what exactly is going on here?!?!?!

wh04mel

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so i got my first uke (lanikai LU-21P) sometime before halloween and have yet to go a day without playing it.

when i first got it i noticed it seemed more glossy and had a better finish in the upper right corner of it. i never knew what it was and just ignored it.

but just recently it seems to be chipping off and it shows unfinished wood. what can i do to stop/fix this.

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Looks like a really sloppy finishing job on Lanikai's part. If you bought it from a local dealer try taking it in and see if they'll give you a replacement. If not then here's Lanikai's warranty information:

http://www.lanikaiukes.com/warranty.html
 
so i got my first uke (lanikai LU-21P) sometime before halloween and have yet to go a day without playing it.

when i first got it i noticed it seemed more glossy and had a better finish in the upper right corner of it. i never knew what it was and just ignored it.

but just recently it seems to be chipping off and it shows unfinished wood. what can i do to stop/fix this.
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Do you use a guitar pick?

Edit: yea ring could do it as well, good catch
 
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Do you use a guitar pick?

Yeah or do you wear a ring on your strumming hand? That damage is in the right place for general wear and tear from strumming but I'm surprised it's worn away that much already. Both my Lanikai ukes barely look like they've been played.
 
nope :(

i dont use picks or wear ringssss. it only started chipping recently it was fine when i got it in the mail.
 
i dont use picks or wear ringssss. it only started chipping recently it was fine when i got it in the mail.

Man thats bizarre, I wonder if it might have something to do with humidity level??
 
Man thats bizarre, I wonder if it might have something to do with humidity level??

I doubt that.

It is the right side of the uke on the upper end; exactly where most people strum.

Not sure how humidity can cause that, but you never know.
 
I doubt that.

It is the right side of the uke on the upper end; exactly where most people strum.

Not sure how humidity can cause that, but you never know.
The finish can flake if it's extremely dry. Not sure if it would do so that quickly though.
 
Or it could be from some other habit you don't notice. I'm thinking maybe how it's carried, moved, stored. Something that you do all the time. Maybe something in the gig bag or case. Or perhaps you rest your hand there between songs.

Swap it out if you can. But still try to figure it out.
 
when i first got it i noticed it seemed more glossy and had a better finish in the upper right corner of it.


This might be the key here, I have an LU-21P also and the finish is uniform, so I would say there was something wrong with the finish to begin with. You may be able to exchange it, but they might say that it is dmage from a pick or ring (like many UU members have suggested) because it is perfectly in the right place for such damage. I dunno though, you said it came in the mail, if it was from Musician's Friend they might exchange it for you.

By the way, a little off topic, but I noticed it looks like you still have the original stings on it. I just put concert sized Aquilas on mine and the difference in sound is incredible. So, if you get this issue resolved, you should give them a try. It is like night and day.
 
sweet

This might be the key here, I have an LU-21P also and the finish is uniform, so I would say there was something wrong with the finish to begin with. You may be able to exchange it, but they might say that it is dmage from a pick or ring (like many UU members have suggested) because it is perfectly in the right place for such damage. I dunno though, you said it came in the mail, if it was from Musician's Friend they might exchange it for you.

By the way, a little off topic, but I noticed it looks like you still have the original stings on it. I just put concert sized Aquilas on mine and the difference in sound is incredible. So, if you get this issue resolved, you should give them a try. It is like night and day.

i got it from musicians friend, do you know how i can send it back to get a new one?

and i was looking into some strings to switch things up a bit. with the Aquilas could i tune it in both high and low G tuning or no?
 
As a couple have already noted, the OP said the finish was uneven in that area - sounds like a flaw from the factory to me.

If Musician's Friend won't replace it (and they're not obligated to, especially after time has passed), it will be up to Lanikai to repair or replace it (and most warranties give the manufacturer the right to decide whether it will be repair or replace).
 
As a couple have already noted, the OP said the finish was uneven in that area - sounds like a flaw from the factory to me.

If Musician's Friend won't replace it (and they're not obligated to, especially after time has passed), it will be up to Lanikai to repair or replace it (and most warranties give the manufacturer the right to decide whether it will be repair or replace).

awwww mannn what should i do!? i dont think i can send it back to Musician's Friend cuz i dont have any of the papers left from when i got it.
 
i got it from musicians friend, do you know how i can send it back to get a new one?

and i was looking into some strings to switch things up a bit. with the Aquilas could i tune it in both high and low G tuning or no?

Yeah, that's where I bought mine too. I just checked their exchange policy and looks like you only have 45 days to return/exchange purchases. Since you're outside that time period, you might need to try dealing with Lanikai directly. Sorry dude, looks like I spoke to soon.:eek:

Regarding the tuning, I don't know of any single string set that could be tuned high or low and still sound good in both octaves. Maybe some else can comment on that. Aquila does make g and G sets for soprano and concert sizes though http://www.juststrings.com/aquilaukulele.html
 
awwww mannn what should i do!? i dont think i can send it back to Musician's Friend cuz i dont have any of the papers left from when i got it.
Hopefully you still have the receipt, or can get a copy of it...you'll need it for the warranty.
 
well my kala mahogony concert didn;t ship, it just started to turn into a glossy kind of thing. its a solid wood uke. iono i covered mine up with a sticker..lol looks cool and clean


chip not ship. sorry
 
I think it makes the uke look TUFF, like a Mustang, or the bus from that hockey movie with Paul Newman. Its got character. I'd make up a story about it and show it off to friends. Something like:

"So I was camping in the woods, just me 'n a bag of psilocybin. I was rockin some righteous tunes on my uke when a BIG ol' bear comes roaring out of the trees. I think he was p'ed that I might cause a forest fire or something. So I was like "Hey Smokey, pipe down or I'll make a carpet outta ya." Smokey didn't like me yelling at him in HIS forest so he tries to sucker punch me and I barely ducked (get it BARELY?!) in time. So then I got p'ed. I grabbed my Lanikai Piineapple Ukulele and smacked Smokey across his big ol' bear face. See these marks? That's where he tried to bite it. Stupid bear. Its a Lanikai damn it!"

So umm yeh, go ahead, you can use that story. Its free.
 
Looking at the shape of those marks, there are a bunch that are longer in the path of your strumming stroke. It looks like scratches to me. How long are your fingernails? If you don't play with a pick, is it possible that fingernails are making contact with the uke on the down-stroke?
 
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