Hello, Clara owners! How's the new finish holding up so far?

Andy Chen

Andy Chen

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I've been extra careful with my Clara, though perhaps I need not.

How has the new finish been since you received it?
 
Mine is holding up quite well.
I play it a lot at the beach.
We are also traveling in an rv and it goes with us.
Handled all the heat and sweating at UWC.
 
Great to know! Thanks, SailingUke.

Not only is it worry-free (even cheap plastic ukes are worry-free), it sounds as good as any uke I have ever played, including a Kamaka and Collings.
 
Hi Turtledrum, how long have you had it, and has the finish been exposed to sweat from your arm from playing?
 
I have the 2015 Model with the Gotoh UPT tuners and the newly updated Blackbird finish. Sweated upon since January with no problems. :)
 
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Andy Chen said:
Hi Turtledrum, how long have you had it, and has the finish been exposed to sweat from your arm from playing?
Click to expand...
Hi Andy! Mine arrived on March 9th. The finish has not been exposed to perspiration. Have you had problems with yours?
 
No, I have not, but like I said, I have been very careful to wear sleeves, which is kind of a pain
 
Andy Chen said:
No, I have not, but like I said, I have been very careful to wear sleeves, which is kind of a pain
Click to expand...

I mean no disrepect at all by this comment but are these ekoa ukes not suppose to be super durable and stable. I don't understand what the point of buying one of these is if you have to wear sleeves just to be able to play it. I don't do that on any of my wood ukes.

Please fill me in on this Andy.......I must be missing something here.
 
Hi Dave, my paranoia is the result of my Clara needing a new finish after a few months of playing. I had to send it back to Blackbird, which then developed a new finish for it.

So, yes, I admit I'm paranoid and this thread was started to hopefully cure me of that.
 
Andy Chen said:
Hi Dave, my paranoia is the result of my Clara needing a new finish after a few months of playing. I had to send it back to Blackbird, which then developed a new finish for it.

So, yes, I admit I'm paranoid and this thread was started to hopefully cure me of that.
Click to expand...


It's ok to be paranoid........I am always afraid I might miss a great deal in the marketplace so I check there constantly. ;)
Thanks for filling me in on the Clara finish issue, I'm sure they have it solved but I understand why you are asking our fellow UUers
 
I saw one for sale recently (here or FMM) that had some finish chipping problem around the tuners. Not a wear/ durability issue but one of initial build.
 
Is Blackbird using a different type of finish now than earlier on their Claras? Actually, I wasn't aware that a uke made of other materials would also need a finish and thought that this might be one of the advantages of a non-wooden uke...
 
I have an earlier Clara that I bought used. The finish is peeling off the top. This is definitely a problem on a ukulele that is supposed to be a durable, play anywhere uke. From what I've read the newer ones should not have this problem. The Clara is a heck of a lot of fun to play.
 
katysax said:
I have an earlier Clara that I bought used. The finish is peeling off the top. This is definitely a problem on a ukulele that is supposed to be a durable, play anywhere uke. From what I've read the newer ones should not have this problem. The Clara is a heck of a lot of fun to play.
Click to expand...

You can send it back to Blackbird and they will refinish it without cost to you (other than you shipping it to them). The improved finish doesn't suffer the same problem.
 
katysax said:
I have an earlier Clara that I bought used. The finish is peeling off the top. This is definitely a problem on a ukulele that is supposed to be a durable, play anywhere uke. From what I've read the newer ones should not have this problem. The Clara is a heck of a lot of fun to play.
Click to expand...

Katysax, I bet if you call Joe at Blackbird, they will have you send it back for a refinish with the newer method. When I ordered mine and spoke to him on the phone, he talked to me about the new finish and said that he thought they had gotten all the others in and fixed - the ones with the old finish, I mean. I bet he will make it right, even if you are the second owner.

I've had mine a couple months - maybe more. I can't remember.... I've played the stew out of it. I've bumped it quite a few times. I have taken it back and fourth in the van. I've really not played my other ukes since getting the Clara, except to play some at Monday night jams when people show me their instruments. I love it. The sound, the feel, the look. I haven't been careful with it at all. Still looks great so far. I bought it because I need a great sounding, great playing instrument that doesn't need a lot of care. I am on the go a lot and I'm pretty rough with it. Love my Clara!!!!
 
Thanks, Jenny, good uke boy! It really does sound like the new finish does the trick.

Katy: you should definitely send it back for a re-sealing with the new coating.

And yes, it is an awesome-sounding uke, matched only by the highest end wood ukes, to my ears.
 
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