Custom built ukulele with a defect in the rosette

Brian W

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Hi all!

I am working with a custom builder who is currently in the process of making me a soprano. He sent me pictures of his progress, and I noticed a problem in the herringbone rosette. I have two pictures attached to show everyone what I mean. He didn't originally mention it to me, but after I had him send me some more close up shots, he did admit that after installing the rosette, the seam where it starts and ends has a small gap. He said this was this was a common issue and usually the fretboard would cover it up. However I wanted a 12 fret soprano, and not a 16 (which would be the total frets needed to extend the fretboard and cover the flaw). The reason I didn't want a 16 fret soprano is, for one, I never play that high on the fretboard, and two, I was going to have him design a decorative point at the end of the fretboard that was going to match the point on the headstock and the design on the bridge. I did not want the point, however, to cover the rosette, or extend to the soundhole. He said he attempted to fix it, but now it looks worse. What would you all do in my situation? Do I have him extend the fretboard to cover his mistake, do I have him start over and make him design what I originally wanted, or do I walk away and look for another builder? If I walk, then I loose my $100 deposit, but I don't have to pay the total instrument price of $725 on something that I didn't completely want. The funny thing is that I didn't want a rosette to begin with, but he talked me into it. Am I being too unreasonable? By the way, the 1st picture is his attempt at fixing the mistake by filling with epoxy. The second picture better illustrates the gap in the rosette.

Thank you in advance for your feedback!
photo.jpgphoto1.jpg
Brian
 
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I think i would ask him if he would rout it out and start over with a new rosette or perhaps sell this body to someone else who does want a 16 fret soprano and make you a new one the way you like it. It's your custom uke, you shouldn't have to 'settle' IMO...

And absolutely that flaw would drive me crazy over the years and if you ever come to sell it it definitely will have a lowered price because it's a 'second' with a flaw in the rosette.
Bill
 
sell this body to someone else who does want a 16 fret soprano and make you a new one the way you like it. It's your custom uke, you shouldn't have to 'settle' IMO...
Bill
:agree: this.

It's a hand made instrument so it's unlikely to be "perfect" but you have to decide what compromises you're willing to accept. If you don't want the extended fretboard, I'd ask for a new body. The uke wouldn't be a 'second' for someone that wanted a 16-fret model so would be win-win(win) I'd say.
 
I think i would ask him if he would rout it out and start over with a new rosette or perhaps sell this body to someone else who does want a 16 fret soprano and make you a new one the way you like it. It's your custom uke, you shouldn't have to 'settle' IMO...

And absolutely that flaw would drive me crazy over the years and if you ever come to sell it it definitely will have a lowered price because it's a 'second' with a flaw in the rosette.
Bill

Thanks Bill for your input! I agree 100% with you; it would drive me crazy looking at it, especially for how much I paid for it. I am glad that I am not alone in my thinking.
 
I'm guessing this "luthier" is a relative unknown (don't tell me his name, we don't want this to become one of "those" threads). Anyway, it certainly looks like he's making a lot of rookie mistakes...

1) Instead of building what you wanted he talked you into a rosette you didn't even want - and apparently he hasn't the experience to know that it can be quite tricky to match the seam of a patterned rosette if you're not going to have a long fret board to completely cover some part of the rosette.

2) He then tried to pass it off in hopes you wouldn't notice.

3) In trying to repair it he made it worse.

4) He didn't think on his own to do as others have suggested and set that unit aside as a build for someone who wants a long fret board and simply start fresh on yours.

5) Items 1-4 all indicate a rookie, IMHO. What assurance do you have that when you finally get your uke there aren't going to be other rookie mistakes, quite possibly ones not so obvious (overbraced/underbraced, too-thick soundboard, too-thin soundboard, etc, etc, etc).

If I had a buck for every "custom" uke someone has thrust proudly into my hands, leaving me with a deer in the headlights look as I try to find something nice to say about it when it's not really as good as some Asian factory ukes...well...I couldn't retire because it hasn't happened that many times but it's happened far more often than it should.

Edit to add: Also, IMHO no relatively inexperienced builder, as this guy almost has to be, should be expecting to get $750 for a soprano. For about the same money you can get an excellent Hawaiian soprano or one from an established builder...so why should you pay a premium for this guy's "apprenticeship" so to speak?

If this guy is relatively unknown, and if his work doesn't improve markedly from what you've seen so far, the instrument you end up will have very little resale value even if it does turn out to be a nice player...


John
 
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Just one dumb guy's opinion. I wish you didn't need to publicize an issue like this. With or without the input of the community, this is between you and the builder. Thank you for not including the builder's name, but....
 
Just one dumb guy's opinion. I wish you didn't need to publicize an issue like this. With or without the input of the community, this is between you and the builder. Thank you for not including the builder's name, but....

I strongly disagree (I do agree that the builder's name should not be mentioned).

With the surge in popularity of the uke there are a lot of inexperienced builders and inexperienced buyers. I can't image where else someone would go to ask when they aren't sure if they're getting their money's worth?

I'm all for the Aloha Spirit but not when it takes the form of denying information to someone who seeks it...

John
 
Just one dumb guy's opinion. I wish you didn't need to publicize an issue like this. With or without the input of the community, this is between you and the builder. Thank you for not including the builder's name, but....

But what!? So why am I now the bad guy for asking people's input? I though this was a discussion forum. I didn't mention the builder's name, and will not. I wanted some thoughts of how other people would handle the situation. I was also curious if I was being too picky; obviously from the responses, I am not. Not everything is perfect and rosy in life, and you should be able to have a civil discussion about problems with designs and custom builds without worrying about offending someone.
 
But what!? So why am I now the bad guy for asking people's input? I though this was a discussion forum. I didn't mention the builder's name, and will not. I wanted some thoughts of how other people would handle the situation. I was also curious if I was being too picky; obviously from the responses, I am not. Not everything is perfect and rosy in life, and you should be able to have a civil discussion about problems with designs and custom builds without worrying about offending someone.
Yes I agree. The forum, at it's best, is a place where we can go to ask important questions and for opinions and assistance when we are uncertain. No identities have been revealed here and the question posed, at least to me, is a fair and serious one.

Brian, I should add that we can close the thread once you have decided upon how to proceed based upon members' input and your own reflections. Thanks all.
 
I strongly disagree (I do agree that the builder's name should not be mentioned).

With the surge in popularity of the uke there are a lot of inexperienced builders and inexperienced buyers. I can't image where else someone would go to ask when they aren't sure if they're getting their money's worth?

I'm all for the Aloha Spirit but not when it takes the form of denying information to someone who seeks it...

John

Thanks John, I really appreciate your thoughts on this subject. You echo my exact sentiments. What bothered me most was that he didn't mention the mistake, until I called him out on it. He also never offered to start over as a way of fixing the issue. The design is not a total loss, as an extended fretboard would easliy hide the flaw in the rosette. I am sure there would be someone interested in a long-neck version with a 16 or 17 fret design.
 
Yeah, these forums seem very sensitive to negative remarks. There is the Outdoor Uke thread and there are negative remarks but negative remarks for Hawaiian and custom ukes seem to be frowned upon.

If I get a new uke, please comment all you want, positive and negative.
 
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Brian, don't accept a defect that will bother you. A while back I had a similar experience, with a poorly done rosette on a custom uke. The builder at that time offered to fully refund my payment or build a new one. I think those are good options. BTW I chose a refund, as I had no reason to expect the next build to be better.

What is the quality/satisfaction guaranteed by your builder?

IMHO, you should be offered a full refund of your deposit, have this redone, or have a new one built. But that all depends on your agreement with the builder.

... And the forum is a good place to post questions/problems and get advice.
 
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If you can't live with this flaw, and you shouldn't have to, you might suggest to the builder that he/she inlay a nice little piece of pearl, abalone or some such design to cover the spot. That way it won't look like a flaw, but an enhancement. Just a thought.
 
If you can't live with this flaw, and you shouldn't have to, you might suggest to the builder that he/she inlay a nice little piece of pearl, abalone or some such design to cover the spot. That way it won't look like a flaw, but an enhancement. Just a thought.

This is a good idea. See if there is an alternative to accepting a visible flaw or accepting a particular alteration that you are not fond of. In fairness, getting the ends of a rosette to match up can be tricky on a soprano. I've seen slight gaps and visible seams on higher-end ukes both factory and custom. I'm not suggesting that you accept it as is, only that I'm not necessarily of the mind that this is someone so new to building that he or she can't get it right. I don't know what kind of adhesive was used, but I think the builder should try to remove the rosette, clean up the slot and try again. That's what I would ask for anyway. If he/she refuses to correct or adapt the rosette, then you should have your money refunded in full. My opinion anyway.
 
Doesn't really bode well for a custom uke. If it was me I'd be thinking refund and looking elsewhere.
 
I think it's somewhat responsible of you to seek your fellow uker's opinions about the matter before confronting the maker with this "issue." We know many builders get very frustrated with buyer's "demands" in a uke build that's been started. You seem to have gotten some pretty good feedback..I would think your decision should be easier now. Be appropriately assertive, it's your money.
 
Thank you to everyone for responding to this thread. I really appreciate the thoughts and opinions on this matter. I contacted the builder and he offered to build me another uke to my specifications. I haven't decided to either stay with him, or have my deposit refunded yet; as the old adage goes "once bitten. twice shy". I will post what I decide to do, and then close the thread. thanks again everyone.
 
Have you seen and/or played any other ukuleles he has made? If it were me, that would influence my decision?
 
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