UAS: Is It A Real Thing?

Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome. If you're one of the folks that loves everything ukulele, you're sure to have heard this term. It refers to those of us who look at ukuleles like potato chips - you can't have just one! 

To be fair, there are a number of wonderful ukes out there that are reasonably priced and sound fantastic, so why not have more than one? You can also find some great deals on ukuleles through some of the online auction sites like eBay. The nice thing about most ukuleles is that you can create a nice collection of ukes of all sizes without breaking the bank, especially if you're on a budget.

But why would you want to have more than one ukulele? I mean, that's a fair question, right? Well, here are four reasons to have more than one ukulele:

1. Different sizes of ukulele. There are at least four different sizes of ukulele: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone. Add in some of the tiny sopranino ukes, or soprano ukes with concert or tenor-length necks for more possibilities, and you'll soon see why you would want to have more than one of these instrument! As the ukulele body change shape and size, you'll get a more mellow or brighter, higher tone.

2. Tuning. I haven't really played much with alternative tunings of ukuleles,  but right now, I love playing both the traditional re-entrant and the low G tuning on my tenor ukes. The "problem" is that low G strings are thicker than the traditional high g, and it's usually not recommended to tune a high g an octave lower. (Plus, to my ear, it just doesn't sound very good.) The solution? Get an extra tenor and have one with a high g and one with a low G. That's my kind of problem solving!

3. Different styles of ukes. Just like the different sizes of ukuleles available, there are all sorts of different styles of ukuleles that are meant for different types of music! You can find ukuleles that are strictly acoustic and don't require any electric amplification, ukes that are a hybrid, and ukes that are strictly electric. There are things like resonator ukuleles that have a deep booming voice, and there are 5, 6, and 8 string ukuleles for you to experiment with and play music. Each one has its own personality, so why not broaden your musical horizons with another uke of a different type?

4. It's just fun. Let's face it: we play this instrument because it does something for us. It brings us joy, it makes us feel good, it brings happiness and light to other people when they listen to us. Right? And in all honesty, I can think of a lot of worse things to spend your money on - don't feel guilty for collecting ukuleles. If they bring you joy and make you happy, go ahead and add another unique instrument to your collection!

So, seriously. The next time someone tells you that you have too many ukuleles, don't listen to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.