Kickin' the Tires

Let me first start this by saying that I have no issues with any on-line or mail order businesses. I know many that deliver superb customer support and really take care of their customers.

So my question is how many people buy Ukulele's sight unseen? For me buying a Ukulele is a lot like buying a Motorcycle Helmet, yes I can buy it on-line but I am never sure that I will be getting the right size or fit. In Ukulele's it's more of a sound and appearence factor.

Maybe my wife has had too much influence on my for this but first and foremost I need to feel and hear the instrument, to me they do sound different. After finding one that sounds good, the finish and appearence are important to me.

While I know and trust the manufacturers to provide a quality product, I guess I still want to select what I buy first. What do other people do to get around this? Am I just being too picky???

The problem is that a lot of people just don't have a choice but to buy a uke sight unseen. Most of us don't have the luxury of an area shop that carries ukuleles, so if we need one, we have to buy one online from a trusted seller.

Depends

If you are like me and have no options to get hands on with a new uke. You may have to take a chance. I have purchased three ukuleles sight unheard. I have been happy with all three. But you do take a chance with workmanship, sound and look of the wood grain. I feel MGM is your best. His pictures are good representations of the uke you would get. he also has some videos that will give you an idea of the sound.

I agree with seeso. There are no uke shops in my area. I purchased two ukes on Ebay, one from MGM and one from a private seller. Before purchasing I looked and listened to reviews on youtube and the manufacturers website. I called Mike at MGM for his recommendation and advice. After discussing my interest in two of his ukes, he recommended one which I bought (it was the least expensive of the two). Also, I read threads about these ukes on UU. Being a newb helps since I haven't developed any particular "taste" yet. I'm very satisfied with my purchases and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. :music:

Around here, in Stockholm Sweden, it's impossible to find anything above laminate beginners models, so you pretty much have to order unseen and unplayed ukes - and I agree with you: this is a big problem, since even two ukes of the exact same specifications can sound and feel completely different.

But what can you do? I try to listen to what people say about the uke I'm interested in and watch clips on youtube, but I can never try it before I buy it.

I know most mail order companies have return policies so you can send it back if it's not as good as you thought, but you would still have to pay for shipping I guess...

rossjr said:

So my question is how many people buy Ukulele's sight unseen? For me buying a Ukulele is a lot like buying a Motorcycle Helmet, yes I can buy it on-line but I am never sure that I will be getting the right size or fit. In Ukulele's it's more of a sound and appearence factor.

Maybe my wife has had too much influence on my for this but first and foremost I need to feel and hear the instrument, to me they do sound different. After finding one that sounds good, the finish and appearence are important to me.

Click to expand...

You are spot-on. Even instruments of same size and manufacturer will sound "just a bit" different from the next. There are multiple variables. Throw in grain patterns, wood shading, that one little knot on the backside (no DEACH jokes) and the adventure grows.

As Seeso says, many people do not have a well stocked shop close enough to them where they can pick and choose. Heck, most folks don't have ANY shop at all. Even if you do have a shop nearby, you are still limited to what they have on hand.

If I find something I want online, I typically call them to order as I prefer to talk to a real person. ld: MGM has as personal an online service as you can get.

All that said, keep in mind the larger picture of why you need a ukulele in the first place. I got mine to sing love songs for my wife, silly songs for my kids, and a mix of the two for myself.

I agree with the member's comments regarding online buying. Unlike the West Coast and Hawai'i, folks in the Mid West and East Coast have limited resources when purchasing an instrument. Say you wanted a Hawaiian built instrument from one of the K's, your chances are slim getting one much less testing one out. The alternative would be the internet where selection is much broader than what's at your local music store. The best bang for your buck would be MGM mainly because he carries a wide variety in various price ranges. IMHO, he has built a solid reputation here on UU. I'm sure Mike (hoosierhiver) of Mainland Ukuleles will do the same.

rossjr said:

So my question is how many people buy Ukulele's sight unseen?

Click to expand...

Over the years I've bought at least 9 or 10 guitars and 2 ukuleles through eBay, sight unseen. Several I've bought completely blind simply because I liked the way they looked, the rest I've researched the brand (and the seller) as much as possible. I haven't regretted any of them.

I won't have much new to add here but I'll add anyway.

I got 2 ukes from musician'sfriend with no knowledge of them. I was pleased with both.

Then I got 2 more for my sisters from MGM. I was absolutely thrilled. I recommend his services now.

My next one will be from MGM.

I posted this in the wrong thread earlier. LOL!


Two great resources I have found and used to get an idea of a brand of uke and the sound quality of it were:

ukulelefriend.com

and

ukuleleghetto.com

They both put up some sound files on YouTube which can give you an idea of the ukes they feature.


I'm one of those living in an "ukulele challenged" region and have relied on sound samples and reviews to make purchases.

Baron K said:

Around here, in Stockholm Sweden, it's impossible to find anything above laminate beginners models, so you pretty much have to order unseen and unplayed ukes - and I agree with you: this is a big problem, since even two ukes of the exact same specifications can sound and feel completely different.

But what can you do? I try to listen to what people say about the uke I'm interested in and watch clips on youtube, but I can never try it before I buy it.

I know most mail order companies have return policies so you can send it back if it's not as good as you thought, but you would still have to pay for shipping I guess...

Click to expand...

Same here (Not to far from Oslo), boght a beginner Uke soprano, now I want a concert but I can't realy afford ordering one since school takes so much time that I can't work.

I've bought a couple guitars from eBay that I've never been disappointed with. I sold them all, but that's because I decided the ukulele was more my style.

I also bought my Koa Pili Koko deluxe soprano from a guy on Craigslist and got a great deal ($155 shipped with gig bag and HSC). He posted that all his ukes were new, but mine had some weird wear on the tuning knobs. It played well and there were no other issues, so I can honestly say I've been content with a uke I've bought online.

Being also from MN, there isn't much of a choice other than buy online unless I happened to be in Hawaii on vacation. That's partly why I've bought way too many ukes. It's the only way to get my hands on ukes that I really want to try. I've been happy with a great majority of ukes I've bought online because I try to do as much research as I can before pulling the trigger on a particular uke to set my expectations at the right level. For me that has worked pretty well so far.

MGM did a great job helping me pick out my ukulele. I would recommend him in a heartbeat. In no way am I saying nobody else can do what he does, but MGM hasn't let me down at all.

Thanks everyone, it sounds like you find someone you trust to get you what you want or just have to do your homework and hope for the best. As I said this is a learning experience for me...

Baron K said:

Around here, in Stockholm Sweden, it's impossible to find anything above laminate beginners models, so you pretty much have to order unseen and unplayed ukes...

Click to expand...

I'm with the Baron. Not geographically: philosophically.

I live in a small town in Canada, 2-3 hours' drive from Toronto. There are three music stores and several pawn shops, but the best I've seen in my local travels are some Mahalos (you know, the purple and lime green models with the sparkles...uck!). Even driving to Toronto won't give me a very wide selection - some Kalas, Fenders, Oscar Schmidts, maybe a Lanikai if I look long enough. So I have to order online.

Advice on the forums is great but it's like advice at a wine tasting. It's free and there is an ample supply of it, each piece different. Everyone's taset is different and in the end can only give you some general guidance - builder's reputation, build quality, nut width, etc. What you like in an instrument may be very different from what I like, and our different styles and tastes in music will also affect whether we appreciate a particular instrument. Take advice with caution.

It's always a crap shoot when I order something online.That being said, almost every uke I've received I've liked. Each one is very different from the previous ones.

I've phoned Mike (MGM) and talked directly to him. I've not always follwed his advice, but I've always found it sound. I've purchased eight or ten ukes from him as a result, and will buy more from him in the future.

But it's not really any different from buying other products. We have only small local bookstores, so I buy most of my books online, based on the descriptions on the Web pages (and I spend a lot more on books than on ukuleles). Sometimes I get a stinker, but more often I get something highly enjoyable to read. So far, I haven't received a stinker in my uke collection, but if I do, I'll just keep on buying.