of the worry. If you're not a worrier, cased shouldn't be such a sad place to be. Since it is for me, I choose ukes below that level of care. But remember, and I freely admit this, it's all in my head!

Play nekkid! Life is short!

Preacher said:

Wow! Lots of good advice here, most of it falling on the side of caution first. I've got a Kamaka and I'm (hopefully!) nine days away from purchasing a Mainland!!! So it sounds like what I need to do is to get a "cheap" uke that I can have out all the time to play (I really do believe having it hanging right there in front of me will get me playing more) and then keep the solids put away safely until they get to come out and play. With six children (including a 10-month old who's walking and exploring all over the place), 2 cats and 2 dogs, I should probably keep the ukes in a vault!

(And can I just say how freaking excited I am about getting a chance to visit Mainland Ukes next week? I'm actually dreaming about 'ukuleles. Is that weird?)

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Weird? To us? Not likely!

I go back and forth on the "cheap uke" debate. On one hand, the uke shapes and features I actually love are extremely limited. They're not custom or anything, just picky things that are hit or miss with most inexpensive ukes. For indestructibility I can highly recommend the Flea, but probably not what you would consider cheap. The other thing is, if the cheap one, whatever it is, is the only one out, then naturally you'll grab it more. Just because it's there. SO it will get more play than the "good" ones in their cases. In that case, dare I be so blunt, why have the good ones? Instruments are made to be played.

I guess that's why I'm pretty much in the one uke camp. I find that one uke that meets my requirements and doesn't need special care, and I play it. End of story.

But I digress! Have fun at Mainland!! Have thought of getting one myself.

Where I live it is way to dry inside the house and too risky to leave hanging on the wall. I was keeping my 4 solids in their cases with hercos but I would tend to grab my favorite ukulele and neglect the rest. One of the neglected ones developed slight seam separation even though it was in the case & humidified. I now keep all four in a glass case with an Oasis gadge. I have a large homemade humidifier that is much easier for me to maintain then the Hercos.

I can see the curly koa on two, the sapwood on another and last I have a blond koa. I now have a visual of all ukuleles and they all get played "and inspected" and appreciated more often. So "for me" the visual rather than cased is way better. If I lived in a climate that was suitable for ukuleles I would hang them, its easy to wipe dust off as you play them. If I had more than 6 solids I would probably case them.

I don't find keeping them in their hard cases stops me playing them at all. They're all there just waiting for me to flip those few latches.

In fact, am I the only person that loves the feeling you get opening up that case and taking out a beautiful ukulele? It's a bit like opening a present every time I play. I always give them a wipe with a microfibre cloth before putting them away too. I like it, it's a bit like a ritual. I think I get it from years of playing vinyl records rather than CDs...the anticipation and ritual is part of the enjoyment.

Oh yes, the vinyl record days bring back memories. I was guilty of dropping the needle to the song I wanted which is a no no. I have a cousin that played his from start to finish, played all songs through, then wiped them down before putting them away. I bet he still has his whole collection, I have none of my albums.

Mattyukaholic said:

I don't find keeping them in their hard cases stops me playing them at all. They're all there just waiting for me to flip those few latches.

In fact, am I the only person that loves the feeling you get opening up that case and taking out a beautiful ukulele? It's a bit like opening a present every time I play. I always give them a wipe with a microfibre cloth before putting them away too. I like it, it's a bit like a ritual. I think I get it from years of playing vinyl records rather than CDs...the anticipation and ritual is part of the enjoyment.

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Mattyukaholic said:

In fact, am I the only person that loves the feeling you get opening up that case and taking out a beautiful ukulele?

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I can't imagine owning your collection, but I can honestly say that after two and a half years, I still smile every time I open the case and take out my slothead Mainland mahogany concert!

Cindy

cantsing said:

I can't imagine owning your collection, but I can honestly say that after two and a half years, I still smile every time I open the case and take out my slothead Mainland mahogany concert!

Cindy

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That's a great ukulele. I consider my Mainland to be one of my favourites. The slotted concerts look really lovely.

I knew there was a reason that I don't own a high dollar uke. I think that half the fun of having an instrument, and that would be multiplied many times over with an object d' art like a MB or or a Devine, is simply looking at them. I think that stringed instruments have a certain elegance and beauty that I like to admire all the time. If my lowly vintage baritone lived in a case I'd miss all the fun of simply looking at it.

Well, I'm not above having my mind changed. After 6 weeks on the wall, I put my Kamaka back in the case with a humidifier. My cheapo laminate has terrible fret sprout and I couldn't stand the thought of knowingly doing that to my Kamaka. Thanks for the advise in this thread!

Appalachian picker said:

I knew there was a reason that I don't own a high dollar uke. I think that half the fun of having an instrument, and that would be multiplied many times over with an object d' art like a MB or or a Devine, is simply looking at them. I think that stringed instruments have a certain elegance and beauty that I like to admire all the time. If my lowly vintage baritone lived in a case I'd miss all the fun of simply looking at it.

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I'm with you AP. I find it deeply satisfying to see a gorgeous uke every day, off the floor of course, out of the sunlight, dusted and at a favourable temperature naturally.

I wonder it those lucky Kamaka owners of a century ago kept their ukes encased of enshrined?

Well, maybe its just the rebel in me that wants to see my ukulele stay free!

Before joining the USAF, my son owned a compound bow. I owned several very nice guitars which were left on stands in my living room. I came home one day, and saw that he had fired an arrow through his bedroom wall, and the broadhead was about an inch from the back of one guitar. He was 16 yrs old. Since then, all of my instruments are back in cases. He's out of the Air Force and back home, so they're still in their cases.....and Jr still owns that compound bow.

My ukulele is solid spruce with laminated mahogany sides. It came with a gig bag and a Herco humidifier. I cut up an old pair of soft PJ's and wrapped a strip around the sides of the humidifier as I didn't want the hard plastic container banging into the instrument. When in the case, I put the Snark in it's soft pouch on the zipper side next to the neck and the wrapped humidifier on the other side of the neck on the back side of the case. I cut a bigger strip as a wipe-down cloth that I roll up and put under the neck. That keeps the uke from moving around. and even though there is a zipper pocket on the top, I feel anything besides paper pushes against the strings, so I don't have much in there except my HMS stickers while I decide where they will go.

I play every day, usually in a chair next to the bed in front of my laptop. I unzip it on the bed, play it, and when I get up and leave the room, it gets a quick wipe down & back in the case on the bed, though not always zipped. That seems to be the safest place. Being on the bed allows me to grab it for quick playing of scales or songs. If I see something on here or another ukulele site, I can grab it and play along, or try out something new. I grade on the laptop, and now it is natural to grade a little and play a little - it keeps me focused and on task.

When I turn in for the night, or when I leave the house, it is zipped in the case and is beside the bed. We have natural gas space heaters for warmth in the winter which result in a little more moisture in the air than forced air heat.

What is this "store" and "not playing" of which you speak?

Seriously, though, since I've bought a room humidifier for my home office I tend to leave some of my ukes out of the cases where I can grab them on a moments notice. I used to just leave the "beaters" out...now I'll leave my good'uns out.

John

I live in FL where winter humidity is not a major issue. You Norte ears can send your really good ukes to me in the winter and I will store them for ya. ��