Possibly buying a banjo uke (UAS starts again!) - questions

so, i was on the local craig's list and found a person trying to get rid of a couple of banjo ukes. this really peaked my interest because of the price and time period these were made. the add says the ukes play, but need new heads.

after finally getting a hold of the seller, he/she told me they had sent the ukes to get new heads, new strings, and have them cleaned up. they now are not sure if they are going to sell them. obviously it will cost more, but i am definitely interested in snagging one if the cost is still decent.

while talking to the owner, they told me the luthier working on the ukes told him/her the ukes would need to be re-fretted (i guess that means having the fret wires replaced). the way the owner talked, this sounded like a surprise. i haven't played the ukes, so i can't tell what condition they're in. if the fret wires are visually ok, could there still be problems? should i tell the owner to hold off having the fret wires changed?

Aloha Arashi_Nero, How's El Paso treating you? From what I know, the only reason a refret would be necessary is if the frets got pushed in to far or they were dressed down to much. If they are just uneven they can be dressed to level them and all should be OK. I've got a couple of old banjo ukes and the fretts are a bit uneven but mostly on the upper frets so it doesn't bother me much, some day I'll have to fix them but I'm in no hurry. Good luck with them, they're the only way to play old George Formby songs!

Check out Mainland's Banjo Ukes - I just love mine & for $300, very affordable. They are not as heavy as most banjo ukes, so easier &more comfortable to hold & play.

It has a really punchy sound & 4 of my uke group now want one after playing mine! I am in discussions with Mike/hoosierhiver right at this moment, to facilitate this!

Check out theses Youtube reviews & vids
http://www.google.com.au/search?cli...oe=UTF-8&redir_esc=&ei=zyWNTqD7Go2diAf0wsz4DQ

Good luck with your hunt

Roberta

THe more Bands, they heavier they are! Some of the soprano ones feel 'over heavy' due to the short neck. The Mainland Banjo Uke that I have is a Concert