$149 gold label Kamaka soprano on Etsy

Woah ... that thing looks as if it's definitely seen some hard days!
 
Don't discount too fast. That is the exact duplicate of my girls gold label with the fret board wing. It was in at least that poor a condition, with the added injury of a popped off bridge. the discription is pretty accurate, her's is a 1968 or so, so the seller has it correct as to vintage.

For $209.00, Kamaka installed a new top, reattached the bridge, new strings, new tuners, refinished the instrument and installed a new inner decal. Besides the history of nicks and dings, it's basically a brand new instrument.

For around $350.00 with additional shipping and insurance, you will have an heirloom instrument worth around at least $699.00, the going price for a brand new square neck contemporary soprano. It's a deal. Kamaka only repair's their own instruments to retain provenance where they can. Their conversation with me intimated that as long as they work on it personally the value is retained or restored. The neck isn't even that big a deal, they can reattach and rework anything on their instruments. The only caveat is that they tell you up front. "Eighteen Month wait", which translates to about 10 months of actually holding the instrument in que..
 
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Piikea said:
Don't discount too fast. That is the exact duplicate of my girls gold label with the fret board wing. It was in at least that poor a condition, with the added injury of a popped off bridge. the discription is pretty accurate, her's is a 1968 or so, so the seller has it correct as to vintage.

For $209.00, Kamaka installed a new top, reattached the bridge, new strings, new tuners, refinished the instrument and installed a new inner decal.

For around $350.00 with additional shipping and insurance, you will have an heirloom instrument worth around at least $699.00, the going price for a brand new square neck joint standard koa Kamaka soprano. It's a deal. Kamaka only repair's their own instruments to retain provenance where they can. Their conversation with me intimated that as long as they work on it personally the value is retained or restored. The neck isn't even that big a deal, they can reattach and rework anything on their instruments.
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I was wondering if it was a big deal - didn't look like it to me but I don't know much about restoring older instruments. I'm tempted, but am going to hold back.
 
.......i want
 
Too late, impulse buy for me!

Thanks for the heads up!
 
Chap said:
Too late, impulse buy for me!

Thanks for the heads up!
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Congrats!!!! Get in touch with Kamaka asap. You will have to pay shipping and insurance to get it here, but they will do a standup fantastic job on it.

One suggestion, the original tuners at these vintages and especially in that condition are sticky and will freeze. For around 5 bucks each, Kamaka will install new updated nonlocking banjo style tuners.

The $209.00 I quoted seems to be their standard repair cost for their ukes that are intact and don't require overly major refurbushment. They quoted me that sight unseen on the phone and stuck to it at time to pay.

I was stunned at the gem they returned me and it was worth the ten month wait. Hopefully, you can send it to Kamaka, otherwise it will lose considerable value if repaired by a local luthier.
 
I absolutly agree with Piikea, I sent my gold label pineapple to Kamaka in April and it's on it's way back to me now. Mine needed fairly major surgery, a new top, tuners, the neck was a loose, the last couple of frets were coming out, and it had a previous owners name scratched in to the headstock. The total for all the repairs and shipping back to me (with a new hard case) was just over $300, an incredible bargain IMO. And a pretty quick turnaround, I've had guitars repaired locally that took longer for a lot less work. Send it to Kamaka, you won't be sorry!
 
It's on it's way to me now, I'll get some extra pictures, then (eventually) post a before-and-after. :)
 
FYI, the seller shipped it fast, I got it my hands today, and it's going out to Kamaka tomorrow. It looks pretty bad, but the back and sides seem solid, and the neck is straight (although not attached). There's some glue globs where someone had inexpertly re-glued the neck...well, let's just say it's in bad shape.

In the small world department, it turns out the seller is in my old hometown, a fairly small little place in Washington.
 
Chap said:
FYI, the seller shipped it fast, I got it my hands today, and it's going out to Kamaka tomorrow. It looks pretty bad, but the back and sides seem solid, and the neck is straight (although not attached). There's some glue globs where someone had inexpertly re-glued the neck...well, let's just say it's in bad shape.
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Thanks for reporting back! I'm happy to hear that Kamaka will be taking care of it. How long did they tell you it would take, a year?
 
FYI, it arrived at Kamaka today, and they sent me a nice email. $250 and a 6-month wait.

It's a bargain considering the shape it's in.

It's getting a new top, the neck, fretboard, back, sides, and bridge re-glued, and the entire thing refinished.

I feel like I'm rescuing a scruffy animal at the pound. :p
 
Chap said:
FYI, it arrived at Kamaka today, and they sent me a nice email. $250 and a 6-month wait.

It's a bargain considering the shape it's in.

It's getting a new top, the neck, fretboard, back, sides, and bridge re-glued, and the entire thing refinished.

I feel like I'm rescuing a scruffy animal at the pound. :p
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That's awesome! Well, the 6 month wait isn't so great but not nearly the money I thought it would be. I'm so glad you rescued it, and that it can be saved.
 
Chap said:
FYI, it arrived at Kamaka today, and they sent me a nice email. $250 and a 6-month wait.

It's a bargain considering the shape it's in.

It's getting a new top, the neck, fretboard, back, sides, and bridge re-glued, and the entire thing refinished.

I feel like I'm rescuing a scruffy animal at the pound. :p
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that's why i love ukulele players.. we are willing to save an instrument even though it's kinda old but it's still worth to play!
special thanks to you sir that you bought it and sent it to a shop so that it'll be repaired.. can we have a video soon? :) thanks! :D
 
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