Questions about full solid koa body ukulele

Henning

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Hello, I bought a tenor ukulele off of ebay with full solid koa body. It is described by the seller as faultless and working perfect. There was a minor issue that had been dealt with by the original manufacturer.
When I got it I found that there is a brownish nuance colour shifting on the inside of the body that goes from the top to the back. Is that natural for koa wood?
There are also some small scratches on the RH side on the sound hole that the seller didn´t mention. These scratches are shallow so that I can hardly feel them. But when i hold the ukulele to the light you can see them. They are impressions in the wood. Right now it feels somewhat sad because of these matters that I don´t know exactly what importance they might have.
I try to show these with photos, please.

Best regards, Henning

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Looks to be a pre used instrument, perhaps several years old, you will find small marks in/on the body are quite normal, & patterning in wood is very variable.
The last shot, of the inside 'mark' is out of focus, but if it is not rough, it is likely just the wood grain.
(Just my thoughts.)
 
Beg your pardon for bad photos. It´s sold as new with a three year warranty.

Regards

Looks to be a pre used instrument, perhaps several years old, you will find small marks in/on the body are quite normal, & patterning in wood is very variable.
The last shot, of the inside 'mark' is out of focus, but if it is not rough, it is likely just the wood grain.
(Just my thoughts.)
 
I'm with Keith M - the marks in the first photo look characteristic of play wear and tear to me. Could it be an ex display model from a shop?
 
I'm with Keith M - the marks in the first photo look characteristic of play wear and tear to me. Could it be an ex display model from a shop?

I agree.

In Photo #1, it looks like there are dings in the wood.

If you run your finger over it in that area, are these actual depressions in the wood, like pinhead-sized dimples?

If so, that would not seem a new instrument to me, unless as Jim said it was a floor model or demo model and has been handled a bit in a shop.

Out of the box, new from the factory or builder, I would not expect such dings anywhere, as to the other questions, I dont have the experience to comment.
 
Was the seller an individual person or a company? How do you know a problem was corrected by the original manufacturer? Who is the original manufacturer?
 
Thank you for your questions. The original manufacturer is Martin, it is a glue joint that was corrected by Martin in Germany (according to the seller). Which one the seller couldn´t tell. Yes, you are right, it is a demo/display model from a shop. There are depressions in the wood and pinhead-sized dimples is a correct description. The seller is a shop outside of Munich.

Regards
 
Thank you for your questions. The original manufacturer is Martin, it is a glue joint that was corrected by Martin in Germany (according to the seller). Which one the seller couldn´t tell. Yes, you are right, it is a demo/display model from a shop. There are depressions in the wood and pinhead-sized dimples is a correct description. The seller is a shop outside of Munich.

Regards

If this was a demo/display model as you said, then maybe the seller did not properly manage your expectations, and thus you are disappointed because you had thought that the condition would be better than what you received...

I dunno if there is a solution to your question other than to advise you to be more thorough in your due diligence prior to purchase next time...I am sorry I cannot offer a better answer, but I think unless you discuss your concerns with the seller, and he offers some kind of compensation to you, you may just have to live with it as is.
 
Can you return it if you want?

I am not a pro. But that 3rd picture looks like it may have had water damage. It looks like a water stain. Also, if it was listed as new, then you can use Ebay money back guarantee. New means unused. They can and should list "other" and give details for a demo model. Demo is not new.
 
Can you return it if you want?

I am not a pro. But that 3rd picture looks like it may have had water damage. It looks like a water stain. Also, if it was listed as new, then you can use Ebay money back guarantee. New means unused. They can and should list "other" and give details for a demo model. Demo is not new.

The seller claims: "Thank you for your pictures! I think inside of the Ukulele you mean the little dark places in the wood! This is absolutly normal. The wood are natural and every wood grain (Maserung) are different! Martin USA tests all wood of this guitars or Ukuleles and the most quality of the Guitar or Ukulels is not a regular or even grain of the wood but the most high quality is the sound of the wood! And only backs and sides and tops of good sounded woods are finished in Martin guitars and Ukuleles!
You can absolutly sure that no water was inside..................believe me.............."

Thanks for your reply! Yes I can return in an accordance with ebays 30 days return policy. Maybe the matter of water damage inside isn´t that important as it is on the side and isolated, i.e. is so local so it could be described as "an internal blemish". Is there any way to find out if it is a water damage. please?
 
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My koa uke has similar darker patches in the grain, it's one of the things that makes koa visually interesting. It's an ex demo uke with the wear you'd expect from that so I'd stop worrying and see if you like playing it. That's now the important thing!
 
The colour variations inside and out are perfectly normal for Koa. I suspect that what looks like water stains inside is just a side effect of the bending process that every ukulele side has to go through where a little heat and moisture IS applied to bend the wood. Koa probably just shows it more than other timbers. I also suspect that the pitting was in the timber to start with and wasn't removed by the time they reached the desired thickness.

Does it sound and play well?

Its not AAA grade cosmetically but what does it sound like?

If it sounds and plays well then keep it
 
Can we assume that you got it at a good price, a "deal" so to speak?
 
Have received used ukes with damage In better condition.
 
Like others have said, Are you happy with it? Is the price you paid fair for its value to YOU? Does it play well, sound good? Then keep it.
If you are dissatisfied with the item, return it.

The mark on the inside could be from a number of things. The natural grain itself, a drip of glue, a swipe of finish or stain - as long as it is smooth to the touch and not separating along that grain line. Is that where the glue joint issue was? Perhaps. some extra glue from the top or the back running down the inside might highlight the grain like that.

Now if that "issue" was a crack in the side that was repaired with glue - that is something else altogether different. You would have a visible heavy line in the same place both inside and outside the ukulele.

All of this is of course conjecture, which is why in these cases it is best to just ask yourself, "Are you happy with it?" and let that be your guide.

Don't look to an internet forum to validate a purchase you are or are not happy with.

Cheers! :music:
 
The side was never cracked. I make a "wild" guess that the lining was coming loose which you can see on one of the photos and also some excess glue on three of the small "wedges" just above the upper bottom brace (towards the head). According to the seller it was a bargain price which means I paid the same price as some web shops in the US now has.
The auction says: "Manufacturer refurbished: An item that has been professionally restored to working order by a manufacturer or manufacturer-approved vendor. This means the product has been inspected, cleaned, and repaired to meet manufacturer specifications and is in excellent condition"

It sounds nice, though I find a surprising little ringing tone and just some "core" in the attack. The tone is purposefully strong.
To me excellent condition means flawless.
 
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It sounds to me like you are not happy with it and feel like you were not given accurate information. You continue to comment about the way it was listed (no judgement - I'm just listening to you). I say send it back and get something that won't bug you to the point that you end of getting rid of it later.
 
To be fair, there are a lot of red flags in the descriptions you have quoted throughout this thread: "minor issue that had been dealt with by the original manufacturer", "glue joint that was corrected", "manufacturer refurbished", "professionally restored to working order by a manufacturer or manufacturer-approved vendor", and last but not least: "demo/display model from a shop".

So it hung in a store for months, maybe years; dozens of people may have played it during that time; it may or may not have been exposed to changing climate conditions, dryness or humidity, and sunshine. Moreover, it was repaired at some point, meaning that it was sent back and forth between manufacturer and vendor.

All of this is pretty obvious from the descriptions you had, and I assume you got some sort of discount on it. Now, the question you need to ask yourself is: are you happy with the value, i.e. the price you paid for an instrument you knew was not new? Happy enough to accept those "flaws" you identified? To me, it sounds like you're looking for reasons to return it - a very common behaviour called buyer's remorse. It's a subtle feeling that something we bought wasn't entirely worth the price we paid. If this is how you feel, then return it. However, there's a fair chance that you will feel this way about your next purchase as well.
 
I agree with Rakelele, there were plenty of reasons not to buy it, but that is water under the bridge. It is what it is, and it is pretty obvious that you are unhappy with it. I don't think that any of us are going to say anything that will make you feel better about it.
 
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