UAS Forecast

As you can see from the last post, I currently have 16 ukes in the collection. Even I didn't know I had that many! But just because there are too many ukes in the collection, plus 2 on the way in the next few months, it doesn't mean there aren't more ukes in my future. Thus is the powerful grip UAS can have on someone. :p

So, let's take a look at what I could still possibly want even with too many ukes already in my collection:

1. Custom Moore Bettah: I've been surfing Chuck Moore's website quite a bit lately and would really like to have one of his ukes with some nice inlays on it. Probably a concert size with all koa body. I had tried a couple at Ukulele Friend last year but back then Chuck didn't setup his ukes (he left it up to the players) so those had almost unplayably high action. By all accounts his ukes sound great and he certainly has artistic skills to spare when it comes to custom inlays. I don't know if I'll ever be able to justify getting one, but it will certainly be in the back of my mind.

2. Kamaka tenor: I already have 4 koa tenors, 5 if you count the Pineapple Sunday, so this would be totally redundant. Also, I've tried one in Hawaii last year and was only mildly impressed. But the Jake Shimabukuro nut in me has kept me looking for one at a decent price for a while now. I guess sooner or later I will probably end up with a Kamaka, but I've already passed on several of these at fairly attractive prices. The recent Kanile'a and Kelii tenors I bought, both of which I'm thrilled with, makes it even tougher to pull the trigger on a Kamaka tenor. I guess that's a good thing. It's like I'm exercising some self control or something.

3. MP concert ukulele (Myrtle wood): Another concert ukulele I've been thinking about is one made with myrtle. It appears to be a great and very underrated tonewood. MP prices are very low for a custom built instrument, so I've been thinking about it. Not sure if I'll ever actually order one, but it's another one that's in the back of my mind.

4. Mainland mahogany concert: Yes, even with a bunch of high end and custom ukes in the collection, I actually find myself wanting to try one of these babies. Thus is the power of UAS. While these are just Bushman ukes with rope binding, I find that they look a lot better (and cost less too). Hey, I don't have a solid wood mahogany uke right now, so I could justify this one right???

5. G-String "Sun" concert: I've been interested in one of these for a long time now. Haven't seen one for sale for quite a while. I think G-String concerts are great and this one looks awesome with the Sun inlay. It could be very tempting if one comes up for sale at a reasonable price down the road.

Anyway, there are other ukes I'd love to try. Maui Music, Ko'olau, Risa acoustic, to name three. But the above are ones that I've thought about most frequently. Do I need any of them? Of course not. But I do want them. Which is not good. Better get rid of some ukes before looking at those (how many times have I mentioned about selling ukes? I really should downsize the collection soon...).

While we're on the subject of downsizing (so that I can upsize again), earmarked for sale in the future are: National mahogany, Kiwaya KTS-7, Martin style 1, Kala LN soprano, Honu concert, & Uklectic. I may or may not put these up for sale at various times down the road, but right now these are the ones I think I can live without.