Worlds Most Expensive Ukulele??

WashAshore · Mar 31, 2014

I just read that a Stradivarius viola is expected to fetch forty five million dollars a Sotheby's auction!
That got me to thinking about what the world's most expensive Ukulele would sell for. Would it be a
Martin 5K?

johns777 · Mar 31, 2014

Taylor makes one that costs $9,999.99. Doh! Just realized that that's a set. http://www.guitarcenter.com/Taylor-...-Guitar-Ukulele-Package-107624082-i2431031.gc

Icelander53 · Mar 31, 2014

what makes a ukulele worth ten grand?

RAB11 · Mar 31, 2014

It'd probably have to be made from the same tree that provided the wood for Iz's coffin, if ther was any left...

RichM · Mar 31, 2014

Once you get up to five figures, you are typically looking at rarity and collectability driving price. Vintage Martin 5Ks tend to start around $10K and go up, due to the fact that there aren't that many of them and they are in high demand.

Price is ultimately always based on supply and demand. For a pricey new musical instrument, a very small percentage of that is tied up in the materials. Most of what you're paying for is the time, experience, and skill of a top-notch luthier. In the mandolin world, top builder like Steve Gilchrist and Lynn Dudenbostel command $25K and up for a new instrument and sell everything they build. Are they worth it? Clearly they are, since there are a lot of people willing to pay it.

coolkayaker1 · Mar 31, 2014

Wasn't there a new DeVine that was in Pua Pua for $18k a while back?

aquadan · Mar 31, 2014

A 1931 national style 2 uke recently went for $13,500 on ebay.

Skinny Money McGee · Mar 31, 2014

WashAshore said:
I just read that a Stradivarius viola is expected to fetch forty five million dollars a Sotheby's auction!
That got me to thinking about what the world's most expensive Ukulele would sell for. Would it be a
Martin 5K?

There's three vintage 5k's on ebay right now that aren't selling, and one is listed at 7450.00. He had it listed at 6895.00, a while ago, and it didn't sell then either.

ichadwick · Mar 31, 2014

My next ukulele will be the world's most expensive, according to my wife. It will cost some parts of my body I've grown rather fond of, over the years....

UkerDanno · Mar 31, 2014

If Iz's favorite uke wasn't cremated with him, it would probably be the world's most expensive ukulele!

janeray1940 · Mar 31, 2014

A few years ago there was a Gibson Poinsettia uke that went on eBay in the same ballpark as that National mentioned above.

FWIW - the folks at the shop where I play have pointed out that ukes over $2000 or so almost *never* go to players, mainly to collectors to hang on their walls. And as anyone who has ever been into vintage "anything" knows, collectibles are only worth what someone will pay for them, leading to some pretty arbitrary values.

UkerDanno · Mar 31, 2014

this is the most expensive ukulele on ebay...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/automated-U...666?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c1a4c90a2

next is a Martin 5K for $16,500.00.

Ukulele Eddie · Mar 31, 2014

ichadwick said:
My next ukulele will be the world's most expensive, according to my wife. It will cost some parts of my body I've grown rather fond of, over the years....

Ha! Almost spit my coffee out!:rotfl:

Ukulele Eddie · Mar 31, 2014

RichM said:
In the mandolin world, top builder like Steve Gilchrist and Lynn Dudenbostel command $25K and up for a new instrument and sell everything they build. Are they worth it? Clearly they are, since there are a lot of people willing to pay it.

I just learned this myself yesterday, while chatting with a cycling buddy who is a mandolin player. I think he said there were three builders who routinely command $25k and up and the next level down has a handful of builders who get $10k-15k. I was really surprised. Makes me appreciate even more so (as if that's possible ;-) Chuck Moore, Jay Lichty and Beau Hannam. Let's hope they don't convert to mandolin building. ;-)

kwall · Mar 31, 2014

UkerDanno said:
this is the most expensive ukulele on ebay...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/automated-U...666?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c1a4c90a2

that thing has been up forever, as well is that really considered a ukulele? fortunatly most ukulele's are reasonable, thats why i like it i can collect tonnes without breaking the bank like a guitarist would

Steveperrywriter · Mar 31, 2014

janeray1940 said:
A few years ago there was a Gibson Poinsettia uke that went on eBay in the same ballpark as that National mentioned above.

FWIW - the folks at the shop where I play have pointed out that ukes over $2000 or so almost *never* go to players, mainly to collectors to hang on their walls. And as anyone who has ever been into vintage "anything" knows, collectibles are only worth what someone will pay for them, leading to some pretty arbitrary values.

I suspect your shop guys need to get out more, Janeray -- anybody here who has instruments by Chuck Moore, Beau Hannam, Jay Lichty, or John Kinnard, just to name the first few that come to mind, not playing them? I kind of have the feeling that if any of these builders knew their uke was going to be locked away in a glass case and unplayed, they wouldn't make it for you …

Of course, I have been wrong before ...

RichM · Mar 31, 2014

Steveperrywriter said:
I suspect your shop guys need to get out more, Janeray -- anybody here who has instruments by Chuck Moore, Beau Hannam, Jay Lichty, or John Kinnard, just to name the first few that come to mind, not playing them? I kind of have the feeling that if any of these builders knew their uke was going to be locked away in a glass case and unplayed, they wouldn't make it for you …

Of course, I have been wrong before ...

I'm pretty sure you're right, Steve. $2000 isn't considered an expensive instrument anywhere else but in the ukulele world. Right here on UU we probably have at least 100 examples of people who own high-end instruments and play them like crazy.

Steveperrywriter · Mar 31, 2014

There's a local classical guitar builder, Jeffrey Elliott, whose waiting list at one point stretched out to twelve years before he closed it.

Twelve years.

His used instruments go for fifteen to twenty grand, and as nearly as I can tell, they go to players and not collectors.

I suspect there are some stashed away, and there are uke collectors with rooms full of 'em they don't play, but I'd guess they were the exception rather than the rule. There was a thread recently in which a player who has two Chuck Moore ukes was talking about taking a beater to the beach, and Chuck chimed in: Hey, you got two, take one with you. Seems like the sign of a man who wants his creations played.

janeray1940 · Mar 31, 2014

Steveperrywriter said:
I suspect your shop guys need to get out more, Janeray -- anybody here who has instruments by Chuck Moore, Beau Hannam, Jay Lichty, or John Kinnard, just to name the first few that come to mind, not playing them? I kind of have the feeling that if any of these builders knew their uke was going to be locked away in a glass case and unplayed, they wouldn't make it for you …

Of course, I have been wrong before ...

I should have been more specific - I was referring to the typical vintage "collector" ukes, e.g. Martin 5K, Gibson Poinsettia, etc. since the shop deals in a lot of vintage. Can't say I've ever ukes from any of the above builders come through; probably the two most expensive ones I've seen have been a 5K and a Taylor.

Although when I bought my Ohta-San a couple weeks back, one of the guys at the shop commented that he was glad that it was going to someone who would actually play it rather than lock it away in a case... and that wasn't even price-wise close to those you just named.

Freeda · Mar 31, 2014

Gibson poinsettia.

Worlds Most Expensive Ukulele??

Well-known member

Member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Similar threads