And Then there were four ...

It had to come, "ukulele acquisition syndrome" (UAS) knows no bounds, I did conquer a similar problem with guitars some years back and now have another fight on my hands.

My first uke was a Stagg, one of the higher end models from this supplier. Because it offers inexpensive imported models for schools at low cost of course, Stagg ukes often get poor reviews. I found my concert UC70 a great mid-range instrument. Yes, much more expensive models are better but by how much? listening to some of the reviews and comparisons, I think the player has much more to do with the sound than the instrument.

My second was a Gretch C9120. I wanted a tenor (slightly larger scale length) since I was having some difficulty holding some chords. My fingers did not seem to have enough room on the fretboard. I walked into a music shop whilst on a weekend away, asked about tenors, and they showed me the only one in the shop. I took it down off the wall, tuned it and played a few notes/chords. I loved it and walked out of the shop with a new tenor ukulele.

Now the third was a little bit of an experiment; I had by now become used to the fretboard on the concert uke and wondered if I could play a smaller instrument effectively. I did borrow some ukes at the club I go to but did not seem to have enough time with them. This "shop display model" came up on Ebay and it was such a good offer ( and the on-line reviews made it out to be a great starter uke) si I snatched the sellers hand off and I hade my third. Oh yes, it is an "Octopus". and I found it quite suitable for myself.

Now this last (and it will have to be the last (space constraints at home!!!) is also a Stagg, it is a UC80, very similar to the concert above but has all solid wood body rather than just a solid top. Anyway, although there is no built-in tuner, I decided to go for it. Again a very, very good offer on Ebay. Half the price of other suppliers and a third of the rec'ed retail price. How do you not go for it?
Besides I already have tuners.

Need to record a few tunes from this uke to give you all a taste - look out for the posts - soon!

Brief review & comparison of a Gretsch G9120 with a Stagg UC70-S ukulele

Yes I know that the Gretsch is a tenor and the Stagg is a concert; but as a new owner I am interested in exactly how the sounds compare. And wether they will be interchangeable or one or the other is more suited to particular songs.

For convenience here are the product descriptions from Amazon:

The Stagg UC70S Concert Ukulele has been built using this dedicated approach to delivering a product of exceptional quality at an affordable price.The body and neck of the ukulele are constructed from rich mahogany, a wonderfully warm tonewood that offers a deep and resonant tone.The headstock, fingerboard and bridge are built using the highly resilient and widely used rosewood. The neck offers a spacious 15" scale length that houses a well accommodated and comfortable to play 19 frets. The tuning pegs are geared in order to prevent unwanted tuning slippage whilst playing.The ukulele is given extra protection from wear and tear with the addition of a natural matt finish, which allows the natural aesthetic of the wood to shine through.
Gretsch G9120 Std. Tenor Ukulele, laminated mahogany body, 2 pieces mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard, 19 frets, grover STA-TITE tuners.

Here are two sound files, the Gretsch does seem to have a fuller sound - but both very similar. Each short sound file comprises the same chord riff and an extended chord playing each string ...

Listen Music - Listen Audio - stagg uc70-s

Embed Music Files - Audio Hosting - gretsch tenor ukulele, g9120...

Check my last post for more of my thoughts on the instruments.

My New Ukulele - A Gretsch

For several months I have managed with only one ukulele, not so difficult but with hundreds of models out there for the taking, I finally succumbed to UAS (ukulele aquisition syndrome). Of course real sufferers will have collections of many more than this running into more than a hundred; if the posts on the internet are to be believed.

Now why? Exactly the question I was asked by my long-suffering spouse. You already have one, why do you need another?

Why does anybody need more than one handbag or pair of shoes ..... enough said, I think.

My first was a Stagg, a concert UC70-S model to be precise. Although I have read many reviews of this brand, I have not seen any for this specific model. It is a british retailer selling instruments manufactured in China.
However, having put Aquila strings on the uke, I believe it actually sounds great. It is not an entry level uke and is not cheap! I can only think the reviews relate to the basic, and cheap models. For me it gives a very mellow sound and one I can easily live with. It keeps its tune, once the strings have settled down, is well set-up and I enjoy playing it.

The only drawback for me was that I had problems with one or two chords because of the size of my fingers.

When I found myself in a music shop last week, I asked if they had a tenor ukulele (which is slightly bigger than a concert ukulele); the shop assistant pointed to an instrument high on the opposite wall inviting me to take it down and play it. Well, I couldn't refuse - could I? It turned out to be a Gretsch G1920. Once I had made a small adjustment to the tuning and started to play, I just had to have it. Yes the very minor increase in the width of the fret board, was exactly what I needed to be able to play those pesky chords. It was more expensive that I had hoped to pay but it had a great sound. Brighter than the Stagg and louder of course, being larger but it also had a domed back to increase the volume. It already had a set of the Aquila strings so no extra cost there.

I thought about it, played it a while longer, and before I knew where I was - I had paid the asking price and taken it with me.

I was on the road to being a UAS sufferer.