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- Thread starter Swampdog
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This ukulele was donated to our charity to raise money. It has no brand or markings so we have no idea of its value. It is extremely well made and is beautiful. The action and tone is good. Can anyone offer advice.
Do you have access to a small inspection camera, the sort of thing usually on a flexible stem? There's a slim chance that that maker may have placed identifying marks inside, even though there's obviously no standard soundhole and accompanying label.
Poul Hansen
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You could put it on auction and you will get the value.
Tell us if you do.
Tell us if you do.
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I agree it looks like a Bruce Wei.
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I'll give Bruce Wei a third guess on it. They can be very nice instruments in addition to being real eye poppers.
Maiden Uke
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I’d guess Bruce Wei as well.
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@KohanMike You want to weigh in? I know you have a couple of his. Does he hide any branding anywhere?
robinboyd
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The only thing that makes me think it might not be a Bruce Wei is that very pronounced lip on the neck behind the nut. My Bruce Wei guitalele has a much less pronounced lip. I've attached a pic of the back of my Bruce Wei neck (natural wood) as well as the lip on my guitar neck (silver). Perhaps @KohanMike could check his to see what the back of the neck looks like.
which is much more pronounced.
which is much more pronounced.
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From all my experience with Bruce Wei, it does not look like his, the headstock is not his style, I've never seen that bridge on any of his, even in his parts listings, nor the tailpiece. I'm not sure I've even seen the fretboard extension on any of his. I have seen his label inside the sound hole on some of his ukes.
Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly Grove near the Beverly Center
8 tenor cutaway ukes, 4 acoustic bass ukes, 10 solid body bass ukes, 14 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 36)
•Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
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Well, I will say this: that Uke has even more bling on it than Bruce Wei normally uses. And, I don't think I've ever seen a Bruce Wei with Abalone purfling. That being said, Bruce takes special orders, and could easily have produced that Uke. It is in his style.
robinboyd
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That's precisely why I was a bit dubious about my first hunch. The inlay makes me think of his work, but not the other shapes.
Jerryc41
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I wonder about those white protective stickers on the backs of the tuners. Would Bruce have left them on?
If this is being sold for charity, establishing a reasonable price and getting it sold would be my priority. I doubt it's a $2,000 uke - especially since it was donated. In my humble opinion, it is not a raving beauty. There's too much ornamentation on it. But that's just me.
I can never understand why anyone - individual or company - would produce a uke with no identification on it. If you bought one of the carbon fiber Synergy ukes, you probably noticed that there is no brand name on it.
If this is being sold for charity, establishing a reasonable price and getting it sold would be my priority. I doubt it's a $2,000 uke - especially since it was donated. In my humble opinion, it is not a raving beauty. There's too much ornamentation on it. But that's just me.
I can never understand why anyone - individual or company - would produce a uke with no identification on it. If you bought one of the carbon fiber Synergy ukes, you probably noticed that there is no brand name on it.
