How can this happen??

mori · Mar 24, 2014

Hello everybody!

So I bought a Lanikai S-C concert Ukulele in the beginning of February.
It plays quite nice, but a few days ago I saw that the soundboard is lowered to the first string and that one of the bracings is cracked.
I store my uke in a hard case with hygrometer and some humidifying sponges. I didn't crash it somewhere or anything else...

Is this a manufacturing problem? Could the lowered soundboard be due to loose glue joints with the top bracings??

I would really appreciate help from you guys!

Thank you!

bazmaz · Mar 24, 2014

I would say its due to the loose brace. Just a manufacturing fault. Can happen with any uke - and I had a brace come loose on my Kanile'a!

It's definitely something worth sorting under warranty if it is that new

BlackBearUkes · Mar 24, 2014

mori said:
Hello everybody!

So I bought a Lanikai S-C concert Ukulele in the beginning of February.
It plays quite nice, but a few days ago I saw that the soundboard is lowered to the first string and that one of the bracings is cracked.
I store my uke in a hard case with hygrometer and some humidifying sponges. I didn't crash it somewhere or anything else...

Is this a manufacturing problem? Could the lowered soundboard be due to loose glue joints with the top bracings??

I would really appreciate help from you guys!

Thank you!

View attachment 65180
View attachment 65181

The brace cracked because it is lousy wood. A lot of import ukes use less than quality wood for the brace stock. The rse of the top behind the bridge is not a problem unless the area in front of the bridge is sinking and the action has raised.

bazmaz · Mar 24, 2014

It may not be cracked - it may just have come loose.

mori · Mar 24, 2014

So the brace defenitly is broken, i can see and feel it. The cracked off part even warped sideways a bit.
As for the soundboard, the bridge is now totally out of alignment with the fretboard, so the first string hangs lower than the 4th. Anyways, the brace is the more severe problem herenis guess, right?
Oh my...

bazmaz · Mar 24, 2014

ah ok, apologies.

Either way though, it isn't too old and you should get it sorted under warranty.

If you leave it, it will get worse, affect action, and potentially cause the top to split.

mori · Mar 24, 2014

Thank you all for your oppinion, it was quite helpful. I will try to reach the seller and claim for warranty

mori · May 27, 2014

So, a short update on this thread:

I finally arrived back home and could go to the music shop who agreed on replacing the ukulele under warranty. Now the crazy thing is, the replacement ukulele he ordered from Lanikai had excactly the same broken brace!! The shop owner was quite shocked, and so was I.
We then had a look at a baritone uke he had from the same line, and what did we find? One split brace and one brace lifting from the back!
It seems there are some major QC issues with Lanikai ukes, or at least with this model... I can not recommend Lanikai at this point, 3 brand new ukulles of the same model, all with loose or broken braces....

Well, lets see how the new replacement will show...

John Colter · May 27, 2014

I think it is more likely that the problems arise from the way the ukes were packed, transported, or held in stock. Any undue pressure on the bridge is likely to result in the sort of damage you describe. I have seen several ukes of another make with similar problems.

John Colter.

mori · May 27, 2014

Well the replacement ukulele, as well as mine when I received it, was stored in the original Lanikai box. I cannot say anything about shipping.
But how should pressure on the bridge cause cracks in the back braces??? Cracked or loose braces on the soundboard I can imagine from such pressure, but on the back?!
Don't get me wrong, but I just could not imagine how that could happen, but maybe I just don't get it...

Skinny Money McGee · May 28, 2014

Duane (black bear ukes), answered your question quite well I thought.

John Colter · May 28, 2014

" the soundboard is lowered to the first string and that one of the bracings is cracked."

That sounded as though you were talking about the bracing on the soundboard. Front or back, I still think it is likely to have been caused by bad handling between manufacture and sale.

mori · May 28, 2014

ukantor said:
" the soundboard is lowered to the first string and that one of the bracings is cracked."

That sounded as though you were talking about the bracing on the soundboard. Front or back, I still think it is likely to have been caused by bad handling between manufacture and sale.

Sorry for the missunderstanding, I thought it was clear from the pictures I provided.
And yes, black bear ukes did answere my question. Lousy wood explains the cracked brace really well. But that is still speaking against Lanikai, the model is in their upper class. Its a matter of quality or quality control.

Now should that crackes brace have been caused by handling, wouldn't there be some obvious sign for an impact or such on the outside?

John Colter · May 28, 2014

Sorry, I didn't notice the picture. The back of a uke is very flexible, hence the need for bracing. It is quite possible for undue pressure to push the back in (or the front) and damage the bracing, without showing signs on the back itself.

John Colter.

mori · May 28, 2014

ukantor said:
Sorry, I didn't notice the picture. The back of a uke is very flexible, hence the need for bracing. It is quite possible for undue pressure to push the back in (or the front) and damage the bracing, without showing signs on the back itself.

John Colter.

Hm, of course this could be, but then again, 3 brand new ukes? All of them cracked braces? Well, I will never know, however, the next uke I will buy will be no Lanikai for sure.

FrankB · May 28, 2014

I saw a few Lanikai laminate top ukes at Guitar Center earlier this year, priced at around $275(!!!!). They all had collapsed soundboards, and one looked really insane. I pointed it out to the salesman, and he said that the really bad one shouldn't have been on display, and he moved it behind the counter. I went back a couple of weeks later, and there it was, front and center......

How can this happen??

mori

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BlackBearUkes

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John Colter

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