for some strange reason, i like buying ukes that no one wants. last christmas, i bought a kanile'a soprano. arrived complete with dust under the strings. not sure why. great uke! last week, i found an old new ko'olau concert. arrived yesterday. changed to aquilas. great uke! the bargains are out there. these ukes are the runts of the litter: they don't look that great, but sound fabulous.