Going to see a new (old) uke, any guidance appreciated.

Hi folks

As I am pretty new to this uke lark I would greatly appreciate any pointers about looking at a second hand (read vintage) uke.

The one I am looking at is the same age as I am (this is why I am really interested in buying it as it is one of those 'landmark' birthdays ). I think it is a reasonable deal and is being sold by someone who has a collection of ukes.

I think I need to look for general state of repair, cracking on the body, wear on the frets, height of the action/nut etc. From the photos I have seen it looks in pretty good condition though. Is there anything else you could suggest I need to know?

Also are there any pointers about keeping a vintage uke - I have done a search on the forums but I am probably not looking for the right thing.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Ace-T

Look for the brand and research that a little to give you an idea about what quality to expect. Maybe look on Ebay to see if the same model uke is for auction.Check the inside of the instrument, does it look like solid wood or a laminate. Pluck each fret to see if the uke plays well or buzzes everywhere.

Photos always help. Got any to share?

Thanks for the advice HH.

I don't really want to post pics as it will be fairly obvious where it is coming from and I don't want anyone else to get it before me if that makes sense!

Ace-T

Ace-T said:

Thanks for the advice HH.

I don't really want to post pics as it will be fairly obvious where it is coming from and I don't want anyone else to get it before me if that makes sense!

Ace-T

Click to expand...

Ahh! Gotcha! So, brand?

Ask the seller lots of questions. Cracks are sometimes very hard to photograph. Action is usually easy to fix. Neck angle is not. I bought a vintage Martin for my 50th birthday and it's truly wonderful. Lots of dings and scratches but no cracks. Some people are not concerned with repaired cracks if the uke sounds good.