Aack! I can feel the seam on my Kamaka now!

wickedwahine11

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 1, 2008
Messages
3,950
Reaction score
15
Location
Signal Hill, CA
So yesterday I decided to change the strings on my beloved tenor HF3 and while they were off, I gave her a good bath (lemon oil on the dry fretboard, a bit of Fender Instrument Care kit treatment). I put on the new strings and she sounds and looks great.

This morning I went to re-tune the strings while they settle in and I noticed that I can feel the seam on the top where they bookmatched the left and right top. The top of the face (near the soundhole and above the bridge) is fine, you can't feel anything. But the bottom half under the bridge has a slighly more visible seam and I can actually feel the seam. It doesn't seem to be a crack, but it is definitely a seam. To be honest I have no idea how long it has been like that, I guess I'm not as devoted to my uke as I thought I was since I didn't discover it sooner.

I sent an email to Kamaka asking about it, and I told them I will be in Oahu the week of 4th of July in case they need to see it to diagnose it. But to be honest, I think I'd rather be without my car or my left arm than without my Kamaka for a year if they need to repair it.

In the event that the seam is separating, I saw this video online when searching the UU archives. This guy used hot glue to repair his uke. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i4wjJv5nkw

I'm not sure I would do it that way myself, but would you guys try to take it to a luthier or would you do the 1 year Kamaka wait for a repair? Or is a seam you can feel not that big of a deal and I should stop worrying -- if it turns into a crack deal with it, and if not, quit being a worrywart?
 
Ouch, Staci. I feel your pain. Your beloved HF-3. It has probably been there for a while and you didn't notice it. Might be due to humidity changes? I would post in the builder's forum to get some more informed suggestions, perhaps with some pics if the seam can show up.

Did you put the worth CHLGHD's back on it?

D
 
Ouch, Staci. I feel your pain. Your beloved HF-3. It has probably been there for a while and you didn't notice it. Might be due to humidity changes? I would post in the builder's forum to get some more informed suggestions, perhaps with some pics if the seam can show up.

Did you put the worth CHLGHD's back on it?

D

Yeah I'll see if I can get it to show up. The good news is that it is not a crack but you can definitely feel the seam on that bottom half.

Yep, put those strings back on -- only ones I will use now. :)
 
Any Reputable Luthier will be able to repair the seam unless, your Kamaka is still under warranty.
 
Best to repair any crack asap and if you can feel the seam it means the glue joint has separated. The problem with waiting is that moisture and other contaminants can get introduced to the seam which could result in a less than perfect fit when it comes to repairing it down the line.
 
Any Reputable Luthier will be able to repair the seam unless, your Kamaka is still under warranty.

Best to repair any crack asap and if you can feel the seam it means the glue joint has separated. The problem with waiting is that moisture and other contaminants can get introduced to the seam which could result in a less than perfect fit when it comes to repairing it down the line.

Thanks for the advice guys. It looks like I will take it to Kamaka in July to have them look at it, and then since I don't want to wait a year for their repairs I will probably take it to a luthier here at home when I get back -- I know one that fixed some cracks on a friend's KoAloha and they also installed my pickup in this Kamaka.
 
If it just a raised seam, and not a crack...forget about it.

You can try precussing the hide glue; it is as easy as it looks. I've used that technique a couple of times. You can make you own hide glue from glue crystals or use Old Brown Glue.
 
Last edited:
I also can feel the seam below the bridge on my 2009 Kamaka Concert. It seems to come and go depending on humidity. I'm trying to find the range of humidity where the seam is more pronounced. Currently have it in the case with hygrometer reading at 40% rh. At 40%rh I can see the seam but can't feel it running my nail over it. Anyway, will keep experimenting to find the Hi/Lo RH range. Will post findings.
 
1) Note that the OP says it's NOT a crack; I take it as a raised ridge along the seam.

2) Is that a hot hide glue seam? I doubt it, but then I am not exactly sure what Kamaka uses for center seams. If it is hhg and it's open, then hot hide glue would be an appropriate fix. But if it's a modern glue like TiteBond, then hot hide glue won't stick very well to it.

3) If it's "TiteBond" or equivalent, that's a pretty normal issue.

4) I wouldn't worry about it unless it does open up, and even then, it's not that big a deal to fix. I'd especially advise not trying to sand a ridge down or messing with the finish which I assume to be very thin. Cosmetic finish fixing is a nightmare and is far more difficult than is structural repair work.
 
Thanks guys for all the advice and talking me off the ledge. I'm going to try to resume breathing normally. Anyone who knows me knows how obsessive I am about that uke. I appreciate all the tips and you guys are the best -- UU rules. :)
 
Sorry to hear about your Kamaka! I sent a vintage Kamaka Pineapple that had 5 cracks on the top and bottom to Kamaka to be repaired. It was ready in 2 months. Yours might not take as long. It seems Kamaka still says repairs are over 1 year. For a seam that is lifting, I don't think it would take too long to fix.
 
Aloha WW11,
Auwe Girl...seems like a little seam separation...(pardon the pun) Good idea to take it back to Kamaka ......since you're coming back here... there are a few ways to fix this...but let them handle
it..if you want a flawless finish...Seems I see a few mainland ukes with this issue right after the bridge going to the butt.. Sorry to hear the bad news...I try not to use any oils on my ukes because
if it does soak the wood, it affects repair and refinish issues....MM Stan..
 
Staci,

I think the wait time on repairs at Kamaka has dropped. Check with Maria, she took her 8 string in and they fixed much more severe issues in under two months (it might only have been one.) As a "preferred" Kamaka client I'm sure they would take care of your issue quickly. I would stabilize it ASAP myself. Perhaps they can fix the bubble on your gloss finish at the same time.
 
Can someone detail what is really done by a luthier to repair a seam split like this? (aside from what is in that YT vid about percussing hide glue in cracks.)

Kind of curious about this.
 
Are you sure it's not just a little dry? I have a concert that came off CL in Las Vegas from a guy who had it before the owner who had it before me. It had a seam separation from the soundhole to bridge when PO got it. Humidifying it made it vanish. I have had it near the ocean for 2 years and it has never shown up again.
 
Best to be patient and have the repair done right. You would be very unhappy with anything less. Such a gorgeous uke especially after you had the gloss finish applied.
 
Top Bottom