On a kamaka soprano hunt.

fretie

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White label sopranos come up for sale frequently. My wife bought one about a month ago that looked like it had been played twice and put in away in closet (in its case) for 30 years. Payed $600. A friend recently got one from Elderly, excellent condition, $500. Based on that limited experience, the one in your link seems overpriced for its condition.
 
You never know what you'll run across. Like Gary's wife, I bought one about 3 months ago in the same condition, no scratches, cracks,..pristine.....$199 buy it now!!!!!!! It was the early AM hours....jumped on it. Been uke shopping for quite a few years. Rarely see a deal like this one. Never seen one in this condition that cheap. I didn't even want one, but bought it anyway. Glad I did and now I love it. Keeps my vintage Martin O company.
 

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Nthing the overpriced - I think they're asking more because they consider it "premium" koa. As a five-time Kamaka owner, in general I would caution against buying sight unseen (or sound unheard!) if at all possible since there is a lot of inconsistency, especially in vintage Kamakas. Generally I love them but I've encountered some really underwhelming ones.
 
Thanks for your comments, they help me get some perspective.

janeray, I totally agree with you that playing the instrument first would be ideal although it's not always possible depending on the location of the seller.
 
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