Moore Bettah Auction

Status
Not open for further replies.
I suppose we have all drunk from the ukulele kool aid to some extent otherwise we wouldn't be on this forum but let's retain a little sanity. What to some can look like 'amazing art' to others looks like a sneeze on a piece of wood. I also wonder sometimes if people see the price tag first and only then claim a maker to be 'pre-eminent' they way they do with silly cars and designer furniture - 'well it must be good if it costs that much'. If these were $1000 I think the reverence would be entirely absent.
It is easy to reproduce sneeze on a piece of wood.. if it was easy to reproduce top notch work then there are many who would have done so, to earn a quick buck.. and it would not have been called top notch..
In case you are wondering how price for a hand made uke gets decided, it is directly correlated to the number of hours it takes to make one and the quality/desirability of the wood/workmanship. That uke was not a weekend job.. and certainly not a job that can be done by a YouTube luthier or someone without passion.

also, I suffer from UAS and have over 20 ukes.. some ukes sound better.. some ukes look better but very few get both perfect.
Disclaimer: I own a couple of MBU and I play and enjoy them, they sound as good as they look.

One final note, the price of something is what some one is willing to pay, an auction is by far the most transparent means to judge current market value.
 
Look you obviously sincerely believe the price this fetched is justified and then some. As an owner you also have a vested interest in seeing these sell for a lot. I think they are hugely overpriced. Nice instruments when stripped of the decals but no better than any other custom uke at a fraction of the price. As my wife would say with a shrug, 'its like this only!'
 
This debate seems to come up every time there's a Moore Bettah auction. Let's reframe it a bit. There are beautiful, one of a kind paintings that sell for hundreds of millions of dollars at auction. There are also beautiful paintings that sell for under $100.

What's the difference between the two? The quality of the canvas? The quality of the paint used? Not really. It's the rarity of the piece and the reputation of the creator. That's how art works.

We will never agree on what art is worth, so why do we always have this debate.

As long as the buyer's happy, I'm happy for him or her, even if I think they're a bit crazy, which in this case I don't.
 
This debate seems to come up every time there's a Moore Bettah auction. Let's reframe it a bit. There are beautiful, one of a kind paintings that sell for hundreds of millions of dollars at auction. There are also beautiful paintings that sell for under $100.

What's the difference between the two? The quality of the canvas? The quality of the paint used? Not really. It's the rarity of the piece and the reputation of the creator. That's how art works.

We will never agree on what art is worth, so why do we always have this debate.

As long as the buyer's happy, I'm happy for him or her, even if I think they're a bit crazy, which in this case I don't.
Well said!
 
Look you obviously sincerely believe the price this fetched is justified and then some. As an owner you also have a vested interest in seeing these sell for a lot. I think they are hugely overpriced. Nice instruments when stripped of the decals but no better than any other custom uke at a fraction of the price. As my wife would say with a shrug, 'its like this only!'
Purely for educational purpose please do look up the difference between decals and inlays, not sure if you are trolling but many show up in this forum to learn more (I certainly did start from scratch here). Scrimshaw art is a thing, printing and pasting decals is a thing as well but they are no where close to each other..
 
Last edited:
Speakings of looking things up, scrimshaw art is typically done by sailors (particularly whalers) but maybe it's making a comeback. I personally wouldn't want it on a ukulele but I am but one voice here it seems.
 
This debate seems to come up every time there's a Moore Bettah auction. Let's reframe it a bit. There are beautiful, one of a kind paintings that sell for hundreds of millions of dollars at auction. There are also beautiful paintings that sell for under $100.

What's the difference between the two? The quality of the canvas? The quality of the paint used? Not really. It's the rarity of the piece and the reputation of the creator. That's how art works.

We will never agree on what art is worth, so why do we always have this debate.

As long as the buyer's happy, I'm happy for him or her, even if I think they're a bit crazy, which in this case I don't.

I do hope you realise that pretty much since Michelangelo art dealers have been manipulating the market and making artists famous. Art history is not populated by the best artists in history but those who have had the best representation. Dealers regularly put works by their own artists into auction then buy them back at hugely inflated prices and rich collectors who later build museums say 'I must have one of those. If they are that expensive they must be an important artist'. That I am afraid is how 'art works'.
 
I do hope you realise that pretty much since Michelangelo art dealers have been manipulating the market and making artists famous. Art history is not populated by the best artists in history but those who have had the best representation. Dealers regularly put works by their own artists into auction then buy them back at hugely inflated prices and rich collectors who later build museums say 'I must have one of those. If they are that expensive they must be an important artist'. That I am afraid is how 'art works'.
At this point you are making arguments without much substance, I guess your user id indicates your intent to counter point of view one way or the other, I guess trolling is the right word.
I get it you would not buy a uke for 12k, I guess it is great that you are not the one bidding.
Not sure if you want to change opinions but looks like no has.
It is fine that you do not like it and do not want to buy it, but belittling others opinion or claiming that it is fictional and made up by manipulation is wrong. Go check the luthier section in this forum for what his peers think of him. If you can find another luthier who can do comparable work single handed for a uke that sounds that good, ask him/her their rates, maybe you will strike gold.. but I doubt the prices will be any different. Eric Devine’s ukes that have comparable “bling” go for about the same.
I guess if some one wants to troll they will..
 
Last edited:
I don't have a Moore Bettah, and don't expect to ever own one.

I have a ukulele that is luthier made, and is a dream to play, as well as lovely to look at. I don't expect that many other ukuleles could ever sound as good, (to me.) Just taking it out of its case to play makes the day a great day.

But the Moore Bettahs, to me, are usually the best sounding ukuleles I've ever heard, (over the internet - I've never heard one in person.)
I'm not a fan of lots inlay, but I do appreciate the time, skill, and artistry that goes into it.

The winner of the auction got a one-of-a-kind ukulele that was made by a master builder. Only they can decide if it was worth the price to them, but if they can afford it and the ukulele will bring them happiness, it's priceless.
 
I do hope you realise that pretty much since Michelangelo art dealers have been manipulating the market and making artists famous. Art history is not populated by the best artists in history but those who have had the best representation. Dealers regularly put works by their own artists into auction then buy them back at hugely inflated prices and rich collectors who later build museums say 'I must have one of those. If they are that expensive they must be an important artist'. That I am afraid is how 'art works'.

Aaaaaaand, you completely missed my point. I tried. :wallbash:

Ok, coming back to add to this because I don't want to belittle. Leaving the original reply because I think it's false to remove my original comment.

All I ask is that you go back and look at the point I was trying to make. I completely respect your opinion that it's not worth that much money to you, and you may feel that it shouldn't be worth that much to anybody, but that doesn't change the fact that some will disagree. You'll never change their opinion, and they'll never change yours.

All I'm saying is that's ok. Debate is cool. Debating in a way that's insulting? Let's leave that to the politicians.
 
Last edited:
At this point you are making arguments without much substance, I guess your user id indicates your intent to counter point of view one way or the other, I guess trolling is the right word.
I get it you would not buy a uke for 12k, I guess it is great that you are not the one bidding.
Not sure if you want to change opinions but looks like no has.
It is fine that you do not like it and do not want to buy it, but belittling others opinion or claiming that it is fictional and made up by manipulation is wrong. Go check the luthier section in this forum for what his peers think of him. If you can find another luthier who can do comparable work single handed for a uke that sounds that good, ask him/her their rates, maybe you will strike gold.. but I doubt the prices will be any different. Eric Devine’s ukes that have comparable “bling” go for about the same.
I guess if some one wants to troll they will..

You are taking this very personlly kerneltime. There is no need. Calling me a troll is akin to me calling you a fanboy. Let's not go there.
 
Aaaaaaand, you completely missed my point. I tried. :wallbash:

Ok, coming back to add to this because I don't want to belittle. Leaving the original reply because I think it's false to remove my original comment.

All I ask is that you go back and look at the point I was trying to make. I completely respect your opinion that it's not worth that much money to you, and you may feel that it shouldn't be worth that much to anybody, but that doesn't change the fact that some will disagree. You'll never change their opinion, and they'll never change yours.

All I'm saying is that's ok. Debate is cool. Debating in a way that's insulting? Let's leave that to the politicians.


The point I was making is that the collectors market is skewed. How is that insulting?
 
You can get 400 $30 ukes for $12,000, that would probably get you an example of most U30s produced since the late 1990s. Just imagine your amazing Mahalo collection. Then you would be able to avoid forking out for those expensive K brands. Why would you bother even thinking about a few K brand ukes when you can pick up 400 vintage Mahalos for a similar price or less?

Because a K brand is a huge improvement over a Mahalo. I don't think an MB is anywhere near as huge an improvement over a K brand, particularly not a custom K brand.
 
The point I was making is that the collectors market is skewed. How is that insulting?

You're question only focuses on one of my posts when my comment about not being insulting was regarding a series of posts, so I'll address your question from that perspective.

For what it's worth, I'm not insulted, personally. Forum posts don't effect my emotions one way or another. However, you have insulted the builder. To insinuate that the time, effort, and lifelong dedication it requires to develop the skill and precision necessary to create the inlay on this uke results in something that looks like nothing more than a sneeze on wood, is crass and disingenuous. It's also insulting to those that revere the goddess Laka, and before you say you weren't necessarily talking about this particular uke, it doesn't matter. The insinuation is clear.

You also allude to that possibility that people are only attracted to Chuck's ukes because of the name and high price tag. "Well it must be good if it costs that much." That's insulting on many levels to those that have paid their hard earned money for one of Chuck's, or many other high end builder's ukes. How exactly do you think he got that name and high price tag? It's a reputation that's been earned over decades of work. "People are rewarded in public for what they practice for years in private." - Tony Robbins. How many years do you think he worked at perfecting his crafts, not just building ukuleles but world class skrimshawing and inlay working as well, while making a pittance until he got it right and got recognized?

You can not like it. You can say that it's not your style. It's not mine either. You can say that you would never spend that kind of money on an ukulele. That's fine, too, but your tone throughout this thread has been condescending and demeaning. I don't believe that's actually your intent, but I promise you that is the effect. There is also what appears to be an ongoing and purposeful ignoring of the actual intent of other's posts simply to gain the upper hand and get the last word. To be fair, some have responded in kind, which never helps.

Maybe I'm wrong. I often am.

Full disclosure, I happen to own a Moore Bettah, one which I got new, directly from Chuck for less than many custom K brand instruments. It doesn't have any inlay. It's just a beautifully made, splendid sounding, one of a kind instrument.

I won't be posting further to this thread. I simply wanted to answer your question in an honest, straightforward way. No hard feelings on my end. Hopefully none on yours either.

Now, I'm going to go play some music.

Mele Kalikimaka a Aloha.
 
You can buy a Moore Bettah tenor ukulele for considerably less than $12K—if you check his site at the right time when he is offering some spec instruments. They are much simpler in build and bling. From what I understand they are comparable in sound to his highest end custom ukuleles.

You can buy one of his custom-designed ukuleles with inlay and scrimshaw art work for a six-figured price. It is one of a kind. Never to be repeated. Unique piece of art. Much like a genuine custom Tiffany lamp. Or a real Chippendale chair. A Frank Lloyd Wright stained glass window. Or a hand-carved custom desk. They are all made by artisans who happen to work in different mediums than a painter or a sculptor. But that does not mean their art is any less important that more traditional forms of art.

Chuck Moore happens to have perfected his craft of building what are widely regarded as some of the best sounding and playing ukulele instruments in the world. He has combined this craft with creating wonderful one-of-a-kind inlay and scrimshaw art that takes the design of the instrument to a completely new level. If you like it and have the money, it is worth the price to own one of his masterpieces. (He no longer accepts commissioned instruments, but only makes what he wants to create and express himself.)

There will only be a limited number of Morre Bettah ukuleles ever produced. Rarity and demand are some of the factors in determining the prices they are sold for. Not just dealers manipulating the market.

If you are a guitar player you know that the price is not shocking for a top-quality guitar from a famous maker's factory.

I most likely will never own a Moore Bettah ukulele. At least not one of his amazing inlayed pieces. Whilst I admire them for the design and skill they took to create, they don't appeal to my personal taste. I might eventually acquire one of his "plainer" instruments if the stars align and the investment markets skyrocket. And I would feel honored if it came to pass.

In the meantime I will continue to admire his work and enjoy hearing the recordings made on them. It's all in the eyes and ears of the beholder.
 
Last edited:
Putting my reluctance to comment in-depth on this thread aside, I would simply like to say: If you never have had the opportunity to hold and play an MBU, then you can not fully comprehend its excellence.
 
Last edited:
Putting my reluctance to comment in-depth on this thread aside, I would simply like to say: If you never have had the opportunity to hold and play an MBU, then you can not fully comprehend its excellence.
Very true! I discovered MBU when I bought an amazing uke from someone who was downsizing.. when I asked why, the response was along the lines that the person does not play other ukes as MBU is the preferred one.. I was lucky enough to be able to get one from Chuck and it holds a special place in my heart for many deep reasons that I do not wish to discuss here..
As for the claim that I do this to defend my decision to spend money, my MBU is a small fraction of the total money I have spent on ukes.. and an even smaller one considering the ukes in the pipeline.. this is not about money.. my 2 mint condition vintage 1920s Martin series 3 and 3k would fetch me ballpark the same as what I paid for a MBU. I have no desire to defend Martin when someone demeans vintage martins. For many of us MBU holds a special place because of what they are and not because of the money spent on it..
Also, I have no desire to sell them, so what they are worth in the market is meaningless to me while I am alive. I hope my kids value them the same but that is their decision.
 
Last edited:
I do hope you realise that pretty much since Michelangelo art dealers have been manipulating the market and making artists famous. Art history is not populated by the best artists in history but those who have had the best representation. Dealers regularly put works by their own artists into auction then buy them back at hugely inflated prices and rich collectors who later build museums say 'I must have one of those. If they are that expensive they must be an important artist'. That I am afraid is how 'art works'.

This is an instrument with art or craft handiwork, (depending on your outlook), attached. When you take into account the 60+ hours it took to build, it went for around $200 an hour, which many tradesmen of average skill get in different fields. Since a retailer was involved, he gets less and you pay more. Which part of $200 an hour for a lifetime of hard learned skill going into this instrument is outlandish?
 
Lots of things out there cost a lot of money. Just because one doesn't have the money to buy them doesn't mean that people are some how marginalized because they do. If you think they are overpriced, then just don't buy one. I don't see what one expects to gain by disparaging them.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom