ukulele--are they for real?

June 2, 2006 9:01 PM

I play the guitar but would like something that is super convenient, travels well, and is fun. Is a Ukulele the answer?

Recommendations for other portable instruments that are fun?

posted by mecran01 to grab bag (38 comments total)

How about a hard case with a Baby Taylor in it?
posted by smallerdemon at 9:09 PM on June 2, 2006

Have you seen the Backpacker?

http://www.betterguitar.com/Equipment/Acoustics/Backpacker/Backpacker.html
posted by 4ster at 9:20 PM on June 2, 2006

I bought my husband a Martin Backpacker (the steel-string model) for Christmas last year and he loves it. It comes in a soft, padded case with a shoulder strap--totally portable, very lightweight, and it sounds like a full-sized acoustic guitar.
posted by padraigin at 9:20 PM on June 2, 2006 [1 favorite]

Hmmm...only three feet long, pretty compact, about $230. A little bigger and a little costlier than I was planning on.
posted by mecran01 at 9:23 PM on June 2, 2006

above comment refers to the baby taylor..
posted by mecran01 at 9:23 PM on June 2, 2006

I remember seeing a full size guitar (similar to this one) a few years ago that folded up into a small breifcase. Things like that are pretty costly though.

What do you mean by traveling? (camping, business, backpacking)
posted by psyward at 9:32 PM on June 2, 2006

camping with family, flying to conferences.

And I am open to suggestions for other instruments, even non-stringed. I was considering a melodica.

Any guitar/ukulele players who like both? Does a Uke wear thin after a while?
posted by mecran01 at 9:38 PM on June 2, 2006

I've been to a Jill Sobule concert where she only plays a backpacker (or a similar brand) and it sounded terrific. I'd like one myself!
posted by bim at 9:41 PM on June 2, 2006

I bought my husband a Martin Backpacker

Thanks. I want.
posted by justgary at 9:43 PM on June 2, 2006

I play guitar and own a uke, but haven't had the time to delve into it much. George Harrison loved the uke so much that he always traveled with TWO ukes: one for himself and another just in case a friend wanted to join in. Listen to this uke version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps (youtube link), if you haven't heard it already. Even if you have heard it, it's worth another listen.
posted by wsg at 9:53 PM on June 2, 2006

mecran01, my husband's backpacker has already traveled with him five or six times since I gave it to him--he likes to wind down in the evenings by playing guitar for a little while, and it's easy to carry along on his business trips.

It's also been camping with us a couple times.

I don't play stringed instruments, but I would think a ukelele would give you an opportunity to stretch your capabilities a little bit--working with only four strings instead of six. Or, on the other end of the spectrum, you could look for a nice used mandolin. That wouldn't be hard to carry on a plane.

As far as other small instruments, there are plenty of wind instruments that qualify as portable--various sizes of flute, oboe, soprano saxophone, clarinet. If you're into jazz at all, you can explore a lot of creative ground with those.
posted by padraigin at 9:55 PM on June 2, 2006

Some nice mandolin recordings here, with guitar:

http://www.sonicstudios.com/nobanjo.htm

I had forgotten about the mandolin. Portable, and playable cheap mandolins out there, thanks.
posted by mecran01 at 10:06 PM on June 2, 2006

Here, it's on clearance (while supplies last). A ukelele is an instrument with its charms, but it is not really like having a guitar at all.
posted by nanojath at 10:11 PM on June 2, 2006

I think the 29 inch strumstick might meet my needs for a portable noodling machine with dulcimer-esque qualities. They can be found cheap used as well.

http://www.strumstick.com/

(I had heard of them before, forgotten about them, and come across one while looking at dulcimers.)

the strumstick gets points for being a good intro instrument for my kids as well. Sorry if this sounds a little pepsi blue.
posted by mecran01 at 10:34 PM on June 2, 2006

Pepsi Blue be damned. That's a cute little thing.

My daughters TOTALLY thought the backpacker was a toy. Then we found a First Act guitar for them to bang on (also available at Toys R Us), and now we've got ourselves a little family band.

Nothing cuter than a three year old saying "Are you ready? A one, A two...(chaotic strumming)"
posted by padraigin at 10:40 PM on June 2, 2006

If you want portable, you can't beat a harmonica. They're also surprisingly easy to learn.
posted by kingjoeshmoe at 12:37 AM on June 3, 2006

Hmmm...only three feet long, pretty compact, about $230. A little bigger and a little costlier than I was planning on.

I don't know if this has changed recently, or if you were reading the wrong price, but that says $159.00.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 12:37 AM on June 3, 2006

A mandolin is definitely the way to go. Ovation/Applause makes some that are very durable and the size is great for travel.
posted by webtom at 3:51 AM on June 3, 2006

Would second the mandolin recommendation, and unfortunately second the despairing confession that mine goes untouched for long periods. Also baritone ukes, standard ukes, mountain dulcimers (for than high lonesome sound, ya know), the feadóg (but only if you're actually good at it, please), and a mess of others. I've heard great things about the Martin backpacker from both musicians and a luthier I'm acquainted with.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 4:10 AM on June 3, 2006

I don't know if this has changed recently, or if you were reading the wrong price, but that says $159.00.
Sorry, my original post was referring to the baby taylor. The price for the backpacker in the link above is the best I've seen and is very tempting. I wonder if it will fit in an airline luggage bin.

I have a harmonica, play a little, but a) can't sing along, and b) frustrated by inability to do flats and sharps without buying additional scales or shelling out for a chromatic.

Mandolins are slowly rising in the ratings. Thanks all!
posted by mecran01 at 4:52 AM on June 3, 2006

Try a web search on "travel guitar." Here's a link for the Amigo Backpacker that retails around $79.00.
posted by chocolatepeanutbuttercup at 4:53 AM on June 3, 2006

That Amigo gets great reviews on Harmony Central.
posted by mecran01 at 6:13 AM on June 3, 2006

Risa, a German company, do a great range of travel instruments. I've had my eye on the solid guitar for a while.
posted by armoured-ant at 6:27 AM on June 3, 2006

The Montana travel guitar looks like it was made by the same people (somewhere in Romania) as the Amigo. The Risa stuff looks wonderful.
posted by mecran01 at 7:03 AM on June 3, 2006

I've had a strumstick for over 10 years, and it is still in good shape. It's very portable and very easy to play. I don't play it regularly, but it is fun whenever I dig it out. And yes, great for kids too.
posted by mikepop at 7:48 AM on June 3, 2006

Final verdict: if my strumstick auction doesn't pan out, then I'm going for a highly-rated $50 Uke, unless I can find a comparable mandolin. I am going to be the king of airport lobbies throughout the land. Because who *doesn't* want to listen to a Ukelele while they wait for a flight? Exactly.

I have to say, though, that the Risa electric linked above fills me with forbidden longing.
posted by mecran01 at 8:47 AM on June 3, 2006

strumstick sample
posted by mecran01 at 8:48 AM on June 3, 2006

FWIW, a $50 mandolin is likely to be frustrating to play. Drop by a pawnshop or used guitar emporium to see what you like in terms of action - the high tension combined with old strings and machines can make playing a low-end one hard to grok at first.

On the other hand, I started playing mando after guitar and have tried to pick up uke a couple of times - the oddball tuning makes my head hurt, and I never get past a few chord shapes.
posted by mwhybark at 9:16 AM on June 3, 2006

Great Britain Ukelele Orchestra covering Nirvana.
posted by mecran01 at 10:32 AM on June 3, 2006 [1 favorite]

I remember seeing a full size guitar (similar to this one) a few years ago that folded up into a small breifcase. Things like that are pretty costly though.

You may be thinking of the Yamaha SLG100 "Silent" Guitar. I was playing a show in downtown Salt Lake City once, and an airline pilot staying over in the city came up to talk to me after the show and talk about guitars, and that's what he traveled with. He really liked his.

Of course, he also liked my classical guitar, an old, beat up $5 thrift store find.

And the Yamahas aren't cheap.
posted by weston at 10:50 AM on June 3, 2006

I think your original idea of getting a ukulele is a great one.

Here's a fun thread with a bunch of reasons to get a uke.

Check out the fluke, I just got one a couple of weeks ago myself and love it. It comes with a simple nylon carrying case and is _very_ portable.

In addition to the video of Jake Shimabukuro playing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" posted above, check out James Hill playing his song Down Rideau Canal.
posted by freshgroundpepper at 2:57 PM on June 3, 2006

Fender Telecaster or Stratocaster and a tiny amp (such as a Roland Micro Cube) are the best answer to this question, in my opinion, if you actually care what the result sounds like. Fenders come apart at the neck-body join with 4 screws; if you are interested in doing this on a regular basis, any competent luthier can remove the wood screws and insert threaded grommets for metal screws, so you don't eventually strip out the holes in your guitar's neck.

A dismantled Strat or Tele can easily fit into an overhead bin this way and can be up and running again in 15 minutes. If you spent enough time on Craigslist/ebay, you could probably get into this setup for $200.

If you don't care what it sounds like, by all means get a uke; if you want something compact and beautiful-sounding, a mando is the right answer (but a nice one is way out of your price range as well.)
posted by ikkyu2 at 3:29 PM on June 3, 2006

i've found ukes to be rather awkward to play, meaning i don't have much fun, but i have a heavy hand on guitar. there's not enough string tension and too much spacing between the strings with a uke.
mandolins on the other hand have been a blast for me. real tight strings and real tight finger placement.
posted by gally99 at 7:28 PM on June 3, 2006

I've owned a strumstick since the mid-ninties or so...love it! It's an awesome little instrument.
posted by jeanmari at 8:40 PM on June 3, 2006

I lost the strumstick auction. Here's a kid's guitar that looks serviceable, has ok reviews, and is 21' long, 1/2 scale:

Hohner kid's guitar

And I also remembered that I actually own cool cardboard instruments which I could use to make some simple prototypes to play around with, on the cheap.

I'm just going to add to this thread, if only for my own nefarious purposes.
posted by mecran01 at 7:01 AM on June 5, 2006

Risa Uke-Stick

An electric Uke without a tuning head. About 17 inches long.

I actually ended up ordering a Tenor Uke. The Uke nerds say that it sounds great with upgraded strings:


posted by mecran01 at 7:26 AM on July 30, 2006

discussion of the empire tenor uke. Variously described as a "piece of plywood with strings" but with a good tone. Mine has yet to arrive from the frozen northlands.
posted by mecran01 at 9:22 AM on July 30, 2006

I saw a Washburn Rover mini-guitar at the mall, and it looked nice and sounded good, for what it's worth. Quite a bit longer than a uke, but could conceivably fit in an overhead bin.
posted by mecran01 at 9:23 AM on July 30, 2006