What is your ukulele "batting average"?

[greenfrog]

0.67.

Bought a Makala tenor several years ago, didn’t have a very good time with it, sold it or traded it in, and didn’t touch a ukulele again for years.

Next was a used Lanikai baritone, which had a lot of problems (high action, warped neck that made lowering the action inadvisable) but was the ukulele that got me started playing. I still have it, but rarely play it because it’s not very comfortable to play. I can’t sell it in this condition and would never throw it away, so it stays. Maybe someday I’ll donate it, if the program it’s donated to has someone who can fix the neck - I think it might like to be back out in the world helping other people get started on ukulele.

After that came a Hamano baritone, and that was the instrument that made me really fall in love with playing ukulele. Came from a store that gave it a good setup with nice low action, has a surprisingly rich/deep sound for a laminate, projects really well, has a narrower nut width than most baritones (good for my small hands), and is just really fun to play. I love it. No matter what else I might get in the future, this one’s got a home for life.

 

[Luke Plays Uke]

I bought 13 and sold one. Normally I’m not one to get rid of instruments, but I just could NOT bond with that one uke no matter how much I adjusted the action, changed the strings, etc.

 

[SeemingMusic]

So theoretically if you only ever owned one uke in your lifetime and then sold it when you can no longer physically play.... You would be 0? sads.

 

[greenfrog]

So theoretically if you only ever owned one uke in your lifetime and then sold it when you can no longer physically play.... You would be 0? sads.

I don’t think so - if you can’t play a ukulele due to circumstances beyond your control (theft, fire, physical disability) it shouldn’t count in the numerator or the denominator. Only ones that you could have kept and played but got rid of instead should count.

So in the scenario you described it’s 0/0, and dividing by 0 gives infinitely, so the person would have infinite ukuleles (at least in spirit).

That’s my 8 cents anyway (adjusted for inflation).

 

[pondweed]

One of my ukes was around the house before I was born. My mom bought it in Hawaii in the 50’s. It was not treated well, unfortunately (it’s a Martin). It’s got a round spot on the back where it was used a weapon of sorts. That’s as close to a bat as any of my ukes will ever get.

pictures needed! Great story. How does it play still?

 

[UkingViking]

I am holding on to 8/11 at this point.

But there are a couple of ukes in my collection that hardly ever gets played. So I could probably cull a few more.

 

[badhabits]

Interesting thread idea. Your numbers seem rather low, BTW.

Short answer for me, an admitted gearhead, is b/w .100 and .150 in the past 4 years or so when it got going with a vengeance (for ukes). But it gets complicated... some were returned/exchanged (you wouldn't believe how many shops send the wrong uke or send the one they think you might like better!), some replaced under warranty and some sold. And that includes tween son (.000) and wife (.500) and one given to me. There still are 2 to be sold and another or 2 that might be, so currently have 7 or 8 in the house (does the banjo uke count?).

My first uke from decades ago (not included) was given away to a niece. I've also given away over a dozen others: a couple to co-workers interested in learning to play, one to a nephew, one or 2 each year for a charity auction and others to kids programs/charities (6 in the past few months). My UA (ukulele avg) would be much higher if it included only those that I bought intending to keep for myself. For me, UAS/buying (and selling) has waxed and waned depending on what I've learned about my likes/dislikes and what is out there.

 

[Wiggy]

0.67.

Bought a Makala tenor several years ago, didn’t have a very good time with it, sold it or traded it in, and didn’t touch a ukulele again for years.

Next was a used Lanikai baritone, which had a lot of problems (high action, warped neck that made lowering the action inadvisable) but was the ukulele that got me started playing. I still have it, but rarely play it because it’s not very comfortable to play. I can’t sell it in this condition and would never throw it away, so it stays. Maybe someday I’ll donate it, if the program it’s donated to has someone who can fix the neck - I think it might like to be back out in the world helping other people get started on ukulele.

After that came a Hamano baritone, and that was the instrument that made me really fall in love with playing ukulele. Came from a store that gave it a good setup with nice low action, has a surprisingly rich/deep sound for a laminate, projects really well, has a narrower nut width than most baritones (good for my small hands), and is just really fun to play. I love it. No matter what else I might get in the future, this one’s got a home for life.

This was my life:

Bought a Makala tenor several years ago, didn’t have a very good time with it, sold it or traded it in, and didn’t touch a ukulele again for years.
--> In my case it was a Rogue mandolin and ukulele. Trashed them both and never looked at anything Rogue again.

Next was a... Lanikai baritone, which had a lot of problems (high action, warped neck that made lowering the action inadvisable) but was the ukulele that got me started playing.
--> This is the exact same experience I had, except mine was new. It did get me started but Lanikai's LU series was pretty bad back then. That is not true today as witnessed by my CDST-C. I'm lovin' it.

I still have it... and would never throw it away, so it stays. Maybe someday I’ll donate it, if the program it’s donated to has someone who can fix the neck - I think it might like to be back out in the world helping other people get started on ukulele.
--> No. If it isn't basically functional or playable, burn it or trash it. Put it out of its misery. Please do not pass it on to destroy another's impression or perception of ukulele.

 

[greenfrog]

This was my life:

Bought a Makala tenor several years ago, didn’t have a very good time with it, sold it or traded it in, and didn’t touch a ukulele again for years.
--> In my case it was a Rogue mandolin and ukulele. Trashed them both and never looked at anything Rogue again.

Next was a... Lanikai baritone, which had a lot of problems (high action, warped neck that made lowering the action inadvisable) but was the ukulele that got me started playing.
--> This is the exact same experience I had, except mine was new. It did get me started but Lanikai was pretty bad back then. That is not true today as witnessed by my CDST-C. I'm lovin' it.

I still have it... and would never throw it away, so it stays. Maybe someday I’ll donate it, if the program it’s donated to has someone who can fix the neck - I think it might like to be back out in the world helping other people get started on ukulele.
--> No. If it isn't basically functional or playable, burn it or trash it. Put it out of its misery. Please do not pass it on to destroy another's impression or perception of ukulele.

I’d only donate it if it was going to a program that could fix it up before it went back into circulation. The warp in the neck is a weird small bump that I’ve been told could be fixed but would be expensive to fix. From time to time I’ve come across luthiers who fix up instruments for use in schools/kids’ programs - if one of them feels that it’s worth their time I’d donate it.

Otherwise it stays with me. It was my first ukulele I really started learning to play on, I’d never throw it out or burn it.

 

[Coast_Ukulele]

Hmm. I’ve bought 6 and won 1. Gave away 1 and sold 1.

so that gets me to 4.5/7 (a makala uke got a little busted by the kids and i need to glue it back together. ha).

I’ve made about 50, but only have the first one, the rest have flown the coop. 49/50 distributed!

 

[Kenn2018]

Of the 70-ish tenors I have owned over the years, I've returned, sold, donated or given away about 25.

Only the returned ones were duds. They had problems of one kind or another. The donated ones were acceptable or good. The sold ones were very good, but I outgrew them or never bonded with them but their new owners love them. The ones I gave away were very good. The rest are excellent to outstanding.

So I think my batting average has been pretty good.

I am loath to sell the rest of my ukes. But I have to reduce my collection because of my up coming move. I'll start listing them in the new year.

 

[UkeOkay]

pictures needed! Great story. How does it play still?

It still plays, it a powerful little beast. I learned to play the uke on it in the 90’s as a diversion from my studies during grad school. It was my only uke for 20 years.

 

[SurferJay]

I’ve been playing for 2 years. I own 5 Ukes. A Mahalo (not sure it’s a real Uke tbh), 2 Kala Laminates, a solid top Cordoba & the Uke I only play now my Flight Carabao Tenor. I wouldn’t get rid of the first 4 as my kids can play them but they might as well not be there.

When we were talking about batting I thought it was cricket

 

[InTuneWithUke]

Been playing just over a year. Bought a laminate mahogany soprano uke secondhand to test the waters. Immediately fell in love and decided this was something I wanted to commit to, so I commissioned a custom concert mango. Still in the build queue, up to number three in the wait list as of a few weeks ago. In the interim bought three more ukes. Realized my UAS exceeded my skill level so still strumming along with those four (plus one to come) batting 1.000.

 

[mikelz777]

My average is even worse than what I reported in the first post. I totally forgot about a banjo uke I only owned about 2 weeks before I sold it. That makes me 6 for 15 for a buy/keep average of .400 or 40%.

 

[hands_on_lanzon]

There should be a duration that counts as a hit that had you on base for a while vs a keeper that's a home run or a complete strikeout.

Btw, this gets weird if you blend metaphors as I've never gotten to first base with any of my ukes but I've definitely done some rhythmic fingering and reached inside a few sound holes... even pulled some G strings through em!

 

[Tin Ear]

Batting a thousand.

I get something out of each uke I buy. And if I sell or gift one here or there I feel good too - everybody that has bought from me or received a gift is always very pleased.

I'm usually ready when a new uke calls me to step up to the plate and take some swings. I'm a designated or pinch hitter as the need calls and in whatever the game is for the day.

Put me in coach. I'm ready to play, today ..... look at me, I can be... Centerfield

 

[Jerryc41]

I've been playing ukulele for about 10 years now. (And upon reflecting on that fact I have to ask, "Why am I not better than I am?" ) In that time I've purchased 12 ukes and of that 12, I still own 6 so my buy/keep average is .500 or 50%. If you count ukes I've purchased and then returned I'm 6 for 14 which would drop my buy/keep average down to .428 or 43%. It looks like my fairly low average would signal a significant amount of impulse buying! What's your average?

It looks like I've bought 151 since 2015, and I still have 125 of them, so I've kept 82.7%. Several years ago, I decided to start selling some in the spring. But the spring of what year?

 

[mikelz777]

It looks like I've bought 151 since 2015, and I still have 125 of them, so I've kept 82.7%. Several years ago, I decided to start selling some in the spring. But the spring of what year?

Jerry, those are some truly impressive numbers! It would be a lot of fun looking through your collection. You've averaged 21 new ukes a year! That's more than my total purchases over 10 years! I have to confess to you that you come to mind every time I'm tempted to buy a new uke. I start rationalizing that Jerry on UU has 100+ ukes and is still buying and here I am fretting about bringing my uke total to 7!! He would just laugh at my hesitation!

Your uke collection brings to mind my CD collection so I totally understand the fun in collecting and having that variety at my disposal to freely choose from to serve whatever I might be feeling at any given time. Since the late 80's I've amassed somewhere around 1750 CDs. (I don't even know the total.) When I started thinking about it, I'd have to listen to at least 4 CDs every single day (it'll never happen) for me to listen to my collection in a year. I went to listen to something one day and was riffling through them and there was a lot of stuff I didn't remember at all and stuff I didn't even remember buying! Then I realized it's very likely that there are hundreds of CDs that I'll probably never listen to again! And it's not because they aren't good or I no longer like them, it's just a numbers game. Do you ever feel that way with your ukes? Do you think there's some that you'll never or rarely play again?