bruceweiart on ebay?
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BassGuyukin'
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Received my tenor from Bruce today! Disclaimer: I am not a pro ukester so don't look at my little review as if I know what I'm talking about. I've been playing bass guitar for 35 years so I know my way around an instrument, but only 4-5 months into the uke so far. I guess I'm somewhere between a beginner and an intermediate player but so far I have purchased around 10 ukes (have sold half since).
From Vietnam it only took two weeks to get here to Washington state. I was expecting three weeks. The packing was fantastic. The box was not too big but it was packed between several layers of cardboard, styrofoam and bubble wrap. No need to worry about shipping without a case or gigbag. After cutting through all the bubble wrap I pulled it out from the body. Felt a little "toy-ish" to me and it worried me a bit. I pulled it out all the way and this thing was just beautiful. First thing I noticed was how thin the body wood is. Nice wood, but very very thin. Bang this thing on a hard corner of a desk and it may go right through. Maybe not, just seems thin. But the neck is a rock, solid and feels great. People have commented on cheap tuners but they seem perfectly fine to me. The inlays on the neck are fantastic. Really well done, and smooth. The inlay on the top of the body is thinner, not as nice, but still looks great. The workmanship is also very good. Maybe a few tiny blemishes but barely noticable. I only paid $122.50 for this thing, total. Deal of the century.
I also received a Mainland mahogany tenor a few weeks ago so I compared the two. The biggest difference is that thin body wood. I can only really judge the thickness at the soundhole, but this Bruce uke is about 1/2 as thick as the Mainland. I think I read some say that these ukes are neck heavy. Maybe a bit, because the neck is very solid and the body is light. Playing this uke is great. Feels not too different than the Mainland though it has a more rounded neck. OK, as far as the sound. A real winner here. That thin body wood may even enhance the sound. It is louder and warmer sounding than the Mainland. I definitely prefer this Bruce uke's tone over the Mainland, though the Mainland does feel more "solid" and well made overall. But the playability and tone of this Brucie is just great.
I'm very pleased with this one and would highly recommend one of these to anyone. I have another Bruce tenor coming and I'll give another quick review on that when I get it.
This is the one I just received.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/190717768912?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
From Vietnam it only took two weeks to get here to Washington state. I was expecting three weeks. The packing was fantastic. The box was not too big but it was packed between several layers of cardboard, styrofoam and bubble wrap. No need to worry about shipping without a case or gigbag. After cutting through all the bubble wrap I pulled it out from the body. Felt a little "toy-ish" to me and it worried me a bit. I pulled it out all the way and this thing was just beautiful. First thing I noticed was how thin the body wood is. Nice wood, but very very thin. Bang this thing on a hard corner of a desk and it may go right through. Maybe not, just seems thin. But the neck is a rock, solid and feels great. People have commented on cheap tuners but they seem perfectly fine to me. The inlays on the neck are fantastic. Really well done, and smooth. The inlay on the top of the body is thinner, not as nice, but still looks great. The workmanship is also very good. Maybe a few tiny blemishes but barely noticable. I only paid $122.50 for this thing, total. Deal of the century.
I also received a Mainland mahogany tenor a few weeks ago so I compared the two. The biggest difference is that thin body wood. I can only really judge the thickness at the soundhole, but this Bruce uke is about 1/2 as thick as the Mainland. I think I read some say that these ukes are neck heavy. Maybe a bit, because the neck is very solid and the body is light. Playing this uke is great. Feels not too different than the Mainland though it has a more rounded neck. OK, as far as the sound. A real winner here. That thin body wood may even enhance the sound. It is louder and warmer sounding than the Mainland. I definitely prefer this Bruce uke's tone over the Mainland, though the Mainland does feel more "solid" and well made overall. But the playability and tone of this Brucie is just great.
I'm very pleased with this one and would highly recommend one of these to anyone. I have another Bruce tenor coming and I'll give another quick review on that when I get it.
This is the one I just received.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/190717768912?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
trifire
Member
Okey dokey, time to throw in my 6 cents ha!
I did a "buy it now" on a bruceweiart solid mahogany tenor, the beginning of August. Unfortunately, the shipping company bruce deals with sent it to a guy in Oregon, and I'm in California. Fortunately and weirdly enough, the very nice guy in Oregon had ordered a soprano from bruce perhaps 6 months before, and since he didn't order another one, checked the other package label and saw my name and address, sent me a letter in the mail and after a very prompt contact both to and from bruce wei, shipped it to me, well I received it finally yesterday. Wellllllllll, it was definitely well worth the wait!! The build quality is excellent, the finish, the intonation, the action, the detail are spot on. Maybe he's got it down now the more he's produced, maybe I got lucky, all I know is I've played my share of "special K's" and other higher end, at least price wise, uke's, and I could NOT be happier. Feels rock solid neck and body, and I personally have a love of mahogany look and sound, so I'm in ukulele heaven Waiting on a longneck soprano from him, but in the meantime I'm a pickin and a grinnin. Highly recommended for a pretty much 1 of a kind solid wood custom you, like me, will have a fab time playing without spending a grand or 2 or 3 Aloha from San Francisco
I did a "buy it now" on a bruceweiart solid mahogany tenor, the beginning of August. Unfortunately, the shipping company bruce deals with sent it to a guy in Oregon, and I'm in California. Fortunately and weirdly enough, the very nice guy in Oregon had ordered a soprano from bruce perhaps 6 months before, and since he didn't order another one, checked the other package label and saw my name and address, sent me a letter in the mail and after a very prompt contact both to and from bruce wei, shipped it to me, well I received it finally yesterday. Wellllllllll, it was definitely well worth the wait!! The build quality is excellent, the finish, the intonation, the action, the detail are spot on. Maybe he's got it down now the more he's produced, maybe I got lucky, all I know is I've played my share of "special K's" and other higher end, at least price wise, uke's, and I could NOT be happier. Feels rock solid neck and body, and I personally have a love of mahogany look and sound, so I'm in ukulele heaven Waiting on a longneck soprano from him, but in the meantime I'm a pickin and a grinnin. Highly recommended for a pretty much 1 of a kind solid wood custom you, like me, will have a fab time playing without spending a grand or 2 or 3 Aloha from San Franciscocomparing with Alulu ukulele
Hi everyone, I am new here.
I am about to buy a concert size ukulele from bruceweiart on ebay. But before I do that, has anyone compared his ukulele to Alulu brand by another ebay seller taisamlu? The cost is about the same as one is free shipping but without case and another one is $60 for shipping but with a case. And from what I read through the past few pages of this thread, it takes about 2 to 3 weeks for Bruce to deliver his uke, and taisamlu is about 1 week.
Any input will be helpful as this will be my first uke. Another thing is, if I end up getting one from bruceweiart, any recommendation for the case?
Thanks!
Hi everyone, I am new here.
I am about to buy a concert size ukulele from bruceweiart on ebay. But before I do that, has anyone compared his ukulele to Alulu brand by another ebay seller taisamlu? The cost is about the same as one is free shipping but without case and another one is $60 for shipping but with a case. And from what I read through the past few pages of this thread, it takes about 2 to 3 weeks for Bruce to deliver his uke, and taisamlu is about 1 week.
Any input will be helpful as this will be my first uke. Another thing is, if I end up getting one from bruceweiart, any recommendation for the case?
Thanks!
taisamlu A.K.A. "Sam" is also one of the good ones from that area. He is honest, and puts out a pretty good product for the money. His stuff is about the same, actually in some ways slightly better than Bruce's. I have worked allot with both of them. In fact, Bruce, and Sam are close personal friends, and Sam sells some of Bruce's stuff along with his. QA issues are pretty much the same with both of them, but either for the money are good guys to work with.
There is another "antone" or something like from the same area that however is a trainwreck.
There is another "antone" or something like from the same area that however is a trainwreck.
The Village Woodworker
Well-known member
Bruce's Ukuleles are very good. His headstocks seem to be a little longer than other ukes and this impacts on case/bag size sometimes. I have found that, depending on the uke, you may need a case/bag one size up - eg your concert may need a tenor case/bag. Wait until it arrives and try it in some cases/bags before you buy.
Cheers
Tom
Cheers
Tom
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OldePhart
Well-known member
The shipping isn't the problem with that guy as much as when you get your first dry spell his ukes comes apart into a bunch of pieces to reveal a note hidden inside that reads "Some re-assembly required".
Ahhh...yes...the "artist" himself with the $3 ukes with $300 shipping.
OldePhart
Well-known member
The shipping isn't the problem with that guy as much as when you get your first dry spell his ukes comes apart into a bunch of pieces to reveal a note hidden inside that reads "Some re-assembly required".
Ahhh...and if you complain I suppose he says it's a special feature and he didn't realize that he sent you one of his more expensive "fold and store" versions so you should be happy you got such a good deal... LOL
John
That, or his "pocket" uke feature. Ya put a piece in your shirt pocket, your hip pocket, your right and left pocket, and some pieces can go in your wife's pockets too.. "Glue and humidity not included."
Thank you so much for the inputs. I will just see whichever I can win the bid then.
Yes, I did notice that Bruce's uke is a little longer and actually asked if it would fit in the normal box. He still haven't reply to me yet.
But since I am new to this thing, I am okay to wait until the right one comes to me.
Yes, I did notice that Bruce's uke is a little longer and actually asked if it would fit in the normal box. He still haven't reply to me yet.
But since I am new to this thing, I am okay to wait until the right one comes to me.
The Village Woodworker
Well-known member
It probably won't fit a standard case for that sized uke. You will most likely have to go for a size bigger.eg I have a couple of tenors of his that need a baritone case, and a concert that needs a tenor case.
Cheers
Tom
Bruce mentioned that he can sell me the hard case for $50. I will assume that the case he found would fit his uke okay. Attached the image he sent me. Just in case people are wondering, the soft bag is $15. But it seems that his case has no other space for extra strings, books, and etc. It is very likely that I will still shop around for it once I actually get the uke. we will see.. we will see..
Attachments
I actually have a couple of those hard cases I got from him. It is actually a really nice case. Well built, and much better made case then the $39 Guitar Center special. I installed a built in Hydrometer in the lid with the sensor inside the case, and the dial outside so you can read it without opening the case. Worked very well. It does have a small stowage compartment for pics, tuners, extra strings etc. Mine does anyway. Even if you get one that doesn't, it is actually very easy to make one in a case.
cool. thanks for the input on the case. I was going to get a Kala Tenor Ukulele Foam Case from amazon just concert size doesn't fit. It is I think $39 as you mentioned.
As for building stuff inside the case, I am not very good at building details small objects in the real world. But I will consider his case so i don't need to stuff towels or things to make it fit the tenor case. Thanks.
As for building stuff inside the case, I am not very good at building details small objects in the real world. But I will consider his case so i don't need to stuff towels or things to make it fit the tenor case. Thanks.
Th semi hard foam cases provide pretty good protection too, but I like actual hard shell wood cases (i'm old school like that I reckon) better. Not that they are better, it's just a personal choice. The cases I was refering to was the $40 "Musician's Gear" cases. Decent cheap cases those are, but the case Bruce uses is a much better built, better protection, much nicer hardware & latches for slightly more. Not nearly as flimsey as the Musician's Gear cases.
I have one wood case and one hard form case, both work for me at the moment. I found that my wood case is actually lighter than the hard form one, but I am not sure for if it is due to the cost or the material. I will go to some shops this weekend to figure it out.
bad uke - good experience?
Well, about a week after I received my beautiful tenor it developed a horrific buzzing at all strings, first position and even up to the third fret on the first string. I was very disappointed. I contacted Bruce and he responded immediately asking me to take the uke to a repair shop and report back. The shop told me to send it back, that the neck was warped and raising the action to address the buzzing was not an option because the warp was so bad. They also noted a slight bump at the bridge which should not be there.
Devasted, I wrote Bruce with their recommendation that I send it back. He again responded promptly, asking me to send him pictures. I instead posted a private video to YouTube to better demonstrate how bad the buzzing was. I did not want to pay return shipping and told Bruce that I would destroy the uke if needed, in lieu of returning it. Again, responding the very next day he told me that he believed me and would refund my full purchase, or I could deduct it from another purchase.
I chose the latter, and bid on another acacia koa cutaway tenor for a few dollars less than my original purchase. The uke shipped yesterday. No cost to me. I went for a second Brucewei uke for three reasons. 1. This was a truly beautiful sold wood instrument. I am of course banking on the hope that the 1st uke was simply one with quality issues. I live in New England, and I can not imagine the humidity levels here could have effected the uke in such a short time period. I do know that it played and sounded fantastic before developing issues. 2. The second reason that I chose to go for another uke was the outstanding customer service and responsiveness that Bruce displayed throughout this issue. Buying from someone on the other side of the world has inherent risk. Bruce made what could have been a very bad experience a positive one. He did not ask me to return the defective uke. It is wall candy though. 3. Finally, I looked at other options and you simply can not buy a solid wood uke for the same money.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that my first uke was an abberation. These are beautiful instruments.
Just thought I would share a negative experience that was handled exceptionally well by Bruce. Hoping for a happy ending to this tale.
Well, about a week after I received my beautiful tenor it developed a horrific buzzing at all strings, first position and even up to the third fret on the first string. I was very disappointed. I contacted Bruce and he responded immediately asking me to take the uke to a repair shop and report back. The shop told me to send it back, that the neck was warped and raising the action to address the buzzing was not an option because the warp was so bad. They also noted a slight bump at the bridge which should not be there.
Devasted, I wrote Bruce with their recommendation that I send it back. He again responded promptly, asking me to send him pictures. I instead posted a private video to YouTube to better demonstrate how bad the buzzing was. I did not want to pay return shipping and told Bruce that I would destroy the uke if needed, in lieu of returning it. Again, responding the very next day he told me that he believed me and would refund my full purchase, or I could deduct it from another purchase.
I chose the latter, and bid on another acacia koa cutaway tenor for a few dollars less than my original purchase. The uke shipped yesterday. No cost to me. I went for a second Brucewei uke for three reasons. 1. This was a truly beautiful sold wood instrument. I am of course banking on the hope that the 1st uke was simply one with quality issues. I live in New England, and I can not imagine the humidity levels here could have effected the uke in such a short time period. I do know that it played and sounded fantastic before developing issues. 2. The second reason that I chose to go for another uke was the outstanding customer service and responsiveness that Bruce displayed throughout this issue. Buying from someone on the other side of the world has inherent risk. Bruce made what could have been a very bad experience a positive one. He did not ask me to return the defective uke. It is wall candy though. 3. Finally, I looked at other options and you simply can not buy a solid wood uke for the same money.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that my first uke was an abberation. These are beautiful instruments.
Just thought I would share a negative experience that was handled exceptionally well by Bruce. Hoping for a happy ending to this tale.
Skinny Money McGee
Well-known member
Some friends of mine bought one for their Daughter. They knew nothing about ukes, or any string instrument for that matter. All they saw was the price and the nice pictures on ebay. They said the Daughter never plays it and it sits in her room. Asked if I could see it. He brought it out and handed it to me. Could see right off the action was way to high at the #12 fret. Sighting down the neck, it had a huge bow and a slight twist. The uke was not playable.
Yes, previous posts indicated a quality issue with about 20% of the ukes, at least some time back the percentage was that high. I am giving him a second chance for the reasons that I listed. Hopefully I will get one of the 80% ukes.
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