A possible awesome opertunity

Friends..

This is VERY sudden, but. I started looking for a Uke for my wife (see "Stolen Uke" thread), and upon seeking the right uke for her, I met an unknown Luthier. I am on a huge Gibson Les Paul forum and have met a bunch a Luthiers (electronically). I am proud to say that I have been taken in by this group of guys I guess because they like some of the work I have done. Dunno, but I am hugely flattered none the less. But, anyway, one of the Luthiers is overseas, and does some business in Austrialia and the UK. He is not widely known, but who do know of him have said he builds some really nice ukes, but doesn't spend allot of time setting up properly. His ukes at present are beautiful, but that is his art, not the finish and set up work. This is where we may join together and get some of his work here in the USA. I am in talks with him for his work come to me to set up, lower action, and tweak, and make into an instrument that us picky Americans would appreciate.

Anyway... Hopefully soon I can make available a few really beautiful artful ukes that also are a joy to play. We'll see how this pans out. I may have something available within a couple weeks.

Wish me luck in this adventure.

Good Luck Tudorp, hope it all pans out for you-sounds like fun and maybe a lot of work.

Thats so cool! Can't wait to see these!

Here are a couple I am thinking about bringing over here to the US to set up and re-sale here. A sample of some of his stuff. I would LOVE feedback, good and bad on these, and if they might do well, and which you feel would go over well and be good sellers. All these are solid woods, and not lams..

ALL comments welcome.

Those are some pretty ukes!! I love the inlay. They're different, but I think its a good different.

A couple more of his ukes.. All his ukes are solid woods, Mahogany, Koa, Acacia, Rosewood, ebony, spruce, and other tone woods he works with. Bone nuts and saddles,.. Inlay materials are Abalone, mother of pearl and some others.. I am still getting specifics on materials and all.. What's really cool I think is, I am thinking we can get some of these in our hands for under $200. Not sure on price point yet, but we are dealing with an unknown luthier that is wanting to get his ukes in our hands. He'll make his big money later..

Pueo said:

I really like the cutaway with the offset soundhole and the Hula dancer inlay.
Dibs!

Click to expand...

Ya want me to order one? I am putting together a list of a few I want to get from him. That specific one was considered but I wasn't going to (wasn't sure how that one would do). If ya wanna make a non-commital dib, I'll put it on my list. I will soon have a price point, hopefully in the next day or two. But I am thinking most of these I'm gonna be able to put a $200 and under tag on. Again, that is an estimate at this point.

I love the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th one.

Those are gorgeous Tudorp! Congrats and best wishes on the opportunity to get these out here in the States!

I'm looking forward to updates.
The price is right and they all look fantastic.
My wife doesn't know it yet, but I'm hankering for a low g tenor, and as a wood artist, I want one that looks as good as it sounds.

They look a lot like the ukes you can find on Ebay that come out of Tailand. Any connection?

austinlee said:

They look a lot like the ukes you can find on Ebay that come out of Tailand. Any connection?

Click to expand...

No, they are not from Tailand...

Hey Turdop,

I'm new to the UU Forum. I am also kinda new to playing the uke, I have been playing Hawaiian Slack Key Acoustic Steel String guitar for the past few years. Anyways, long story short, I have some serious G.A.S. and U.A.S. I buy and sell guitars and ukuleles on both eBay and Craigslist on a very small scale as a hobby to satisfy my syndromes. I spend a lot of time on eBay. This contact that you have is not making this ukes. These ukes are being bought from luthiers in Vietnam, most notably, Brucewieart/Bruceweiguitars and Taisamlu. There is another high volume eBay Seller and instrument builder in Vietnam, Antoniosai/inlaid artist. His instruments have elaborate abalone and pearl inlays all over the instrument. I wouldln't buy this type of instrument because they sound terrible - too much inlay! These 3 eBay sellers/luthiers have shops set up in Vietnam and employ several luthiers that make these instruments and sell high volume on eBay. I have bought both guitars and ukes from Brucewieart and Taisamlu. They are of good quality hand made all solid wood construction. For the most part, they come with instruments that are setup okay. But they need to be setup here in the U.S.A. to really be a great overall instrument. I would say that Taisamlu's instruments are higher end and more expensive then Brucewieart. I know for a fact that Taisamlu makes some of the "Ayers" instruments as well.

I would advise you to check out Bruceweiart and Taisamlu on eBay and see what they're selling on eBay. They have nice instruments. Some of their instruments are sold on auction to the highest bidder, but most of their instruments have set prices - which are relatively inexpensive for a solid wood, bone nut and saddle hand made instrument. The price of the instruments are great! It's the price for shipping that costs a lot. Bruceweiart charges $85 shipping for a Tenor uke to the U.S., $100 for a Parlor acoustic guitar, and $155 for a Jumbo acoustic guitar. Taisamlu charges $60 for a Tenor uke and $120 for an acoustic guitar.

Trust me Bro, I am on eBay a lot! And have been for over the past 2 years. More people are buying Brucewieart and Taisamlu instruments and reselling for much higher prices on eBay. More recently, I have seen several eBay Sellers from Australia and the U.K. doing this. "micstrummusic (Australia), a relatively new small volume eBay Seller is buying these instruments on eBay and reselling on eBay for a much higher profit. These instrument have no labels in the soundhole or identifying name. I guess someone could buy them and make their own label and market them as their own.?? Check it out for yourself on Ebay.

Hope this helps.

Aloha!

Tudorp said:

Ya want me to order one? I am putting together a list of a few I want to get from him. That specific one was considered but I wasn't going to (wasn't sure how that one would do). If ya wanna make a non-commital dib, I'll put it on my list. I will soon have a price point, hopefully in the next day or two. But I am thinking most of these I'm gonna be able to put a $200 and under tag on. Again, that is an estimate at this point.

Click to expand...

If youre taking non commital dibs I really like that last one... for 200 or under Id take any of those

philpot said:

If youre taking non commital dibs I really like that last one... for 200 or under Id take any of those

Click to expand...

cool. I'll get a price on it then. I am gonna get a couple of them for now anyway to take a closer look at, and set up. I'll make one of them that one then..

I'll let ya know when I get some pricing..

T

Hi all

I bought a ukulele at auction from ebay seller Bruceweiart,and these certainly
look like his work. It could be he buys from someone else and passes them off as his own. I am posting two links to his past auctions, they certainly look like twins to the pictures in the first post. Also there were issues with the one I bought.



http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...3&si=aBxHDNOustPTV4UxggtMRXQ54fY%3D&viewitem=

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...5&si=aBxHDNOustPTV4UxggtMRXQ54fY%3D&viewitem=

okie dokie said:

Hi all

I bought a ukulele at auction from ebay seller Bruceweiart,and these certainly
look like his work. It could be he buys from someone else and passes them off as his own. I am posting two links to his past auctions, they certainly look like twins to the pictures in the first post. Also there were issues with the one I bought.



http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...3&si=aBxHDNOustPTV4UxggtMRXQ54fY%3D&viewitem=

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...5&si=aBxHDNOustPTV4UxggtMRXQ54fY%3D&viewitem=

Click to expand...

What sort of problems? for those prices, I think I could live with a few problems just to have a pretty uke for a wall hanger

philpot said:

What sort of problems? for those prices, I think I could live with a few problems just to have a pretty uke for a wall hanger

Click to expand...

The ferules weren't seating because the winding stem holes were drilled off center to the ferules holes. As you would tighten the strings the ferules would lift out of their holes.
Also the nut needed work. The nut slots needed to be filed because cording at the first fret
took a lot of pressure. And then after a little filing there were buzzing strings.

http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l611/AGV24/IMG_0081.jpg

okie dokie said:

The ferrals weren't seating because the winding stem holes were drilled off center to the ferral holes. As you would tighten the strings the ferrals would lift out of their holes.
Also the nut needed work. The nut slots needed to be filed because cording at the first fret
took a lot of pressure. And then after a little filing there were buzzing strings.

Click to expand...

ferrals == "ferules" ??

But... they do look like the same "Bruceweiart" ukes. And, then there's the possibility of import duties, etc.

Tudorp, be careful, be very careful! Caveat Emptor