Finally, the voice of not only reason, but reality.
To the OP, first off (and off topic), an uku is lice, literally. If you're going to shorten `ukulele, uku is not it.
I think that was a little more rude than necessary.
Oddly enough, it seems the buyers of cheaper instruments (sub $1K) are the most critical.
I am not sure what you are trying to imply there, I would fall into that category. The reason being I don't see that big of difference between a $1000 ukulele and one half that price from another builder.
Stan has it right as well, a factory instrument is a factory instrument, even the mid range instruments in the $1K (to $2k) range. I would expect those instruments to be very playable off the rack, but still have room for a defined setup for the player (paid for, of course). Level frets from pressing is different from levelled frets; the latter of which I would not expect most factories to do. This is what a setup charge at luthier shops are for.
The person you call the voice or reason compared it to warranty work on a car, a car dealer my repair a car under warranty but the manufacturer pays them to do it. The companies that build high end ukuleles are not giant factories, the ones I have seen appear to be the size of machine shops. Maybe I am wrong, but it is one reason why I don't see the value as being worth twice as much as another brand. (the fact they may require set up)
I have been in manufacturing for a long time, one company I had part of for a while sold digital scales we did not send them to dealers and expect them to calibrate it for us.
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