Rethinking My Uke Collection | Ukulele Underground Forum

Rethinking My Uke Collection

BiosphereDecay

BiosphereDecay

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So my first ukulele was an Enya Nova U Pro. I like the idea of having a plastic one, because it's nice and warm now, and I want to take one to Parks or the beach or whatever. It's a tenor though, so it's too big to take anywhere. I bought a wood concert (also Enya) and it blows the Nova out of the water in every way. I'm kind of thinking about just selling it, but I have no clue how much I'd get for it. It has a low G on it, which did require a little bit of careful sandpapering.

I've been thinking about getting another soprano or even sopranino and putting a low G on it. (I have a high G soprano already, but I don't really use it that much. Low G is where it's at for me.) How crazy of an idea is this?

I found a used wood sopranino for $30. No case though, and the whole point was to take it out of the house. (Although, I think it would fit in my backpack. Probably.) Alternatively, I could get a plastic soprano. Are there any brands I should look at other than the Enya Nova line? (I know of Outdoor too, but they're out of my price range.)

Also, I'm hesitant to do this because it was a birthday present from my parents, but how much would you guys say my black low G (d'addario fluorocarbon strings) Enya Nova tenor is worth to resell? It was $150 including the strings and is in good condition.
 
BiosphereDecay said:
I've been thinking about getting another soprano or even sopranino and putting a low G on it. (I have a high G soprano already, but I don't really use it that much. Low G is where it's at for me.) How crazy of an idea is this?
Click to expand...
I'd say the sopranino is crazy - but hey, you do you!

Maybe keep an eye out for a Romero STL Concert laminate. It may just fit the bill for what you are looking for.
 
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Herb Ohta Sr had a very successful career playing a low-G soprano. He recorded dozens of ukulele albums, mostly from the 1960s to the 1990s. You can find videos of him on YouTube.

I've never heard anyone play low-G sopranino. Most serious players don't even tune GCEA on a sopranino.

Regarding selling ukuleles for less than $200, that is difficult because shipping costs are a large portion of the sale price. If you belong to a ukulele club or class, you may be able to sell it easily in-person.
 
merlin666 said:
I have not tried to sell a cheap uke because shipping and packing may exceed the value of the uke. You may be lucky if you find someone locally who would be willing to give a 20 bill. Usually less hassle to donate to good cause or gift away.
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Eh at that point I might as well just keep it purely for the sake of it being my first ukulele and also a present from my parents. If I could get something more in the range of like $75, I would definitely consider it. I'm sure you're right that it's not worth shipping a cheap tenor though.

---

Very very very tempted to get that $30 sopranino and put some low G blacklines on it... I'll post some pics and maybe a short sound sample if I end up doing it. The other primary option I'm seeing being a soprano Nova, which looks really cool, is really durable and is waterproof etc, but I can't say that it sounds that good now that I've heard it alongside other wood ukuleles.

It's an online listing, so I can't hear what it sounds like, but people are saying that it sounds more like a toy than an instrument. Is that because of how cheap it is, or is that just the way sopraninos sound?
 
Oldscruggsfan said:
Thread 'Magic Fluke Concert Size'
https://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/threads/magic-fluke-concert-size.162554/
…and I think there is another which may be a Flea (soprano) but you won’t find a better sounding inexpensive uke that’s also USA made.
Another Fluke, but not sure it’s still for sale:
Thread '$215 - Magic Fluke Fluke Ukulele w/pickup'
https://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/threads/215-magic-fluke-fluke-ukulele-w-pickup.161564/
Click to expand...
I can't say I'm really a fan of that shape. What are the benefits of it? Also, as much as I would like a high quality instrument, those are about half my monthly income.
 
BiosphereDecay said:
I can't say I'm really a fan of that shape. What are the benefits of it? Also, as much as I would like a high quality instrument, those are about half my monthly income.
Click to expand...
The sound quality is top notch. In the two years I’ve been a UUF member, VIP @YorkSteve has posted several SOTU entries playing his Magic Fluke in his RV during holiday. There are also sound samples at the Magic Fluke webpage.

As to the price & body shape, I hear you. Best thing about the shape is that the uke will stand without any support. Largest downside I often see mentioned is the non-C neck profile.
 
I'm a sentimental person (and also a bit of a hoarder), but if it's your first uke and a gift from the parents, i'd keep it! If you don't plan on playing it, you can hang it on the wall as a display piece. You could also try selling locally via craigslist/fb marketplace and see if you get any bites.
 
BiosphereDecay said:
Eh at that point I might as well just keep it purely for the sake of it being my first ukulele and also a present from my parents. If I could get something more in the range of like $75, I would definitely consider it. I'm sure you're right that it's not worth shipping a cheap tenor though.

---

Very very very tempted to get that $30 sopranino and put some low G blacklines on it... I'll post some pics and maybe a short sound sample if I end up doing it. The other primary option I'm seeing being a soprano Nova, which looks really cool, is really durable and is waterproof etc, but I can't say that it sounds that good now that I've heard it alongside other wood ukuleles.

It's an online listing, so I can't hear what it sounds like, but people are saying that it sounds more like a toy than an instrument. Is that because of how cheap it is, or is that just the way sopraninos sound?
Click to expand...
Is this the Kmise sopranino? I had one of those and it cost about $30. Sounded great with open strings. Intonation was horrible, instrument was unplayable imo, but it became a nice wall decoration. Shame too, because it’s a nice looking instrument.
 
As previously mentioned, in addition to carbon fiber and polycarbonate ukes, HPL (high-pressure laminate) ukes are a fairly robust option for outdoor use.

In my admittedly limited experience it is hard to get your money out of selling a used ukulele. You're going to take a loss, you just have to figure out how much of a loss, and whether or not that loss is worth it. Obviously one way to maximize what little you get from the sale is to buy used.

New or used, opportunism is your best bet: Be patient and when chance brings a uke your way, snatch it up. Troll ebay, UU Marketplace, Reverb, etc every day looking for the ukes you want, make unreasonable offers (uh, I mean on ebay and Reverb, not to our friends here on UU), and negotiate hard until you find the one you want at the price you can afford. Until then be patient, do not settle, and do not overpay. You'll be back here again in a few months if you do (dont ask how I know).
 
A sopranino may or may not be okay. The scale is shorter than a soprano. The same with the sustain and volume, usually. Most people do NOT get this scale and you might look for a soprano instead. Do not buy the sopranino only because it is $30, but do so if it meets your needs.
 
On sale, which is every holiday, you can buy a Nova Pro tenor direct from Enya for $104 which includes shipping and in most cases no tax. So you're not going to get much for a used one. Best to keep it and teach one of your friends or siblings to play it. Maybe try another set of strings for a different sound.
 
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TommyG said:
On sale, which is every holiday, you can buy a Nova Pro tenor direct from Enya for $104 which includes shipping and in most cases no tax. So you're not getting to get much for a used one. Best to keep it and teach one of your friends or siblings to play it. Maybe try another set of strings for a different sound.
Click to expand...
Also watch for huge Enya sales on Amazon Prime Day (which was in July last year).
 
You may want to consider Enya's hpl pineapple uke. When you put it in your cart, there is an additional discount ($54). I've never played the pineapple, but I have the round soprano (eur-x1). It has a very pleasing tone, but it's very quiet. (From what I can gather, their entire HPL line is on the quiet side, and I think the round one is the quietest.) I'm very pleased with mine.
 
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