Dilemma.
I’ve really been itching for a new musical instrument lately. I don’t know what to do about it.
I really would love to play around with a Strumstick and see if that’s something I’d want, but it’s near-impossible since only one dude makes them and he doesn’t live in Iowa. They are pretty affordable, and I’ve heard good things about them. But again, that’s a lot of money to spend on something that might be awesome.
Then I got on a kick where I really wanted to learn mandolin. Actually, I still do really want to learn how to play mandolin. I have a good friend that plays mandolin both in a folk band and when he leads worship. He does some incredible things with it and makes it sound so perfect in a live-worship setting. But after having several opportunities to play around on one, I don’t know if it’s the right fit for me. Literally. My fingers are pretty massive, my hands aren’t very nimble, and mandolin necks are tiny. I’ve not given up this hope, but it’s on hold for right now.
I have been playing around a bit more on my ukulele, and am getting much more comfortable with it. It’s a standard soprano ukulele, so it definitely has that high-pitched uke sound. It’s fun to play around with, but I can’t see myself using it very much, or at all, on a regular basis as a member of a band.
I’ve always wondered how tenor or baritone ukuleles sound, because they are considerably larger than standard ukuleles and also because they are tuned a bit differently. Today I had the chance to play on both of them, and really had a lot of fun. The body is bigger, the neck is longer, and it has a little bit more of a guitar-like tone.
Actually, it kind of has a mix of everything that I want: something different than an acoustic guitar, easy to play like a strumstick, and folkie-sounding like a mandolin. (I’m sure that there are folk/mandolin purists rolling over in their grave, along with ukulele professionals.)
So I think that I’m going to push forward and try to find a tenor or baritone uke that fits me.
The other side of this is that we don’t really have money to just buy new instruments. Usually to get something new, I have to sell something(s) old. So now I have to decide if it’s worth it, and what I would sell.
My Martin? Never ever. Ever.
My Guild? Well…do I need two acoustics? It is nice to have a back up, you know…just in case. I don’t love how it sounds, but it looks great and plays super nice.
My electric guitar rig? This is where I don’t know what is reality and what is just a pipe dream. I’ve never been great on the electric. I’d sure love to, though. I can pretty much just play basic rhythm, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I’d love to play in a band some day and be able to have the versatility to play acoustic or electric. And there have been a few times when I’ve needed to play electric on Sunday mornings, and it’s been nice to have that option. However, I’m not great at electric and don’t seem to be getting better. (Although I could always try harder.) I don’t know very much about the electric guitar world, and have never really had a passion to learn like I have about acoustics. I don’t know the differences between different pick-ups, tube amps, or anything else like that.
So part of me thinks that if I sell my electric rig now, then later, down the road, I can purchase this stuff again. However, I love my Epiphone Dot Studio and got a killer price on my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe.
So at this point, I’m open to options and suggestions. Any thoughts?
~chris
