Tin Ear
Well-known member
Nothing wrong with enjoying "Rice Krispies" if you like them.
How much is too much for a Uke
- Thread starter Tactical Uke
- Start date
Lots of valid opinions in this thread. Personally, I'm perfectly fine paying a large sum of money for a fine craft made instrument made by skilled and fairly paid workers. That sounds Aloha to me. Also, how many hours do you spend with your instruments? If you spend a lot of time playing, the cost will seem worth it more likely. If they sit in their case, probably not. The best instrument is the one you want to pick up and play every day.
I spend a lot of time with my instruments, and they mean a lot to me. Like others here, I have come to rely on them for my own mental health. I connect with my emotions more directly through music, and I actually think I can express myself musically better with this instrument than with my voice. What is that worth in dollars? Who knows?
I spend a lot of time with my instruments, and they mean a lot to me. Like others here, I have come to rely on them for my own mental health. I connect with my emotions more directly through music, and I actually think I can express myself musically better with this instrument than with my voice. What is that worth in dollars? Who knows?
Tin Ear
Well-known member
Keep that thinking up and you will be buying that Pono Master Series uke you are side eyeing
and its not a large sum, healthy grocery money for sure, but I bet you'd reap every penny of joy out of it .
Stoneyrun
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I'm such a tight grandfather that I screw my socks on each morning. My Kmise solid spruce top baritone ukulele that I play daily cost me $89 from the big river site. I have added electronics to make it acoustic electric for under $20. Swapped to a set of Martin strings for $5.99. Cut a ham container lid for a free weird blue pickguard. If it were stolen, and I had $1000 or so to splurge on something new, I'd buy this same uke and a bunch of pedals and enjoy making unlimited sounds. I've only ever owned cheap ukes. I've had about two dozen. I'm all in on the baritone now. It's the only one I've played for months. The flexibility of adding a capo to the 5th and play it standard GCEA uke tuning, the extra fretboard room, the additional volume from the larger body, and the DGBE tuning option make it my favorite. I still have my Donner tenor. Great uke. But I gave away all my other ukes. How much is too much is subjective. Spending what we can afford as wisely as possible to extract enjoyment from our brief lives is the trick.
ukukeguy
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My total spend on ukes over the last 8 years, including a uke-style bass, is about 40% of what I've spent on stringed instruments during my playing lifetime, so I've either been watching the pennies on my guitar/bass purchases or some of my uke purchases are overpriced, but, it has to be said, prices on just about any stringed instrument of any quality have shot up over the past few years, so the best time to buy an instrument is definitely now.
For the first 10 years of my uke journey I owned and played several $100-$300 range ukes and enjoyed them. But when I got my hands on my first solid Koa Hawaiian uke I almost immediately sold all my cheaper ukes (except one beater) and started rebuilding with fewer, better ukes. Since then my commitment to playing has risen exponentially as has my desire to get better, and my enjoyment of the instrument. Personally, I'm not so interested in visual beauty, and would rather spend my limited money on ukes that sound beautiful.
I watch a lot of stuff on YouTube but honestly, even with a really good sound system on my computer, it is hard to tell the differences in sound sometimes. Recording quality, YouTube audio limitations and playback equipment have a huge effect on what you hear online. But when I actually hold a uke in my hands and play it I can immediately pick up huge differences in sound from one uke to another.
I don't think you necessarily need to spend $1000 to get wonderful sound, but the ones I own in that range do sound distinctly better to me. As others have probably already mentioned, once you get into the $1000-$2000 range you will probably find that most of them are at a level that any pro or highly advanced amateur would gladly use it for public performances. At the same time, really gifted players can make much cheaper instruments sound wonderful too.
My advice is to play as many ukes as you can and listen carefully. What pleases your ear should become very evident. Then you just have to negotiate with your wallet and loved ones who have a vested interest in how much money leaves your wallet.
I watch a lot of stuff on YouTube but honestly, even with a really good sound system on my computer, it is hard to tell the differences in sound sometimes. Recording quality, YouTube audio limitations and playback equipment have a huge effect on what you hear online. But when I actually hold a uke in my hands and play it I can immediately pick up huge differences in sound from one uke to another.
I don't think you necessarily need to spend $1000 to get wonderful sound, but the ones I own in that range do sound distinctly better to me. As others have probably already mentioned, once you get into the $1000-$2000 range you will probably find that most of them are at a level that any pro or highly advanced amateur would gladly use it for public performances. At the same time, really gifted players can make much cheaper instruments sound wonderful too.
My advice is to play as many ukes as you can and listen carefully. What pleases your ear should become very evident. Then you just have to negotiate with your wallet and loved ones who have a vested interest in how much money leaves your wallet.
I wonder if the people who think that paying $1000-$1500+++++ is outrageous also think that paying even $2000-$2500 for a guitar is outrageous? A custom made ukulele has 80% of the labour and much of the same material cost as a guitar (and I don’t even think that you could get a custom guitar for $2500).
I used to be a guitar player but aging hands and wrists made it very uncomfortable to play longer scale length instruments. My guitar collection consisted of some fine instruments so when I I sold them I had the money to explore custom builds. 2nd hand at first, then, when I learned what I liked, commissioning my own builds. I have never regretted any one of those purchases. If asked for my opinion about purchasing a Uke I always advise people to buy the best you can afford at any given point in your musical journey. I am certain that an instrument that plays easier and sounds better will encourage you to play more and enhance your playing quicker.
I used to be a guitar player but aging hands and wrists made it very uncomfortable to play longer scale length instruments. My guitar collection consisted of some fine instruments so when I I sold them I had the money to explore custom builds. 2nd hand at first, then, when I learned what I liked, commissioning my own builds. I have never regretted any one of those purchases. If asked for my opinion about purchasing a Uke I always advise people to buy the best you can afford at any given point in your musical journey. I am certain that an instrument that plays easier and sounds better will encourage you to play more and enhance your playing quicker.
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A conversation like this is so subjective but, as someone who has commissioned 3 Barron River Ukes, and never having been disappointed in anyway by any of them, I felt that I had to put my 2 cents in. At the end of the day I would rather have one really good Uke (to my ears and fingers) than 10 of, what I consider, unsatisfying instruments. All market segments are defined by the demographics and perceptions of the primary target audience.
