I've been debating on asking about this one for a few weeks. It's getting the best of me and I'd like to know what you would do.
I have a solid mahogany Kala soprano that I absolutely love. It plays and sounds great. It's the kind of uke that keeps me satisfied to the point that I don't even look to see what's out there for my next purchase.
I love it as it is, but if I could change one thing, it would be the finish. I prefer nitro. I've refinished 3 solid body guitars in the past that I really liked and only did so because I wanted a nitro finish and they came with poly.
My desire to refinish is only personal and aesthetic. I'm not looking for a different tone as I love it the way it is. I do believe that a thin nitro finish may enhance what I already hear, but that's secondary. I really only want to change it because I love the look, smell, feel, and acoustic qualities of nitro. And I dig the way it ages. I've bought and sold several instruments over the years, but a few have stayed with me. I can tell this is one that will be a part of that club. With that in mind, I'd like to see the nitro finish as it ages on it.
I enjoy tinkering and refinish jobs have been very enjoyable, so the work part of it is not an issue. I bought the uke as a factory second, so I was able to purchase a nice hard case and Oasis humidifying system and keep the total cost at only $17.89 over the cost of a factory fresh SMHS. The refinish would add another $27.45 to my total cost. It's not cheap, but much cheaper than buying a new uke with a nitro finish. And there's no guarantee that it would sound as good as this one.
So my question is…do I leave it alone (by no means do I hate the current finish, it seems quite thin, but poly), or do I refinish to my tastes?
There is a concern, however slight, that it may change the tone and I won't like it as much as I do now. I think that's a pretty slim chance as it should only enhance what I'm hearing now, however slightly, but the concern is still there.
With that in mind, what would you do?
I have a solid mahogany Kala soprano that I absolutely love. It plays and sounds great. It's the kind of uke that keeps me satisfied to the point that I don't even look to see what's out there for my next purchase.
I love it as it is, but if I could change one thing, it would be the finish. I prefer nitro. I've refinished 3 solid body guitars in the past that I really liked and only did so because I wanted a nitro finish and they came with poly.
My desire to refinish is only personal and aesthetic. I'm not looking for a different tone as I love it the way it is. I do believe that a thin nitro finish may enhance what I already hear, but that's secondary. I really only want to change it because I love the look, smell, feel, and acoustic qualities of nitro. And I dig the way it ages. I've bought and sold several instruments over the years, but a few have stayed with me. I can tell this is one that will be a part of that club. With that in mind, I'd like to see the nitro finish as it ages on it.
I enjoy tinkering and refinish jobs have been very enjoyable, so the work part of it is not an issue. I bought the uke as a factory second, so I was able to purchase a nice hard case and Oasis humidifying system and keep the total cost at only $17.89 over the cost of a factory fresh SMHS. The refinish would add another $27.45 to my total cost. It's not cheap, but much cheaper than buying a new uke with a nitro finish. And there's no guarantee that it would sound as good as this one.
So my question is…do I leave it alone (by no means do I hate the current finish, it seems quite thin, but poly), or do I refinish to my tastes?
There is a concern, however slight, that it may change the tone and I won't like it as much as I do now. I think that's a pretty slim chance as it should only enhance what I'm hearing now, however slightly, but the concern is still there.
With that in mind, what would you do?
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if you don't like how it turns out, you can always save for another kala!
