How much Uke "stuff"?

[oldjazznut]

How much "stuff" do you have for your ukes? I've went a little berserk. I have a 20 inch plastic tool box full. Strings (30 sets!), spare tuning machiines, mini metronomes, picks, etc. Another cardboard box of banjouke heads, a resonator cone and bridge, and other parts.

I've learned over the years that parts disappear. Your favorite strings may become history. You may not find tuning machines like your uke came with. I found out the machines on my resonator have changed already, as have the hooks on my banjo uke. I bought both in the middle of a change. The newest parts fit, but look different. Gold Tone managed to find sets of what I have. Besides being available, parts don't get cheaper than now.

I'm a "firearms enthusiast" (not a "gun nut") and I've seen older classics made useless for need of what was a $5 part from the factory. Now discontinued. If and when you find that part it will probably be used, and $20. Or $30. So I stay ahead of that having parts now that I might need later. I've also done that with my new lawn mower. A box of parts it will eventually need.

 

[eternal tinkerer]

A box full of "stuff" is the inevitable consequence of being totally into something that has been fun and significant for some time.

I have a small box holding 2 dozen (?) sets of brand new ukulele strings, a general toolbox holding several dedicated ukulele setup and string changing tools tools (e.g. string gauge and knob turning tool), and several sets of brand new tuners.

To my surprise, I also have accumulated empty gig bags and/or cases, at least one in each of the three common sizes, which sit empty and have no immediate purpose.

 

[rhiggie]

Ahhh, it's a fine line between having that replacement part for that certain uke, and ending up with boxes full of parts specific to ukes "gone by". I guess if you are talking vintage ukes it makes more sense. That said, I'm sure I have at least 30 sets of strings, 20 sets of tuning machines, and lots of different buttons. A dozen sets of each color (black, gold, silver, wood, bone) strap buttons. Zip-lock bags of bone saddles/nuts and blanks. A drawer full of cleaners, polishes, fretboard oils, 0000 steel wool, wood stains, oh and tools... lots of uke/guitar specific tools! But then I am always buying and reconditioning ukes for new students and players as well as being the local Uke Jam "fixer-upper guy", so I use up parts and supplies on a regular basis! I used to do the same thing with acoustic guitars, and still have drawers full of guitar tuners/buttons, pickups that I haven't touched in 10 years! By the way, I'll always buy your extra gig bags as I'm always in need of them for ukes I'm getting. Hard cases on the other hand cost too much to ship. It's all part of the "fun"!

 

[badhabits]

Not much hoarding here...strings, tuners, winder, string gauge, humidifiers... nothing bought "just in case". I've learned from other activities that a lot of that stuff isn't needed or won't be used... for me at least.

 

[Jerryc41]

How much "stuff" do you have for your ukes? I've went a little berserk. I have a 20 inch plastic tool box full. Strings (30 sets!), spare tuning machiines, mini metronomes, picks, etc. Another cardboard box of banjouke heads, a resonator cone and bridge, and other parts.

I've learned over the years that parts disappear. Your favorite strings may become history. You may not find tuning machines like your uke came with. I found out the machines on my resonator have changed already, as have the hooks on my banjo uke. I bought both in the middle of a change. The newest parts fit, but look different. Gold Tone managed to find sets of what I have. Besides being available, parts don't get cheaper than now.

I'm a "firearms enthusiast" (not a "gun nut") and I've seen older classics made useless for need of what was a $5 part from the factory. Now discontinued. If and when you find that part it will probably be used, and $20. Or $30. So I stay ahead of that having parts now that I might need later. I've also done that with my new lawn mower. A box of parts it will eventually need.

I have too much "Ukulele Stuff." For better or worse, I can look up anything I've bought by looking in Quicken. I have page after page of "Ukulele Stuff." That's in addition to straps, stands, strings, and tuners. Total expenditure is over $2k.

 

[Dohle]

I subscribe to Ukestuff: https://www.youtube.com/c/UkeStuff

 

[Jerryc41]

I subscribe to Ukestuff: https://www.youtube.com/c/UkeStuff

Thanks for that. I just subscribed.

 

[Voran]

Just straps and cases because I play on low tension tunings most of the time and won't be doing much damage.

 

[Mike $]

A few sets of strings, string winder, 1 digital tuner. Nut files I use on the bone, ebony and rosewood I have for new nuts and saddles. 2 sets of Grover 6 series tuning machines, 1 set of Gotoh planetary tuners. And plenty of tools and wood for building new ukes and uke parts. I only have one gig bag, which lies in the closet.

 

[ripock]

I have a snark and a set of backup strings for each of my two ukuleles. I do have a capo in a closet somewhere that I bought just to have one.

 

[UkingViking]

I have one tiny drawer for spare strings, tuners, shakers, picks that I dont use, a slide that I dont use etc.

I also have a box with some weird tools I "needed":
A reamer. A instrument neck holder made from cork, to keep ukuleles and guitars in place when servicing them. A few cheap nut files. Some straps. Leather scraps and hole makers for crafting more straps if I feel like it.

Then there are the microphones and cables I have collected, but are those uke stuff or recording stuff?

 

[TimWilson]

Then there are the microphones and cables I have collected, but are those uke stuff or recording stuff?

Do we need to ask about each other's collection of cables, connectors, adapters, and possibly dead hard drives we're sure that we're going to try and fire up one of these days?

 

[KohanMike]

I used to keep a bunch of preamps, pickups, tuning machines, etc., but a few months ago I decided to clean house and dumped a bunch. I still have a small bag of strap buttons, screws, a drill string winder, work table neck prop, a couple sets of strings. I now buy what I need at the time. I have to say, it felt very good unloading all that.

 

[Kenn2018]

I subscribe to Ukestuff: https://www.youtube.com/c/UkeStuff

Created and run by UU Forum Member "Choirguy".

 

[Spicysteve]

OMG. I don’t want to even begin to total it all up…. Straps, hoards of extra parts, gig bags and hard cases, strap pins, strings, amplifiers, instrument cables….. on and on.
Parts/accessories acquisition syndrome is just as bad as UAS.
But by gosh it makes me happy.
Not as happy as playing but happy.

Cheers to all,

Steve.

 

[ploverwing]

String (like maybe 6 sets?). Couple of capos. Couple of tuners. Straps for each. A spare gig bag. Books. So far, not too bad.