Thinking about ordering my first custom

If you’ve ever ordered a custom ‘ukulele I’m curious about your experience with the process and the end result. Are/were you pleased your choice of a luthier? Was/is your instrument worth the price tag vs. a high-end stock instrument? And, we’re/are you happy with the end result? I've identified two builders that I'm considering but I'm curious about your experiences. Thanks!

I have a custom Moore Bettah. The process was incredibly wonderful. My ukulele sounds beautiful and it looks spectacular. Yeah, it cost a boatload of money, but for ME it was worth every penny. I was a fan of Chucks's work before I ordered it, so I knew what to expect. I've had my ukulele for over 4 years so things may have changed, but who builds you such a personal instrument and doesn't require a deposit? He got all the details laid out before starting -- size, wood, pick-up, inlay ideas, yada, yada -- and I was updated every Friday. Oh, I loved update Fridays! And, we became friends to boot!

Enjoy the process. It's awesome.

MDL said:

If you’ve ever ordered a custom ‘ukulele I’m curious about your experience with the process and the end result. Are/were you pleased your choice of a luthier? Was/is your instrument worth the price tag vs. a high-end stock instrument? And, we’re/are you happy with the end result? I've identified two builders that I'm considering but I'm curious about your experiences. Thanks!

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Well... yes and no. I've ordered one custom. The luthier did an excellent job, the uke was exactly what I *thought* I wanted at the time, and - well, two years later I re-homed it. I just didn't like playing it as much as I like playing my Kamakas, which I don't really consider "high-end" but more "mid-range" stock instruments. The custom sounded great, but it was harder to play (even after a fret dressing from my local luthier) and over time I decided I didn't care for my choice of wood for the type of playing I do. But it was a learning experience and a fun process to choose the wood and the specs from start to finish, so I have no regrets.

As for was it worth the price tag - hard to say. When I re-homed it, I lost about a third of what I paid for it. Makes sense, considering it was build for my own needs/wants and not someone else's. Every other uke I've sold (mostly K-brands) I've either broke even, or made a small profit, so purely in financial sense I guess the custom was not "worth" the price tag. It was kind of cool to have a one of a kind instrument, and kind of cool to know that someone made it by hand just for me, but in the end I found that those things didn't matter so much to me as a certain tone and playability that I already had in my stock ukes.

sukie said:

I have a custom Moore Bettah. The process was incredibly wonderful. My ukulele sounds beautiful and it looks spectacular. Yeah, it cost a boatload of money, but for ME it was worth every penny. I was a fan of Chucks's work before I ordered it, so I knew what to expect. I've had my ukulele for over 4 years so things may have changed, but who builds you such a personal instrument and doesn't require a deposit? He got all the details laid out before starting -- size, wood, pick-up, inlay ideas, yada, yada -- and I was updated every Friday. Oh, I loved update Fridays! And, we became friends to boot!

Enjoy the process. It's awesome.

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Ditto. My custom uke was the best purchase I have ever made. I have not played any of my other ukes since I got it.

I have had four custom ukes one of which was a disaster the luthier had marriage problems and suddenly was not able to be contacted for four months ,,,I got the uke eventually but was not pleased with it and sold it on pretty quick the other three were Mya Moe's great service and very nice ukes ,,,,sold them as well ,,I have a tenor Kamaka that I could not part with ,,I would say I should have got that first and saved myself a lot of money ,,but you live and learn

Also have had custom made Ukes and prefer K brands, especially Kamaka. Have a custom made guitar and mandolin that I cannot part with.

MDL said:

If you’ve ever ordered a custom ‘ukulele I’m curious about your experience with the process and the end result. Are/were you pleased your choice of a luthier? Was/is your instrument worth the price tag vs. a high-end stock instrument? And, we’re/are you happy with the end result? I've identified two builders that I'm considering but I'm curious about your experiences. Thanks!

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Ooops. The phrase "Leaning on an open door here" comes to mind :biglaugh:

Thanks, Sukie, for your input. I really appreciate it. A Moore Bettah, wow! Wonderful work. I'd love one, but the price tag's just a little too high for me. They do look incredible and I'm very happy to hear that you're pleased with your decision. Enjoy!

Janeray1940,

Thanks so much for your thoughtful response. I really appreciate it. I own some Kamakas that I love and I was wondering how much more I'd really use another 'ukulele. The process does sound fun, and I'm pretty sure that the luthiers I'm considering would do a great job based on all of the positive feedback I hear about them, but there is a concern that after being on a waiting list for a fairly long time that they're might be a let down. However, I could be blown away too.

Thanks again and warmest aloha to you.

Cool! Thank you for your honest feedback. I appreciate it!

Thanks, AJ, I appreciate your input. One of the luthiers' I'm considering is Mya-Moe, so I'm glad to hear that you've had a positive experience with them. I have a Kamaka tenor that I love, too, so if I order another tenor I'm considering what woods would make a great combination. Thanks, again!

Thanks guitharis, I appreciate your input.

I had a custom soprano made by a local luthier. The instrument plays beautifully and I appreciate the connection I made with this young up and coming builder.

I too have been pondering a Mya Moe but wonder if I might just be duplicating what I already have if I order one of their ukes.

MDL said:

I'm considering what woods would make a great combination. Thanks, again!

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Howdy MDL,
Welcome to the forum.

I think you might want to ask yourself what kind of sound you want out of the uke.

I am partial to my mango. My Pono MGT has lots of straight grain on the front and back and the 'little gal' is so damn responsive.
I prefer tone over bling. That is me. I would rather own a subtle looking instrument than having all the whistle and bells. (I want my playing ability to outshine the aesthetic value of my instrument)
This is just my humble opinion.

What ever you decide. Play it. And enjoy it.
And if you don't like the tone at first, change your strings.
I have had 6-7 sets on my mango since my purchase in Oct. 2014.
Seeing what the strings can do the mango is just as exciting as getting a new uke for me.
Every string set does something different to the mango. Some good, some bad, some are a perfect compromise between comfort and tone while others sacrifice one for the other.

If you know what kind of sound you want I might be able to guide you to some wood choices.
Do you want warm or bright? Punchy or resonating? etc...

Good luck in your quest.
Cheers.
Johnson
=)

Other than my vintage Martin Baritone, all my instruments are custom; including, a soon to be coming home, Toby Chennell Archtop baritone. For my everyday player it's my Griffin tenor and MB. For the baritones, my Webber and Martin are the ones picked up.

For me, it's all about the neck and action. Superficial flaws come second. If I played a soprano, it'd be a Timms or older Larrivee.

I have had 2 ukes custom made for me. One was a Mya-Moe, and the process was really great. They were very responsive to my emails, and they posted the work in progress every step of the way. I was able to choose the wood from photos at the beginning (which was important to me). The craftsmanship was first rate, and the shape of the neck is very comfortable for me to play. It is very pretty, with Myrtle top, and rope binding, etc. I did have to wait, but the side effect of that is that having a custom uke in the works seemed to put my UAS in remission for awhile. The second custom is a Dave Talsma- semi hollow body electric uke. I had to wait a year to get that one started, but it was worth it. It is a beautiful maple with a transparent blue burst finish, and I was inspired to get one when I saw Gerald Ross playing a Talsma. It is electric, but still maintains a ukulele quality. So many electric ukes end up sounding like guitars, and that isn't what I was going for. Working with Dave Talsma was great too, but not as many work in progress reports. I gave him my general preferences, and let him make the details work together. I trusted him to make something beautiful, and it worked.
Sometimes, having a custom is just like owning a beautiful piece of art. It is a pleasure to just look at it, and that fact that it sounds great is just a bonus. So if you appreciate the art of the luthier in the visual realm, then it will be worth it. If you think a custom is going to be the best sounding uke, I think you can get great sounding ukes that you will want to play all the time for less. There are many factors that affect the sound of ukes, and that is part Art, part Science, and a bit of Chance.

Have Fun
–Lori

Talsma ukuleles are beautiful.

MDL --

I have had two custom tenor ukes built for me, and in both cases, the process and product were delightful. The luthiers sent pictures and updates, and they asked questions about details not covered in the original specs -- did I want a sound port, string choices, inlay? all like that.

In the first build, the luthier's list was short -- because he's got a daytime job, he's doin' all right -- and he limits his number of customers. Because of this, the schedule was but four months. Looks great, sounds great, plays great.

The second build, the luthier is an up-and-coming young fellow whose list has gotten longer pretty fast as more people have noticed him. I had a choice of woods, of which I saw pictures, and he has a special page on Facebook for his customers upon which he posts in-progress pictures, as well as images of his cat ... Looks great sounds great, plays great. (The uke, not the cat.)

In both cases, I did as much research as I could online. Found websites, read reviews, watched videos, and emailed some owners to asked for their input. Started email dialogs with the builders and listened to what they had to say.

Probably the best advertising is a satisfied customer, and a builder with a good reputation for delivery, art, and craft is apt to be a better bet than one with a pile of gripes. Maybe not, but that's what called to me.

If you are dealing with a one-person shop, there is probably going to be less certainty for hard delivery dates than from a place where there are several people building. Coming from classical guitars, where the fastest delivery can start at a year or two and run much longer, most of the ukulele makers seem to be quicker.

Murphy's Law will tell you that stuff can go wrong, and you can't predict the weather too far in advance, but if you find a place where the customers came out happy and are still happy after they have had a chance to play their customs? Odds are in your favor ...

Um. Forgot to put their names in, sorry: Michael Zuch and Beau Hannam, respectively.

I've had mixed experience with customs. You can read here on UU from people who rave on and on about a particular builder and you can get a uke that's a dud. There's a risk that you'll pay more than a premium model of K brand and get a uke that doesn't sound as good as a $300 Kala. More likely you'll get something that is about as good, give or take, as a K brand but a bit more expensive and hard to sell. Sometimes you'll get a uke that is really special and just not available in a mass produced uke. BUT, just because a builder makes one uke that's glorious doesn't mean that every uke they make is. It helps to know the builders work and at least have seen some other ones the builder made. I've encountered some stuff that is really amateurish. If you have to wait a long time, by the time you get the uke it might not be what you want any more at that phase in your playing.

You are also dealing with personalities. A good uke builder is an artist. People have feelings. They also have other influences in their lives.

You are commissioning a work of art. What you will get is a bit of a mystery. There's a chance you'll be disappointed in the end. When you commission a uke you are entering into an experience, not just buying a uke.

For me, I know that I know nothing about many aspects of uke design and wood choice. Also builders have their comfort zones. I don't commission a uke because I want exotic wood or some odd configuration. I do it because I want to experience working with the artist. My preference is to let the artist be an artist. I rely on the builder to let me know what works best for him.

In the end a K brand will give you a certain level of consistency and good resale value. A custom will give you a lot of uncertainty.

If you get a great custom, it will be better than a K brand. The process can be fun and frustrating. Sounds like you understand that.

Thank you for this in depth post. I'm a stickler for details and craftsmanship. If I'm paying a lot for something, I expect it to be made well.

I feel once you get above 1500, there should not be finishing flaws on the instrument. Everything should fit together well. Why do I say this? You can buy a Pono ukulele for under 500 and not see any finishing flaws. Of course you may need to get it setup and the bridge may need to be adjusted but really the mid range ukuleles offer a lot of bang for your buck.

As katsax pointed out with a custom uke, you take a chance. I agree and look at the difference in the sounds of Kamaka HF-3s . There have a been two Kamaka HF-3Ls that sounded special to my ears on HMS. There have been other HF-3L that I did not like it all. It is the same player at HMS who played the Kamakas. If the Kamaka can differ in their sounds from a factory made instrument, then the custom builders will not not be able to replicate another instrument to have the same exact tone. This is where I think it may be better to buy used. Someone may have a nice custom that works well for you but that they do not like. You get a chance to play it and if you find it special buy it..


I think many times, we associate custom ukulele as automatically better than a factory ukulele. The ukulele will automatically have better tone and construction than a factory made. As Katysax point this is not necessarily true.

It may be wise to buy a custom made ukulele from online dealer who allows returns. This way you can see if you like the instrument. You may have to pay a restocking fee or other fees but it's lot cheaper than reselling it.

katysax said:

I've had mixed experience with customs. You can read here on UU from people who rave on and on about a particular builder and you can get a uke that's a dud. There's a risk that you'll pay more than a premium model of K brand and get a uke that doesn't sound as good as a $300 Kala. More likely you'll get something that is about as good, give or take, as a K brand but a bit more expensive and hard to sell. Sometimes you'll get a uke that is really special and just not available in a mass produced uke. BUT, just because a builder makes one uke that's glorious doesn't mean that every uke they make is. It helps to know the builders work and at least have seen some other ones the builder made. I've encountered some stuff that is really amateurish. If you have to wait a long time, by the time you get the uke it might not be what you want any more at that phase in your playing.

You are also dealing with personalities. A good uke builder is an artist. People have feelings. They also have other influences in their lives.

You are commissioning a work of art. What you will get is a bit of a mystery. There's a chance you'll be disappointed in the end. When you commission a uke you are entering into an experience, not just buying a uke.

For me, I know that I know nothing about many aspects of uke design and wood choice. Also builders have their comfort zones. I don't commission a uke because I want exotic wood or some odd configuration. I do it because I want to experience working with the artist. My preference is to let the artist be an artist. I rely on the builder to let me know what works best for him.

In the end a K brand will give you a certain level of consistency and good resale value. A custom will give you a lot of uncertainty.

If you get a great custom, it will be better than a K brand. The process can be fun and frustrating. Sounds like you understand that.

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