Hi
I think I already know the answer to this, but some opinions would be great.
I'm toying with the idea of acquiring a ukulele banjo. I've a budget of roughly up to $500 Australian dollars (USD$400). I've not played one before but prefer to buy something of quality that's maybe a bit more expensive than something of poor quality.
As I see it my options are:
1. Buy a cheap Chinese made one off the shelf here in Australia.
2. Buy a slightly better off the shelf one mail order from the US, then get it set up here.
3. Buy a boutique luthier-made on such as a Waverley Street or Win van der Laden inc set up.
4. Build my own based on a Remo drum and quality neck from somewhere like Mainland Ukes.
I guess the cheapest is option 4, but it's also the highest risk of ending up with something unplayable. My woodworking skills are okay, but not fantastic.
To be honest, I'm a bit loath to spend several hundred dollars on some junk from an Australian music shop (might as well pay $100 for the same thing direct from China on Alibaba), so I guess options 2&3 are the most sensible.
Any thoughts appreciated.
I think I already know the answer to this, but some opinions would be great.
I'm toying with the idea of acquiring a ukulele banjo. I've a budget of roughly up to $500 Australian dollars (USD$400). I've not played one before but prefer to buy something of quality that's maybe a bit more expensive than something of poor quality.
As I see it my options are:
1. Buy a cheap Chinese made one off the shelf here in Australia.
2. Buy a slightly better off the shelf one mail order from the US, then get it set up here.
3. Buy a boutique luthier-made on such as a Waverley Street or Win van der Laden inc set up.
4. Build my own based on a Remo drum and quality neck from somewhere like Mainland Ukes.
I guess the cheapest is option 4, but it's also the highest risk of ending up with something unplayable. My woodworking skills are okay, but not fantastic.
To be honest, I'm a bit loath to spend several hundred dollars on some junk from an Australian music shop (might as well pay $100 for the same thing direct from China on Alibaba), so I guess options 2&3 are the most sensible.
Any thoughts appreciated.
