Lanikai Tenor Uke - Hot or Not?

DRC

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Hello all, I have come across a deal for a Uke and just wanted to see your opinions if it is a good deal or a pass. Please forgive me if I have posted in the wrong thread.

It is a Lanikai lu22ts Tenor special edition. It is a demo model and comes new in box from Lanikai. The price is $85.00.

Is this a good deal for a starter Uke?
 
Sounds like a pretty good deal to me!. I checked online and they typically cost a fair bit more, but as you pointed out yours is a demo model. Unless it has any major issues, I say go for it!
 
It will almost certainly need a setup (all of the low end ukes usually do, it's not a brand thing). Once set up they are decent starter ukes - my first uke was a Lanikai LU-21C concert uke. It came in needing a setup but I have the tools and have been setting up my guitars for years so that was no big deal. If that doesn't describe you, I'd strongly urge you to buy your first uke from someone who will make sure it is set up because some of them come from the factory almost impossible to play.

Check with vendors that hang out here (Hawaiian Music Supply, Mim, Uke Republic, etc.). These folks actually care about ukes, love to get beginners started right, and will help you pick the right uke for you and set it up so it is playable and sounds good.

That $85 Lanikai has the potential to be a decent uke, but if it comes in needing a setup then you will have to find someone who can do it, pay them anywhere from $30 to $60 to set it up, and suddenly the deal isn't so good after all. Or, you try to play it with terrible action and intonation, become discouraged, and give up.

John
 
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