"Few ukes have them" is not any proof that truss rods are not a wise additional protection.We've recently had the truss rod discussion. To summarize:
-sometimes they help
-a few ukes have them
-most do not, including many very expensive brands and customs ... ...
There was a time when "few " Florida homes had hurricane clips on their roofs, and few Missouri residents were concerned when they bought lower priced housing in flood zones, and few people wanted air bags in their cars, and few motorcyclists wore helmets, and so on.
Although ukulele neck problems may be somewhat rare, the fact that it is relatively inexpensive to add a truss rod at build-time is proven by the fact that many lower priced Sino-sourced ukes already come with truss rods. Adding a truss rod will NOT prohibitively increase costs, so why are they seldom added -- even by the "expensive" brands?
The fact that expensive brands lack truss rods proves only 3 things:
(1) Those makers want to cut expenses whenever they can get away with it.
(2) Those makers CAN "get away with it" because truss rods are seldom needed -- UNLESS a buyer, who is willing to pay that much for a uke, is also savvy enough to recognize the need for periodic precise adjustments of the relief to meet changes in the uke because of humidity, aging of the wood, handling, etc.
(3) Buyers look at the uke & see whichever "K" brand name is on the headstock, and tell themselves, "This outfit is one of THE best uke makers so they know best as to whether a truss rod is or isn't needed. (Right, and Cadillacs are the best American-made car because they cost the most. )
Okay, kick me, punch me, call me dirty names -- but I honestly feel that any tenor or larger uke costing more than, say, $300, should have a 2-way truss rod, as do the Ponos & many of the Kalas.
I again call attention to THIS video by a professional luthier.
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