Herecomesoutis
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- Mar 28, 2015
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Hi all,
I had to share my experience purchasing a concert uke from Twisted Wood Guitars -- Hopefully this will help someone. Things went downhill quickly once I paid for one of their Banyan "Koa" concert uke.
The owner, Tom Wolansky, was very courteous at first, but I did notice that he changed the subject whenever I asked about Acacia vs. Hawaiian Koa and where they were built. He was quick to respond enthusiastically to the message about the nut: ("you bet, they're bone.") I was already a bit wary, but after reading a review on Etsy from a buyer who was "happy" that she found a "builder in North America", I took the plunge. I had to come over to the Ukulele Underground forum (search Twisted Wood in the forums to read others commenting on the many misrepresentations that Tom Wolansky made) in order to find out where they were truly made: China. Nothing inherently wrong with that -- many good instruments are from China, but other people have commented that they too got the impression they were built in Canada. I continued to ask my questions to the owner, only to have them ignored. When I asked about the return policy, he said that I "shouldn't even worry about the return policy" because he has never had a return on the Banyan in about four years. "It will blow your mind," He added, "just know you'd be wasting everyone's time." I immediately regretted my purchase -- I invested in a "top quality" instrument, supposedly locally made, and hopefully with some degree of Aloha. Sensing that I will probably not receive what was represented, I again asked for details on the return policy. He sent back a nasty convo saying that he was "insulted" and that he didn't want me to send any more messages.
He also didn't add the shipping instruction which was agreed to, and I spent a total of five hours on the phone with FedEx to finally be able to track down the "beautiful instrument" (his words, repeatedly.) Although I expected to be disappointed by the new uke, my heart sank when I opened the box. If I had not been told that it was solid koa or acacia, I wouldn't have known -- nothing like what was represented in the stock photos. (I have played koa ukes, and own many koa items from Hawaii, as well as a KPK acacia tenor to compare in detail.) Again, see the other dedicated thread on the UU forum for the discussion on the misrepresentation re: Tom Wolansky claiming it is AAA koa. I also happen to be a conservatory string major, so I can tell if an instrument is well made or not. The sound definitely didn't "blow me away", the C string buzzes, intonation is off. I can't get it to stay in tune beyond a few gentle strums. By this time, the only thing that "blew my mind" was the change in his attitude once I made the purchase.
I wanted to ship it back to Edmonton for a refund, but I honestly couldn't bear to be at the receiving end of more nastiness from the owner. I hope this helps someone avoid the horrible experience I had with Tom Wolansky, the seller.
Thanks for reading.
I had to share my experience purchasing a concert uke from Twisted Wood Guitars -- Hopefully this will help someone. Things went downhill quickly once I paid for one of their Banyan "Koa" concert uke.
The owner, Tom Wolansky, was very courteous at first, but I did notice that he changed the subject whenever I asked about Acacia vs. Hawaiian Koa and where they were built. He was quick to respond enthusiastically to the message about the nut: ("you bet, they're bone.") I was already a bit wary, but after reading a review on Etsy from a buyer who was "happy" that she found a "builder in North America", I took the plunge. I had to come over to the Ukulele Underground forum (search Twisted Wood in the forums to read others commenting on the many misrepresentations that Tom Wolansky made) in order to find out where they were truly made: China. Nothing inherently wrong with that -- many good instruments are from China, but other people have commented that they too got the impression they were built in Canada. I continued to ask my questions to the owner, only to have them ignored. When I asked about the return policy, he said that I "shouldn't even worry about the return policy" because he has never had a return on the Banyan in about four years. "It will blow your mind," He added, "just know you'd be wasting everyone's time." I immediately regretted my purchase -- I invested in a "top quality" instrument, supposedly locally made, and hopefully with some degree of Aloha. Sensing that I will probably not receive what was represented, I again asked for details on the return policy. He sent back a nasty convo saying that he was "insulted" and that he didn't want me to send any more messages.
He also didn't add the shipping instruction which was agreed to, and I spent a total of five hours on the phone with FedEx to finally be able to track down the "beautiful instrument" (his words, repeatedly.) Although I expected to be disappointed by the new uke, my heart sank when I opened the box. If I had not been told that it was solid koa or acacia, I wouldn't have known -- nothing like what was represented in the stock photos. (I have played koa ukes, and own many koa items from Hawaii, as well as a KPK acacia tenor to compare in detail.) Again, see the other dedicated thread on the UU forum for the discussion on the misrepresentation re: Tom Wolansky claiming it is AAA koa. I also happen to be a conservatory string major, so I can tell if an instrument is well made or not. The sound definitely didn't "blow me away", the C string buzzes, intonation is off. I can't get it to stay in tune beyond a few gentle strums. By this time, the only thing that "blew my mind" was the change in his attitude once I made the purchase.
I wanted to ship it back to Edmonton for a refund, but I honestly couldn't bear to be at the receiving end of more nastiness from the owner. I hope this helps someone avoid the horrible experience I had with Tom Wolansky, the seller.
Thanks for reading.
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