Koaloha ukulele

bt93 · Mar 31, 2009

anyone have a koaloha, in any size for approximately 300-330? i am desperate for this uke, but i don't want a really old model. i am only interested in something in good condition with no cracks or bad scratches. please contact me asap by sending me a pm or email at brad32593@yahoo.com
thanks, and any help is greatly appreciated
brad

bt93 · Apr 21, 2009

anyone there?

NukeDOC · Apr 21, 2009

youre asking too much for too little. its going to be hard to find one in really good condition for that price limit.

bt93 · Apr 21, 2009

ok thanks nukedoc. i talked to the people at koaloha yesterday, and they said the blemished ones were starting at 340 so that is what i think i am going to do. by any chance do you know if the blemish ones are like broken and returned or just like small gluing issues?

grappler · Apr 21, 2009

i think blemishes are just mainly wear and tear!
maybe some cracks but depends on the "blemish"

Dents and scratches are also part of blemishes but depending on how deep the crack is the cheaper it gets i guess??

good luck btw. let us know how you go

dominicfoundthemooon · Apr 21, 2009

if you buy anything from the Koaloha people... it will be quality... they are good honest people... and do not sell junk.. so yeah.. if it says blemish.. that is what it means.. just a little mark here or there.. the sound should be 100%
d

experimentjon · Apr 21, 2009

brad32593 said:
ok thanks nukedoc. i talked to the people at koaloha yesterday, and they said the blemished ones were starting at 340 so that is what i think i am going to do. by any chance do you know if the blemish ones are like broken and returned or just like small gluing issues?

If by blemish they mean factory seconds, there's pretty much nothing wrong with them at all. You can't even tell why they're seconds in most cases. It might be slightly off sanding that you can only tell at certain angles, or slightly crooked gluing on the bridge. But its usually very hard to detect. Not broken or anything.

haole · Apr 21, 2009

Blemished instruments are usually perfectly good except for finish blobs, imperfect bookmatching, or some shop wear. It's totally worth it. Nothing should affect the playability or sound.

deach · Apr 21, 2009

haole said:
Blemished instruments are usually perfectly good except for finish blobs, imperfect bookmatching, or some shop wear. It's totally worth it. Nothing should affect the playability or sound.

You're going to end up with a scratch on it eventually. Minus well have the builder install them for you.

cpatch · Apr 21, 2009

deach said:
You're going to end up with a scratch on it eventually. Minus well have the builder install them for you.

Some well-known guitar manufacturers charge big bucks to install blemishes for you!

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StratRW603SB

deach · Apr 21, 2009

cpatch said:
Some well-known guitar manufacturers charge big bucks to install blemishes for you!

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StratRW603SB

What a cool job. Instrument distresser.

UKISOCIETY · Apr 21, 2009

cpatch said:
Some well-known guitar manufacturers charge big bucks to install blemishes for you!

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StratRW603SB

Whose two-year-old do they employ?

GX9901 · Apr 21, 2009

cpatch said:
Some well-known guitar manufacturers charge big bucks to install blemishes for you!

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StratRW603SB

Yeah, I never quite understood that one. And the example you've listed isn't even the "Heavy Relic" series that costs thousands of dollars. If I'm going to buy a used beat up instrument, I usually expect to pay used beat up prices. Maybe that's what the uke builders should do. Market their factory seconds as "Road Worn" or something by putting more dents and scratches on them and charge extra.:music:

Honu · Apr 21, 2009

Are factory seconds or blemished ukuleles only available at the fActory or are there dealers that sell them?

deach · Apr 21, 2009

Honu said:
Are factory seconds or blemished ukuleles only available at the fActory or are there dealers that sell them?

I've seen dealers selling blem'd Lanikais.

haole · Apr 21, 2009

GX9901 said:
Yeah, I never quite understood that one. And the example you've listed isn't even the "Heavy Relic" series that costs thousands of dollars. If I'm going to buy a used beat up instrument, I usually expect to pay used beat up prices. Maybe that's what the uke builders should do. Market their factory seconds as "Road Worn" or something by putting more dents and scratches on them and charge extra.:music:

Martin should install rusty tuners on their 5K reissues, and add a nasty top crack from the soundhole to the bridge. You know, to simulate the experience of finding an old one at a garage sale. Except they'd have to charge a $1000 premium for that.

If anyone wants the relic treatment done to an instrument, I'll do it cheaper than the factory. I have a bag of doorknobs, some sandpaper, a cat who likes to spray, and relatives who smoke a lot.

cpatch · Apr 21, 2009

UKISOCIETY said:
Whose two-year-old do they employ?

I think they use washed up rock stars (hence the overinflated price tags). Two-year-olds are less destructive.

Kaneohe til the end · Apr 22, 2009

Honu said:
Are factory seconds or blemished ukuleles only available at the fActory or are there dealers that sell them?

our seconds are only available at the shop, but call or email to see if we cant get you something.

haole said:
Blemished instruments are usually perfectly good except for finish blobs, imperfect bookmatching, or some shop wear. It's totally worth it. Nothing should affect the playability or sound.

when we say blemish, we usually mean the wood has a small imperfection, like a knot or something. or it could be something else like sand marks. when the bookmatching is "off", its actually only because the wood was cut and sanded from one big block, so the grain pattern will change slightly throughout the block. very rarely there will be a uke that got bumped after it was finished, same with bubbles in the spray. we'll never send out something that doesnt meet the standard.

deach · Apr 22, 2009

Kaneohe til the end said:
our seconds are only available at the shop, but call or email to see if we cant get you something.

when we say blemish, we usually mean the wood has a small imperfection, like a knot or something. or it could be something else like sand marks. when the bookmatching is "off", its actually only because the wood was cut and sanded from one big block, so the grain pattern will change slightly throughout the block. very rarely there will be a uke that got bumped after it was finished, same with bubbles in the spray. we'll never send out something that doesnt meet the standard.

Can you do me a favor? When Papa Koaloha goes to lunch, can you add a sand mark to a tenor sceptre and give me a call when he sees it?

Mahalozzzzzzzzzzz

Honu · Apr 22, 2009

Kaneohe til the end said:
our seconds are only available at the shop, but call or email to see if we cant get you something.

Hey Kaneohe... I will be visiting Oahu this June... how often do you guys have blemish Ukes for sale. Do I just go and visit or do I have t make an appointment?

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