some advice needed

snowdenn

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There's a local uke shop that I really like and want to support, but have not bought any instruments from. It's a small mom and pop shop. A little while back, I considered purchasing a higher end ukulele from them, but I ended up buying from somewhere else. When I was trying to decide on which ukulele to buy, they were very helpful, and I wish I could have bought from them. Instead I purchased online from pretty far away. Unfortunately, the ukulele I received seems to be poorly set up.

My dilemma, do I take this expensive ukulele to the mom and pop shop and ask them to set it up? Or do I go somewhere else? I feel weird about taking in what's basically a lost sale to them and asking them to service it. But I don't have a lot of options to choose from, and of the options I have, I think they do the best work.

Thoughts?
 
I would feel exactly the same way. You might lie and say that it was a gift someone close to you bought without consulting you after hearing you gush about it recently. Since most of my purchases are online, I avoid going to a local shop to peruse. I have bought in a shop a couple times, but only talk to someone when I decide to buy from them.


This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly West near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 10 solid body bass ukes, 13 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 37)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers
 
You're gonna pay for the set up, right? If so, I don't see a problem taking it to them. If you feel the need for penance, maybe have them put in a pickup and buy an amp while you're at it. :nana:
 
I like Jim's suggestion, of buying something from them, in addition to the setup.
 
They may or may not remember you. But, yeah if they have something that you want and can use, buy it there along with the setup.

If they remember you, and ask about it, just tell them you found exactly what you wanted online. They know the situation.

The small shops that I have gone to that said they can get a higher end ukulele, have also told me that they order it from the mfg or distributor and have no control over what they receive. So, unfortunately, you can't see what you'll get ahead of time. Often you have to pay some or all upfront. Because the shop will most likely be stuck with the instrument if you don't like it. (Unless there's a flaw in the workmanship.)

And yes, I'd feel a little guilty too.
 
I would feel exactly the same way. You might lie and say that it was a gift someone close to you bought without consulting you after hearing you gush about it recently.

The thought crossed my mind, but I don't want to tell them a lie, and one just to save myself from embarrassment at that.


Since most of my purchases are online, I avoid going to a local shop to peruse. I have bought in a shop a couple times, but only talk to someone when I decide to buy from them.

I also purchase online more often; it's been a mixed bag. The upside is greater selection and better prices. The downside is shipping/import fees, set up issues, and concerns about the safety of the instrument in cold warehouses and hot delivery vans.

My first choice would have been to buy from the mom and pop shop. But after I got their help, I ended up preferring a different retailer's ukulele to theirs.
 
Send the uke back and get whatever credit you can. Buy the uke from the "mom and pop" store and gain back whatever good karma you can.
 
You're gonna pay for the set up, right? If so, I don't see a problem taking it to them. If you feel the need for penance, maybe have them put in a pickup and buy an amp while you're at it. :nana:

Actually, part of the issue is that they're one of two dealers in my area. And while I'm fairly certain it is a set up issue, it's possible that it's a warranty issue. If it's just set up, I'll pay for that. But if a dealer determines that it's a warranty issue, the maker has said they'll take care of it, but I don't know how that shakes out.

In either case, I'm not keen on installing a pickup on this ukulele.
 
I have a local luthier who is also authorized dealer for several brands. On his website he states very clearly that repairs and set ups are his main bread and butter. It's the small steady daily jobs that keep the money flowing. So I bring all my instruments in for repairs and maintenance and buy small stuff like strings. And yeah this year I also got a uke built after being a small customer for years.
 
There's a local uke shop that I really like and want to support, but have not bought any instruments from. It's a small mom and pop shop. A little while back, I considered purchasing a higher end ukulele from them, but I ended up buying from somewhere else. When I was trying to decide on which ukulele to buy, they were very helpful, and I wish I could have bought from them. Instead I purchased online from pretty far away. Unfortunately, the ukulele I received seems to be poorly set up.

My dilemma, do I take this expensive ukulele to the mom and pop shop and ask them to set it up? Or do I go somewhere else? I feel weird about taking in what's basically a lost sale to them and asking them to service it. But I don't have a lot of options to choose from, and of the options I have, I think they do the best work.

Thoughts?

I wouldn't. I spend time on a photography site, and we have the same type of questions there. If the local camera store takes time to demonstrate a camera, you should buy from them. Of course, price is always a consideration. It's a balancing act between paying more and keeping a local store in business. I would never go to any type of store for a look-see and then buy online.

Bringing your uke to them would be rubbing their noses in it. Are you sure they would be able to do a good setup? There are 11,300,000 online articles about doing a setup.

https://www.google.com/search?q=how.....69i57j0l7.4590j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
 
I would feel exactly the same way. You might lie and say that it was a gift someone close to you bought without consulting you after hearing you gush about it recently. Since most of my purchases are online, I avoid going to a local shop to peruse. I have bought in a shop a couple times, but only talk to someone when I decide to buy from them.


This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly West near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 10 solid body bass ukes, 13 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 37)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers

"It is a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive."

"“If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.”"
- Mark Twain
 
The local shop will just be happy for your custom and happy knowing that you had a bad online experience and so are more likely to purchase direct from them in future. They're business people, they understand that online shops will undercut them. They will not give a damn.
 
I might feel a little odd about taking it in. That said, if you pay them for work on the instrument they are still making money.
I'm sure you wouldn't be the first to do that. I would think it happens at most any store.
 
I didn't realize that there was a guitar center about 4 miles away until a few days ago.
I like the idea of them being there, and went in and bought some strings Friday. But I don't think I'd die if they weren't there.

I know this has little relation to a small mom & pop store. But they didn't have any stringed instruments that I lusted over. No bari ukes. No tenor guitars. I've come to the conclusion that to get an instrument that suits and fits me perfectly, I will have to mod it myself almost always. Of course I'm not dealing with super expensive equipment. And if I make a mistake I'll just chalk it up as part of the learning experience.
 
Thanks for all the differing advice.

Just to be clear, I didn't use this shop as a showroom and then go out and buy it cheaper online. I found the ukulele online first and really liked the wood grain. But I would genuinely like to support this local mom and pop shop, so I asked them if they carried the same model. They did; they had one at the store and several more in storage off-site. I didn't like the one they had at the shop, so they went and took photos of the other ones and sent them to me. I ended up preferring the online model to theirs, and ordered online. Cost was close to the same.

I like the ukulele I got--the tone is amazing, I just don't think it's been set up well. From what I can gather, many if not most online retailers do not set up ukuleles before sending them out. I think that's why HMS and Mim make such a big deal about how they set up their instruments.
 
Are you sure the shop will do the set up? They may just send it to a tech or luthier. They may even give you the details of who they use.

It is an uncomfortable situation but i think you are going to have suck up your shame and go in there, otherwise you have wasted your money somewhat on an instrument that doesnt play well.
 
This is what I would do....send the uke back that you bought. Take the money and go to the local store and buy from them.

Lesson learned, local biz supported after all.
 
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