Zenukes purchase and setup experience

Some of us recommend dealers here, and I thought I'd offer up my experience this week with Zenukes.

I now own two ukes. A Riptide baritone acoustic electric, and the second, a Riptide baritone acoustic. I purchased the first from Zenukes.com, and I had a great experience. The people were super friendly, the price was excellent, and the uke arrived very quickly, in perfect shape.

Since the purchase of the first one, Zenukes has now geared up to provide free Full setups. This past week, I purchased #2 from them - the Riptide baritone acoustic UB-5NS.

It arrived in just a few days - in absolutely perfect condition. The setup was also perfect - I now have a uke that plays like butter. Saddle was filed down, nut was adjusted. The result - excellent intonation and easy, low action.

They also do a little magic with the setup. I have been around stringed instruments a long time, and I know how to stretch out strings when they are installed. Still even doing that, it always takes some number of days or weeks until I see really stable tuning. This new uke is holding nearly perfect tuning just a couple of days later. Today, for the first time in my short uke life, I picked up a uke, checked the tuning before playing, only to see - it was perfect.

I recommend you give these guys consideration when purchasing. They carry several lines, and they are a big Riptide dealer. I happen to think the Riptides are really good values these days. Glen Rose plays Riptide ukes.

Uke on.

Anybody else try them?

Part of our love with HMS, Mim, Uke Republic and Mainland are that they are on the forums and we can ask questions and know the people.
ZenUkes might be great, but we don't know them. I hope they do well.
I have one thing to say.
Many uke stores have made a very good base by doing setups of lower end ukes for free. Why charge? that should be something that is done on all ukes that go out the door. If it sounds like crap and plays bad then then that reflects on them, not the uke company per say..... IMHO

I think he says the setups are free. He bought the second Uke and that's why he got it setup.

Found this thread in hopes someone can help me! I'm new to the forums and I was interested in ZenUkes recently, but can't seem to get a hold of anyone there.
Their ebay store is still up but none of their emails and numbers work! Are they still in business?

I've never heard of them. Really cool name though.
They may have gone out of business. If their customer service was good, I hope not.
(Riptide ukes are pretty darn nice, for the money)

"Free setups" aren't free, the same as for free lunches. The tech's time, shop floor/bench space, tools and test equipment all add to the independent shop's actual cost for the instrument. The shop has to price the instrument with the inspection and setup costs factored as part of the pricetag. That's often the difference between the "big box" direct-shipment pricetag and what the independent shop has to charge.

With so many instruments being mass-produced, shipped by the pallet-load and container-load from across the planet and subject to all sort of environmental conditions from manufacture to eventual delivery to the end user, a shop's inspection alone of the instrument has great value. Adding a setup (almost every uke needs one!) is very much to the customer's advantage.

Yep, what Steve said. Plus, if you have to take the uke to a luthier for setup, you'll likely pay more than the difference of the slightly higher price the independent store may ask for an instrument. In addition, small stores provide other useful services, like the videos they offer, the non-stock photos, the advice when you call them or write in (much more competent help than you're likely to get at a big box store).

Nice to hear that there's another ukulele outlet that is doing decent setup. Thanks for letting us know..............it is much appreciated

FuzzeeSock said:

Found this thread in hopes someone can help me! I'm new to the forums and I was interested in ZenUkes recently, but can't seem to get a hold of anyone there.
Their ebay store is still up but none of their emails and numbers work! Are they still in business?

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I just ordered strings off their ebay store and they came really quickly. That's all I know about them.