I just decided to make more changes to my bass uke collection while I can't sleep tonight, but let me go back to the very beginning.
In mid 2014 I started playing bass uke with my uke group a year after starting to play ukulele, which was almost 50 years after I started playing guitar in 1965 (which I gave up once I took up the uke). Since playing bass uke, I accumulated and customized 31 bass ukes/mini bass guitars from 21" to 24.5" scale because in my retirement, I wanted to keep occupied and my creative juices flowing.
Then a couple of months ago with nerve damage done to my neck from radiation treatments for cancer in 1973 (Hodgkins Disease), and that I wanted to simplify my string choice to Kala/Galli flatwound nylon core only, I decided to let go of all but eight of my 21" piezo pickup bass ukes; two Hadean Hofner violin style, a custom acoustic gypsy jazz style, and five solid body bass ukes.
Of course, with my creative juices flowing, I bought another Hadean Hofner violin and another solid body, put on hold for later elaborate modifications from the mockup drawings I made. But in the last couple of jams with my group, I was having difficulty playing the solid body upper frets, 9,10,11,12, but did not have a problem on the violin style or custom gypsy jazz because the bodies are little longer.
That got me thinking while not sleeping tonight, that I'm going to give up the six solid bodies (Craig's List local pickup in Los Angeles, shipping is too problematic now) and only use the three Hadean violin style and the custom gypsy jazz, doing a much simpler mod of the third violin style (no paint job, just use chrome hardware, chrome pickguard and truss rod cover).
So there's my saga that I wrote while I couldn't sleep tonight (it's 3:17am Pacific time).
In mid 2014 I started playing bass uke with my uke group a year after starting to play ukulele, which was almost 50 years after I started playing guitar in 1965 (which I gave up once I took up the uke). Since playing bass uke, I accumulated and customized 31 bass ukes/mini bass guitars from 21" to 24.5" scale because in my retirement, I wanted to keep occupied and my creative juices flowing.
Then a couple of months ago with nerve damage done to my neck from radiation treatments for cancer in 1973 (Hodgkins Disease), and that I wanted to simplify my string choice to Kala/Galli flatwound nylon core only, I decided to let go of all but eight of my 21" piezo pickup bass ukes; two Hadean Hofner violin style, a custom acoustic gypsy jazz style, and five solid body bass ukes.
Of course, with my creative juices flowing, I bought another Hadean Hofner violin and another solid body, put on hold for later elaborate modifications from the mockup drawings I made. But in the last couple of jams with my group, I was having difficulty playing the solid body upper frets, 9,10,11,12, but did not have a problem on the violin style or custom gypsy jazz because the bodies are little longer.
That got me thinking while not sleeping tonight, that I'm going to give up the six solid bodies (Craig's List local pickup in Los Angeles, shipping is too problematic now) and only use the three Hadean violin style and the custom gypsy jazz, doing a much simpler mod of the third violin style (no paint job, just use chrome hardware, chrome pickguard and truss rod cover).
So there's my saga that I wrote while I couldn't sleep tonight (it's 3:17am Pacific time).
