Is the Fad Tapering Off (Again)?

[lindydanny]

That's just a fluke!

 

[Sir]

D'you see that spike towards the end of 2009?

That was me, that was!!!:drool:

 

[pdxuke]

One problem that I've seen is that there aren't a lot of options for higher-end ukuleles in most local markets. So when people go to a music store to check them out, it gives the impression that the uke is a shoddy gimmick instrument. Portland, for example, doesn't have anywhere I know of that carries any K-brand instruments, and we're about as ukeish as cities come these days.

I strongly prefer to buy local, but if no dealers are going to carry the instruments and strings I'm interested in, then I'll buy off the Internet. The problem with that is local shops lose all the higher-end customers, and chalk it off to diminishing demand.

'll second this. I could buy my Ohanas and my Flea in PDX, but forget buying a Kamaka. I had to go to Gryphon strings and to MGM for those. So the high end goes to a bigger market, which is probably just business.

 

[23skidoo]

When I went looking for a uke here in Atlanta back in the spring, I didn't find anything in stock at any of the small to large scale music stores I checked. Granted, as a guitarist, I was expecting something with more sustain and a richer tone, but I just didn't find a great selection. Danny, the OP, actually helped me out on a jazz guitar forum we both frequent with a recommendation for a specific Kala from MGM.... which has worked out great! (Thanks again....) My favored music store for guitar stuff is kind of a hole in the wall - they have a couple of cheap, off-brand ukes. After talking to them, they have no interest in stocking anything more - no demand.

I think a lot of folks do what I did - go to someone online -like this forum- and figure out what a good starter uke is.... which in most markets, isn't available in stock. Although growing in popularity, I think it's still a pretty niche market and online is the best option for most people. I'm not sure there will ever be enough demand in most parts of the U.S. for general music retailers to invest in a really good selection of ukes. You folks that live in parts of the country where you get a more dedicated uke retail environment are lucky.....

 

[Hippie Dribble]

One problem that I've seen is that there aren't a lot of options for higher-end ukuleles in most local markets. So when people go to a music store to check them out, it gives the impression that the uke is a shoddy gimmick instrument. Portland, for example, doesn't have anywhere I know of that carries any K-brand instruments, and we're about as ukeish as cities come these days.

I strongly prefer to buy local, but if no dealers are going to carry the instruments and strings I'm interested in, then I'll buy off the Internet. The problem with that is local shops lose all the higher-end customers, and chalk it off to diminishing demand.

Exactly the same prob in my neck of the woods. Local shops carry ukuleles, but only inferior quality brands that certainly don't do anything to promote the ukulele as a serious instrument.

By default, online buying is the only option.

 

[SuzukHammer]

Ukes need to be the choice of music classes for elementary schools. Period.

But as before, they send those cheapy ukes with bad friction tuners. And music teachers apparently don't want to be tuning ukes for the first 20 minutes even though its great fundamentals.

Teens are gonna go where its cool. There likely is a whole market not being addressed here.

Musician types seem to tanscend the ages but they can't seem to afford more than a 1 or 2 high end products in their 20s and 30s.

Grownups seem to only change at midlife crisis age. And these are typically high end buyers cause they seem to know value.

 

[lindydanny]

Some further discussions with my buddy... Basically, with the economy the way it is, a lot of the suppliers (such as Hohner which supplies Lanikai's brand) have been reluctant to follow the fad for fear that they will end up with a large overstock of instruments should it die off. Funny how this can make the supply limited and frustrate some so much that they give up and stop pursuing (thus killing the fad). A little self-fulfilling prophecy.

Maybe as things start to level out (which would have happened in 2009 if we would stop watching terrorist organizations such as CNN, MSNBC, ABC, USA Today, and FoxNews) those companies will get the products out to the shops a little quicker to keep their mid-range stock up.

~DB

 

[Nuprin]

After reading this thread I decided to take a look at the uke numbers the store I work at has sold comparing last year to this year. It should be noted that we are not a ukulele-strong store...we carry the Lanikai LU-21 series (can't get any others through our distributor), Fender, Oscar Schmidt, Ibanez, and, most recently, Martin (only the OXK and S1) but we easily do more business in guitars, basses, and drums.

Last year (from 01/01 to 08/12) we had sold 38 ukuleles totaling $3574.98.
This year (from 01/01 to 08/12) we have sold 58 ukuleles totaling $6976.77.

So, at least in VT, seems like the fad hasn't tapered off yet.

 

[UkeNukem]

There are differences in how an experienced guitar or bass player and a total noobie look at instruments in the average music store. The experienced players will notice things like intonation and setup and perhaps look elsewhere for Ukulele information (Like the UU), so local music store sales levels may better reflect the new folks entering our ranks.

Being a librarian by trade, I looked for some hard facts and found this.

http://www.google.com/trends?q=ukulele

Still an upward trend with a variety of volume per country.

 

[syrynx]

Being a librarian by trade, I looked for some hard facts and found this.

http://www.google.com/trends?q=ukulele

Most useful post in this thread so far; thank you very much!

Interesting to see the pre-Christmas spikes.

 

[ukulefty]

Interesting to see the pre-Christmas spikes.

I guess the ukulele makes a wonderful Christmas pressie!!