FS Earnest Instrument Palomino Figured/Curly Mahogany Concert Ukulele by Joel Eckhaus

Up for sale is an Earnest Instrument Palomino Figured/Fiddleback Mahogany Concert Ukulele by Ukulele made by Joel Eckhaus in Maine. This is the "Palomino" model. It features a Mahogany body with lovely curly figuring and a satin finish on the body, gloss on the neck. It has tortoiseshell binding on both the top and back with black/white/red/white/black purfling on the top. It has this as well as the sound hole rosette. It has a mahogany neck, tortoise shell binding and pick guards. It has an extended mesquite fingerboard, MOP top position markers and ivoroid side position dots, red purfling around the sides of the head plate and fingerboard, and Grover Sta-tite tuners. The Palomino has an elegant appearance and a rich, mellow tone with some punch. According to Joel, "The Palomino is built light, like the old ukes, for maximum response and volume." The scale of the instrument is 15-inches. Currently it is strung with Worth CMs.

Additional information about the Palomino model can be found at http://www.earnestinstruments.com/palomino.html
Joel's updated 2012 prices can be found here http://www.earnestinstruments.com/pricelist.html

This instrument has great note definition and balance across the strings. It is amazingly easy to play with great action. It has terrific intonation. It includes an Oscar Schmidt hard case.

Here are a couple sound samples of the instrument.
http://soundcloud.com/doc-hj/dr000176-earnest-palomino
https://www.box.com/s/g4g8kuhk7mx8s3dbskzi

Joel is one of the best luthiers out there today. He builds amazing ukes and these do not come up for sale too often. If you were to want a new one with the figured mahogany, it would cost over $1,200 to get an instrument like this. Although used, it is in excellent condition, built in July 2010. I am the 2nd owner. No scratches or dings, just some finish glossing in the usual places on the body from playing and some light strum marks. The instrument has always been kept in a humidified case when not being played. This uke is beautiful both in appearance and sound. It has a bright punchy loud sound with warmth, and has excellent intonation. I like this uke a lot, but it is time to slim down my number of ukes.

Sold.

Here are two more pics.

PM Sent.....

Bump and price drop.

Tuesday Bump.

Man I wish this was a Stradalele

But who ever gets this is going to have a cool uke!

That is one beautiful uke! If that was a tenor I'm not sure I could have kept myself from buying it, although I certainly don't need another. Really kinda surprised this hasn't gone by now, given the obvious quality compared to some other ukes I've seen in the same price range. I genuinely like the dual pickguards - reminds me of some vintage Larson Brothers guitars I have seen. Maybe I do need a concert . . .

Just curious, is the fretboard on this uke radiused or flat. Standard 1 and 3/8 nut width?

Eyeguy said:

That is one beautiful uke! If that was a tenor I'm not sure I could have kept myself from buying it, although I certainly don't need another. Really kinda surprised this hasn't gone by now, given the obvious quality compared to some other ukes I've seen in the same price range. I genuinely like the dual pickguards - reminds me of some vintage Larson Brothers guitars I have seen. Maybe I do need a concert . . .

Just curious, is the fretboard on this uke radiused or flat. Standard 1 and 3/8 nut width?

Click to expand...

Thanks. It is a beautiful uke, with a flat fretboard, with a 1 & 3/8 inch nut width.

Do you know if the pick guards can be removed?

The builder, Joel Eckhaus, put the pickguards on in the original build, and I always liked them. I would assume the pickguards could be replaced/removed. But I'm not quite sure how I would do that. (Maybe add a little heat and pull or just pull?)

A luthier would probably know best how to remove them.

I could ask Joel what he thinks. He is a nice guy and real easy to work with.

This uke is Sold.