Most expensive Uke you bought, that is unworthy of its price

A lot of times when people get something special and they have to wait a long time to get it, they think about it so much that their expectations start to soar unrealistically. Then they get it and they are disappointed that it doesn't meet their unrealistic expectations. That has happened to me before and in retrospect I think that I ruined the experience for myself by letting myself get so obsessed.

I agree, a lot of people are expecting magic when they buy a custom uke.

But it is just another uke, built with more care than factory built ukes, & maybe with some of your specs rolled in, that's all it is.

My KoAloha Tenor gloss is about as good as a build can get. Quite nice except for a somewhat loose tuner. Plays great & sounds great.

The sound of the Opio was very good. Bright, open and crisp. But I didn't like the finish. I'm sure it was fine for someone else.

That's the only one that I was underwhelmed by. And a couple I was pleasantly surprised by how good they were.

The thing that I love is that every single uke I have owned (around 15, all but one, tenors) has had a distinct sound and feel to it. Some suited me better than others. Some I outgrew. Others I'm growing into. Their capabilities being greater than mine.

(This is a further explanation of my earlier post.)

My KoAloha Tenor gloss is about as good as a build can get. Quite nice except for a somewhat loose tuner. Plays great & sounds great.

The sound of the Opio was very good. Bright, open and crisp. But I didn't like the finish. I'm sure it was fine for someone else.

That's the only one that I was underwhelmed by. And a couple I was pleasantly surprised by how good they were.

The thing that I love is that every single uke I have owned (around 15, all but one, tenors) has had a distinct sound and feel to it. Some suited me better than others. Some I outgrew. Others I'm growing into. Their capabilities being greater than mine.

SandChannel said:

I would gather that my Kamaka is more unimpressed with me than I am with it.

Click to expand...

SandChannel has just won the thread. Well done!

Not that it was a bad instrument or anything.. but I had a Pono Nui which wasn't as BIG on sound as I expected.
Sorta like a dull baritone/unimpressive guitar.

Definitely not a bad sounding instrument... just a bit underwhelming than I expected.
So I ended up letting it go by selling it.

Given the choice now, I'd definitely pick a good quality Baritone (eg: Pono) or an actual Classical guitar instead.

I didn’t buy this Uke, but, just today as I was looking at many Ukuleles at a music store. I played a $650 Kamoa uke with one of their pickups. I would have bought the Kala Kiwi at, at 145, they had instead!

Love my Kamaka but if I didn't already own it I would have a hard time justifying the UK price which includes VAT (sales tax of 20%). I have a love / hate relationship with a Kanilea Concert sounds amazing but I don't find it easy to play easy to play (internet buyer). I'm reluctant to part with it - but it really doesn't suit me. So not a good buy. On the other hand I don't think it cost too much, my responsibilities are met to pets family tax national insurance. My indulgence is my own at any price!

I have a late 40ish Martin Style 3 that I'm not all that fond of - it is my most expensive uke...

I'm answering the question literally; I'm lucky that the most expensive ukulele that was unworthy of its price wasn't all that expensive. During one of its periodic channel-clearing exercises, Lanakai put a now-obsolete model, a solid mahogany tenor the LM-T on sale. I ordered it and found that even with an attractive appearance: gold tuners, figured top and back, wood binding and rosette, its playability issues and tone were unacceptable even at the reduced price of (about) $145. The nut was not properly trimmed and interfered with the left hand's playing. The action was high. The U.S. distributor wouldn't repair it and sent it back untouched. A local guitar shop fixed it. I then went on a string quest and ended up with a SouthCoast low tension linear set with a plain fourth string. I now have a it in playable condition, getting a good tone. I use it exclusively for jazz and bossa arrangements (Glenn Rose, etc.) and I like it for that. Still overall, for the trouble I'd like to have paid less. I remain a Lanakai fan and have a lam mahogany tenor, tuned re-entrant that I like better.

I have three high-end ukes.
I paid close to $1000 for a koa tenor G-String the day I got home from Iraq as my first uke. I didnt even know how to play yet. But I loved the sweetness of the sound. I liked it so much that I bought a second directly from the maker that was much nicer for the same price. (he had made it for a professional player but kept it due to a tiny flaw). I had nothing to compare them to at first, but now that I own several more and have played dozens that I have restrung for friends, I a can truly appreciate that these instruments were worth every cent. The finishes have not held up well over the past 11 years, so I will say that that aspect was sub-par. I've discovered that it's the same with a lot of G-Strings. The instruments have otherwise aged wonderfully and the koa has opened up into a sound that is sweeter than any honey.
My other high-end uke is my Mya Moe reso which I got here second hand. The craftsmanship on this thing is AMAZING. It is just so tight and fine! I definitely see the worth in the price and can't believe it had two owners before me. I love it so much I now have an order in at beansprout for an alto