FS: New Soprano Koa Uke by Black Bear

BlackBearUkes

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Once again, here is a new soprano size uke I completed this week. It is made of 40 year old colorful Koa for the body. The neck is Mango wood with a graphite truss rod. Although the mango does have worm holes, there are no worms, very unique looking wood. There are 12 frets to the body, 15 total. Indian rosewood fingerboard and ebony bridge. Two maple wood rings for the rosette. White plastic fret dots with white side dots. 1 3/8" nut width. Bone nut and saddle. Grover brand chrome friction tuners with plastic cream-colored knobs. Worth BM brand strings. The playing scale is 13 3/4". High gloss nitro-lacquer finish hand rubbed to a satin smooth touch and look. Low easy playing action and a very full rich mellow Koa sound with excellent volume and intonation. Your complete satisfaction is guaranteed. No case but I will double box for safe shipping. Made in the USA. $25 shipping in the USA lower 48 states.Payment by money order, personal check or bank draft only, no Paypal. Email me at duane@blackbearukuleles.net or here on the UU if you need more information. Thanks for looking.

$450
 

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What a lovely looking soprano! Someone is going to be very happy. Good luck with the sale!
 
Beautiful!!! Will love to hear it!!! Congrats!!!
 
I have a different Black Bear koa soprano, and it's a very fine instrument with great playability and spot on intonation. Very sweet sounding, good volume for the size, and just really, really nice. I sold some of my other ukes, like a Hawaiian K brand soprano also made of koa, but the Black Bear was never a candidate for selling. It was the superior instrument.

The price for a luthier-made koa ukulele is astonishing. Always felt that Black Bear ukuleles are too cheap for the level of craftsmanship and sound they possess. Everyone else takes twice or more as much, for the same or less quality. This is a really good deal.
 
Oh how I wish I had the money right now, that turned out beautiful, Duane. And pre strung with my current favorite strings. It's killing me that I can't get it.
 
I do have a payment plan if that helps you. Just drop me an email.

Oh how I wish I had the money right now, that turned out beautiful, Duane. And pre strung with my current favorite strings. It's killing me that I can't get it.
 
Someone really ought to jump on this, fantastic deal here!
 
Price lowered to $450. Since I have not yet sold this nice uke, I am lowering the price one more time. If it does not sell, it will be on my web site and sit there. There does not seem to be much interest in my ukes these days, so I will not make any more, except on commission basis if I have the time and inclination. Thanks.
 
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I still feel you are limiting your market too much by not accepting PayPal and ruling out international shipping. I couldn't buy your ukes for these reasons, and I'm probably not the only one in that situation. PayPal is ubiquitous these days. I think you're one of the best, and most affordable, of today's ukulele luthiers, and owning one of your instruments (bought second hand from someone in Europe) I'm convinced that it's not quality that may cause a seeming lack of interest. It's a wonderful uke.

That said, I'm still at a loss that this one hasn't sold yet.
 
This one has a rosewood fretboard so it might be risky to ship it internationally
 
Price lowered to $450. Since I have not yet sold this nice uke, I am lowering the price one more time. If it does not sell, it will be on my web site and sit there. There does not seem to be much interest in my ukes these days, so I will not make any more, except on commission basis if I have the time and inclination. Thanks.

It's a steal at that price. I think Mivo is correct, not accepting paypal may very well be holding a lot of potential buyers back. Your work is great and I've only heard great things of your builds. Digitalisation isnt a trend that's going away and people expect things like payment to be super easy these days.

Best of luck mate!
 
I agree.

PayPal is so easy and it protects the buyer AND seller.

It doesn't matter if a builder creates a superb instrument only.

Ease of transaction and security of one's purchase are essential.
 
Just my 2 cents: I hesitate to buy an instrument that I have not played or at least heard in person. Lacking that opportunity, I might consider a purchase if I've played a similar model from the same maker. Or at least if I can hear a demo video (realizing that recording and playback issues are myriad and what we hear on our computers is a poor representation indeed).

It is hard for an individual builder to put enough instruments out there for people to encounter in the wild. I must have met 300 uke players over the last 10 years, and I have laid hands on lots of fine ukes, and I have had the great pleasure of playing just one Black Bear, a tenor that was exquisite.

I have no doubt the soprano here is as beautifully built and as fine a player as you'll find anywhere. But I have no idea what it sounds like. Does it sound good? Surely yes. But does it suit me and my playing style and singing voice? No way to tell.

I don't know how to solve this. Maybe it would help to post sound recordings on your website to complement the gorgeous photos? Urge buyers to post demo videos and reviews? Send out loaners? Hit the trade shows and festivals? Place ukes in a few retail shops? All I know is, my wallet and surely many others will remain closed until people know how it sounds.
 
OK folks, let me explain a few things. I have no intention of feeding the PayPal beast. That is just my personal issue and I am truly sorry if that is not convenient for the buyer. In my years of selling ukes on line, since 1998, I have never cheated anybody or misrepresented one of my instruments. I have sold hundreds and hundreds of ukes and in that time have only had a few returned because of the buyer personal preferences. I give a two trial period on all instruments and a full refund, minus shipping costs. I have a lifetime limited warranty and a no questions asked return policy.

I do not have the equipment or time to do a sound sample, and I do not trust or like that method of selling. I understand people who hesitate in buying from a builder they have never experienced, but I do have a good rep and have been around for more years then most of you who are players. I am at my end game of being a luthier so I am not going to consign my work in music shops, I have tried that and I am not willing to build on 50/50 cut. A full time luthier can not live on that kind of income, if you don't believe me, try it. Loaning an instrument out is not a good idea and I would never do that.

The simple matter is this, I have a few ukes to sell, professionally made, and they sound good, and the price is below what I should be getting. I have not been able to move them as I have done in the past because of many various factors. I have always said that when this part of my business changes and I am no longer having fun, I will stop building. Looks like that time is here. Thanks for reading.
 
Duane has a terrific reputation as a builder. Going back a number of years I have never heard anything but raves for his work. You can find a few videos of his instruments on youtube. Of course results will vary, depending on the player and the quality of the recording. Often it is hard to tell much of anything from those videos. Plenty of people spend far more for factory made instruments. A Black Bear would be a heirloom purchase.

I wish I was in the market for another instrument and had available funds. This is a great deal.
 
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