Asturias super-concert; slotted headstock; cutaway; Bagges pickup + deluxe hardcase

[WoyWoy]

**UPDATE**
I was asking around $US$1,400 here on UU marketplace but got no solid offers. I went to eBay and to be open and upfront, the best of several offers was $US900 + postage. I didn't and wouldn't take so little for an instrument of this quality. I accept that this market may be soft right now, so I am realistic. Can anyone come closer to my asking price please? Say, $US1,200 + post? That's close to 50% off the new price. Bargain.

This is my first sale here after some years of quiet membership, so I hope I'm doing this right. I must downsize my collection and am reluctantly selling this prized beauty. Apart from great eye-candy and a glassy lacquer finish, this one is all class and features very fine luthiery with lovely fine detailing.
It has all the features you'd want for a top-notch performance or recording instrument and is a delight to play and hear. As a super-concert it has the brightness of a concert with the warm tone and full-sized fretboard of a tenor. The Florentine cutaway gets you right up to the top of the neck for solos, and the tone remains sweet all the way up the neck.
I reckon it's the perfect go-between instrument for those who value the traditional small ukulele sound but also want more musical potential to exploit.
I've owned it since new (from Hawaii Music Supplies, who set up the instrument and fitted the LR Bagges 5.0 pickup)) and have cared very well for it. Everything is in very good to excellent condition, no dings, no scratches - just the usual very minor signs of being pre-loved.
It is made with the finest tone woods (spruce, rosewood, and mahogany).
SPECS
• Concert size body
• Tenor length neck
• Tenor scale 18-fret
• Neck joined at 14th fret
• Spruce top and rosewood back, and sides.
• Rosewood tie bridge, fingerboard.
• Bone saddle and nut
• Gotoh 18:1 Stealth tuners.
• Deluxe hardshell case.

Asking price ~US$1,400.

Sound sample here:
https://youtu.be/lqCSSGanz34

 

[keenonuke]

What a beautiful ukulele and wonderful sound.
Do you have a price in mind?

 

[WoyWoy]

Hi and thanks for your positive response.
I’m open to offers.
To be upfront, I paid just over $US2000 for it in 2017, so obviously I’m hoping to get a solid price for it.
They don’t come up very often, perhaps because they’re not so well known outside Japan - although they should be with high quality like this.

 

[WoyWoy]

Well, there have been plenty of lookers at this excellent instrument - and some very helpful advice by PM, thanks - but no serious inquiries as yet.
Can other more experienced UU members please kindly clue me in as to how long it is advisable to leave it for sale here before heading off elsewhere? And also where ‘elsewhere’ might be for such an instrument? I just recently successfully sold my gorgeous Toby Chennell archtop on eBay Australia, and that experience was largely painless - except the selling fee!
And if I may impose more, is this video/sound sample lacking anything that buyers might want to see or hear?

Cheers

 

[Joyful Uke]

Wow, what a lovely ukulele.

I don't think that your video/sound sample is lacking anything, (and I enjoyed your playing.)

This seems to me like a softer market these days, so it might just take some patience for a high end ukulele to sell. Have you listed it on Flea Market?

 

[WoyWoy]

Thanks for that useful feedback - I’ll be more patient. No I haven’t used Flea Market so will check it out. Ta.

 

[Peter Frary]

We used to be an Asturias dealer but only sold their classical guitars. Amazing workmanship and sound but were too pricy for the Honolulu market so we had to drop the line. Asturias quality control was better than most guitars at any price. I loved their 7-classicals, requintos and 11-string terz guitars but never got a chance to play any of their ukuleles.

 

[Kenn2018]

There might be a slow response because the name is not as well known as some of the other higher end ukuleles.

Also, do you know the status of importing a ukulele from Australia to the US that has a lot of rosewood in it? I think they were talking about changing the regs to exclude musical instruments. So that may be a consideration as well.

 

[WoyWoy]

Yes sirree, this is so beautifully made, with great technical skill and quality assembly. It feels great in the hand as well - nicely weighted and instantly responsive. You can hear the bright clear harmonics in my sound sample and sustain is awesome. I love this uke but I need to downsize my collection. Whoever buys it will definitely not be sorry.

We used to be an Asturias dealer but only sold their classical guitars. Amazing workmanship and sound but were too pricy for the Honolulu market so we had to drop the line. Asturias quality control was better than most guitars at any price. I loved their 7-classicals, requintos and 11-string terz guitars but never got a chance to play any of their ukuleles.

 

[WoyWoy]

Both the bridge and fingerboard are indeed rosewood. Obviously I imported this uke into Australia with no trouble from the US (Hawaii) only two years ago. I’m no authority but I’m informed that a bit of bureaucracy is required of me, the seller, to get a CITES certificate at this end to enable it to be exported from Australia to another country but that’s my responsibility, not the buyer’s. So far as I can make out from the Australian end, musical instruments are not exempted as yet. There are relevant and better informed threads here on UU. It’s a hurdle not a barrier.
QUOTE “Also, do you know the status of importing a ukulele from Australia to the US that has a lot of rosewood in it? I think they were talking about changing the regs to exclude musical instruments. So that may be a consideration as well.”

 

[prb035]

Here's a link that I found, it's the original listing at HMS. The guys at HMS raved about this instrument when they saw it at NAMM https://www.theukulelesite.com/asturias-super-concert-spruce-rosewood-slothead-solo-sc-10976.html

 

[WoyWoy]

Yes indeed, that is the very instrument. Pity they took down Corey’s sound sample - he can make any uke sound good but he really made this baby sing.

Here's a link that I found, it's the original listing at HMS. The guys at HMS raved about this instrument when they saw it at NAMM https://www.theukulelesite.com/asturias-super-concert-spruce-rosewood-slothead-solo-sc-10976.html

 

[shanmoon]

You can actually see the original sample on vimeo where they store most of their videos: https://player.vimeo.com/video/153474467

 

[WoyWoy]

You can actually see the original sample on vimeo where they store most of their videos: https://player.vimeo.com/video/153474467

Ah, bless you shanmoon! Thanks so much. This is the actual uke I am selling.
FYI It was originally strung in high G when Corey Fujimoto recorded this sound sample.
For my sound sample I had restrung it in low-G - that's my preference - with Savarez tenor for the strings 1 & 2, a South Coast medium-gauge flat wound for the 3, and a Thomastik-Infeld CF30 chrome steel flat wound guitar string for the 4. Listening to Corey play it in high G reminds me how flexible this instrument can be - lighter and brighter like a concert or richer and mellower like a tenor, depending on the string choice. I'm impressed with how faithfully the LR Bagges 5.0 pickup that HMS installed reproduces the acoustics through an amp.

 

[stevejfc]

'Tis a lovely ukulele. You may want to think about posting an actual asking price. I believe it would be helpful to prospective buyers.

 

[WoyWoy]

Asking price!

'Tis a lovely ukulele. You may want to think about posting an actual asking price. I believe it would be helpful to prospective buyers.

Okay, thanks for the suggestion, stevejfc, as I said earlier in the thread I paid over US$2,000 for this in 2017.
I have also been told the market for high-end ukes has "softened" and that this brand - regardless of its very high quality and excellent condition - is not well known outside Japan.
Bearing all this in mind, it seems realistic to ask US$1,400.
You'll be delighted to own such a fine uke at such a reasonable price.

 

[WoyWoy]

I'm keen to sell this beauty (I just got married - expenses to cover!), so please if anyone who truly appreciates a great quality uke is lurking, please make an offer ASAP or forever hold your peace - then it's reluctantly off to eBay for me!
Just reminding you:
https://player.vimeo.com/video/153474467

 

[WoyWoy]

Hi folks, thanks for all the help and supportive comments and messages. Selling here makes for a far more pleasant and personal experience than elsewhere. Unfortunately it didn't work out this time so this excellent uke is now taking its chances on the big bad world of eBay. But I'm still downsizing so there will be more to come!
Cheers for now.

 

[bigbird1]

Getting a solid offer

If still without a solid offer, perhaps buyers need to have a start point for what you reasonably want to get for the beautiful ukulele and go from there. Just my opinion based on scanning the site for years, but few if any sales (have purchased a couple, though). Good luck!

 

[rainbow21]

If still without a solid offer, perhaps buyers need to have a start point for what you reasonably want to get for the beautiful ukulele and go from there. Just my opinion based on scanning the site for years, but few if any sales (have purchased a couple, though). Good luck!

Post #16 has asking price of $1400.

OP, you should edit your original post to show this price. Many looking at the first post will not read on without the price.