NUD - Imua soprano

RafterGirl

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I received my Imua soprano today & it's a beauty. I had a UAS relapse & was browsing Reverb last weekend. Imagine my surprise finding it right next door in Colorado. It met all my size and finish criteria, and was listed in mint condition. It does appear to be in mint condition. I will change out the awful sounding Aquilla strings for some Worth Clears asap. The Koa is super pretty. Nice flame on the top and sides. It's Imua's natural finish (pore filler, sealer, Danish oil, hand rubbed finish is what the guy at Imua told me). The top and bottom of the body have a "radius" or rounded, smooth, edge. Very nice. It came in a nice little Ohana padded gig bag. I called Imua to find out how old it is, and based on the serial number it was made in 2016. The guy at Imua was cool to talk to about their ukes. I'll report back on sound assessment once I get better strings on it. Here's some pics. One picture next to my Islander AS-4 for comparison. The Imua is a little more petite than the Islander.
 

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Congrats! It's a very beautiful little instrument. The koa looks super nice ...
 
That’s a lovely looking soprano. I really admire the wood grain. Congratulations on a great find.
 
It's very nice. Congratulations. Is the back a single piece?
 
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It's very nice. Congrattulations. Is the back a single piece?
It’s very hard to tell visually or by feel. It’s extremely smooth. But looking inside there appears to be a covered seam, so my guess is two piece. The beveled edge on the back doesn’t have a seam that I can see or feel. The only visible external seam I can see is at the tail block.
 
Congrats! I didn’t realize Imua Sopranos were joined at the 14 fret, very cool. I’m curious since I’ve got an Islander Soprano as well, how does the Imua neck profile feel and compare to the Islander? Thanks!
 
Congrats RafterGirl, it looks nice!

You sure have been looking for a long time, or was that another Uke? hehe... :)

ALOHA :shaka:
 
Congrats! I didn’t realize Imua Sopranos were joined at the 14 fret, very cool. I’m curious since I’ve got an Islander Soprano as well, how does the Imua neck profile feel and compare to the Islander? Thanks!
Shape wise pretty similar, but the Islander is wider. 36mm for the Imua vs 38mm for the Islander.
 
Congrats RafterGirl, it looks nice!

You sure have been looking for a long time, or was that another Uke? hehe... :)

ALOHA :shaka:
I'm always looking ......that's what gets me into trouble. Imua ukes don't seem to come up very often, and it was so nice looking that I couldn't resist. The fellow I talked to at Imua yesterday evening was very nice. I was guessing that this was a 2016 and he confirmed it. It seriously looks brand new. Worth Clear strings are on. Now to get them settled in. I'll be kayaking on the Colorado River week after next, so my Islander soprano will be getting the call to duty for that. I'll have to lavish some attention on the Imua this coming week.
 
I'm always looking ......that's what gets me into trouble. Imua ukes don't seem to come up very often, and it was so nice looking that I couldn't resist. The fellow I talked to at Imua yesterday evening was very nice. I was guessing that this was a 2016 and he confirmed it. It seriously looks brand new. Worth Clear strings are on. Now to get them settled in. I'll be kayaking on the Colorado River week after next, so my Islander soprano will be getting the call to duty for that. I'll have to lavish some attention on the Imua this coming week.

Enjoy it! :)
 
Congratulations on your new baby!
I've only played an Imua ukulele once, and I was very impressed. I was wishing I had the allowance for one at the time.
Very nice workmanship, beautiful tone, very pretty wood.
 
I have a ICN concert. Allthough the natural finish i very nice, it's also delicate.
I wonder if a coat of renaissance wax would be safe and give some protection.
 
I have a ICN concert. Allthough the natural finish i very nice, it's also delicate.
I wonder if a coat of renaissance wax would be safe and give some protection.
The Imua guy I talked to said that their natural finish is pore filler, sealer, danish oil, and hand rubbed. He mentioned wax of some sort in the process as well, but I didn't write down what it was. The finish on mine is so smooth. I'm definitely not a gloss fan, so I was happy that this one was natural finish. Thanks for the heads-up & I will be extra careful. If you do apply a wax, please let us know how it works.
 
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