reckomstance
Active member
I think this is the Uke that I want to purchase, but I have a couple of concerns. First off, the sound & playability are very good for the price, and the slothead feature is attractive. I don' t care for the f/board inlays but can live with them.
After seeing one in person, I realized that the body binding which is supposed to be rosewood, is actually a light colored wood that is stained very dark and there were a few spots that weren't colored, allowing me to see the bindings actual color. It appears that this same dark stain has been applied sporatically to the body to give the acacia a darker coloring and add dark streaks.
Maybe I'm asking too much in the price range, but I see cheaper Lanikias with very nice maple binding. I might also add that the Uke I saw was used, and there were lots of spots where the stain had been scuffed off the binding. I'm concerned that after a couple of years, it would show a lot of scuffs.
The example I looked at also had lots of broken pieces in the kerfing, where the ends of the back braces connect.
Are these kinds of issues common on these Chinese built Ukes? If I'm wanting a steak on a hamburger budget, let me know, and I'll see if I can swing a genuine Hawaiian Koa Uke, but I'd be looking at nearly 3 times the price, which I don't need to do.
Thanks much!
After seeing one in person, I realized that the body binding which is supposed to be rosewood, is actually a light colored wood that is stained very dark and there were a few spots that weren't colored, allowing me to see the bindings actual color. It appears that this same dark stain has been applied sporatically to the body to give the acacia a darker coloring and add dark streaks.
Maybe I'm asking too much in the price range, but I see cheaper Lanikias with very nice maple binding. I might also add that the Uke I saw was used, and there were lots of spots where the stain had been scuffed off the binding. I'm concerned that after a couple of years, it would show a lot of scuffs.
The example I looked at also had lots of broken pieces in the kerfing, where the ends of the back braces connect.
Are these kinds of issues common on these Chinese built Ukes? If I'm wanting a steak on a hamburger budget, let me know, and I'll see if I can swing a genuine Hawaiian Koa Uke, but I'd be looking at nearly 3 times the price, which I don't need to do.
Thanks much!