guitharsis
Well-known member
Nice review of a beautiful instrument. Enjoy!
KoAloha Tenor Sceptre Review
- Thread starter haolejohn
- Start date
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haolejohn
Well-known member
New they are around $1200 but they no longer come with crown bridge. Koaloha has the price on their website. Used??? It depends.
Since they don't make that many, it'll fetch more than other ukes. Also, due to customs, people outside U.S. can drive up the prices.
Thanks John, I just made an offer on one and was hoping it wasn't overpriced and he said he would except it an I'm still waiting to hear back from him from him so I can paypal him. I guess I need to make sure it comes with a crown bridge. Thanks for your help. Mark
The one I'm looking at has a different bridge on it then this on this site. It has spikes on the side but none on the bottom end like this one. Could you tell me if this could be a deal breaker for me and are the ones that don't have the crown bridge frowned upon? If you need to know the price I offered I can tell you to see if it's a good buy on my part. Thanks for your help John.
Hey John, I also noticed to that another one I saw on here has a plain ebony bridge with no spikes and this one has the spikes on the bottom of the bridge and the one I placed an offer on does hve spikes on the sides of the bridge and not on the bottom like yours but is definitely not like the one with the plain bridge. Could you let me know soon as I'm goig to have to make a decision soon. Thanks. Mark.
You are looking at a newer one as the older ones including tenors, etc. had a crown bridge. they stopped making it like that as it was more time consuming.
Thanks. So I'm guessing the crown bridge was first and then the bridge with the spikes like the one I'm looking at and then the plain ebony ones. I don't know if that's the right order or not. Are the bridges with the spikes on the sides desirable at all?I know not like the crown but maybe more so then the kinda plain ebony bridge? I'm sorry that I'm asking so many questions and also appear to have hijacked this post. I just thought it would be okay to ask them here since it was about sceptre and I figured all you guys on here new all about these things and I don't know crap. Thanks for all you help.
It's in the eye of the beholder as it's purely asthetics but the crown bridge are pretty desireable because it's difft than anything else and it's no longer made so the number of them circulating is less as people keep their ukes. I have never seen plain ebony bridges as even the new ones on the site has the little crowns on the side. I believe the bowtie bridge is for the normal tenors and I think they are made of rosewood but I could be wrong. Good luck as I have the tenor and the sceptre and they both serve it's purpose and produce a difft sound
3nails4holes
Well-known member
just fyi...
koaloha does sell factory specials (seconds) direct from them. here's a list of what brian was offering months ago and i would imagine you might be blessed enough to snag a sceptre if you are patient:
Soprano $380
Soprano pineapple $380
Pikake Soprano $365
Pikake Concery $515
Concert $545
Super Concert $650
D-VI tenor $825
Pineapple Sunday $1,200
Sceptre Tenor $825
Sceptre concert $600
he said they could negotiate on a case and s&h w/ ins is extra. factory seconds from them might have obvious flaws, but you might again be blessed to find something that only a koaloha luthier would see and be bugged enough to offer it as a 2nd.
happy hunting!
koaloha does sell factory specials (seconds) direct from them. here's a list of what brian was offering months ago and i would imagine you might be blessed enough to snag a sceptre if you are patient:
Soprano $380
Soprano pineapple $380
Pikake Soprano $365
Pikake Concery $515
Concert $545
Super Concert $650
D-VI tenor $825
Pineapple Sunday $1,200
Sceptre Tenor $825
Sceptre concert $600
he said they could negotiate on a case and s&h w/ ins is extra. factory seconds from them might have obvious flaws, but you might again be blessed to find something that only a koaloha luthier would see and be bugged enough to offer it as a 2nd.
happy hunting!
3nails4holes
Well-known member
http://www.koaloha.com/category/factory_specials/
that's the link for the page they've never updated. but if you drop them an email and ask for pics & info, i'm sure they'd be willing to oblige.
that's the link for the page they've never updated. but if you drop them an email and ask for pics & info, i'm sure they'd be willing to oblige.
Where's the regular tenor factory second price. Ssshhh!! You are going to make it difficult for me to get a factory second now!! lol
I wouldn't mind a pineapple 2nd new for $1200 as long as it's just a minor flaw. This one I'm offered is $820 and fre shipping in mint condition with soft padded case. I just got an email back from him I should know In a little if I get it or not. Wish me luck.
Seems like it's about the right price as you will spend a little money on a new case. I've commented in the past about cases in your other replys so don't need to address again. If I had to choose one, I would keep my Sceptre over my Koaloha Tenor as there are many tenors out there but only one SCEPTRE!!
As much as there are factory seconds, it's not like they have a bunch out there and many are accounted for in advance. I've purchased two in the past and one had some excess glue on the bridge (wouldn't have noticed if not pointed out and my Kamaka Concert Retail had more glue showing overall) and another had a small ding on the back, which is noticeable but who looks at the back? Even if you hang your uke for display, you always showing the front. There's something about being the first owner (even if it's a factory second) and putting the first strum marks. Either way, can't go wrong...it's a matter of how long you want to wait. Good luck
As much as there are factory seconds, it's not like they have a bunch out there and many are accounted for in advance. I've purchased two in the past and one had some excess glue on the bridge (wouldn't have noticed if not pointed out and my Kamaka Concert Retail had more glue showing overall) and another had a small ding on the back, which is noticeable but who looks at the back? Even if you hang your uke for display, you always showing the front. There's something about being the first owner (even if it's a factory second) and putting the first strum marks. Either way, can't go wrong...it's a matter of how long you want to wait. Good luck
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