So I just chipped off a piece of my Kanile'a's headstock...

My absolute worst story had a near mint vintage aero uke and had forgotten i left it on my bed came home late walked into dark bedroom and flung myself on the bed.....cruuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnch need i say more

my wife dropped her 1920s vintage saxophone from waist height onto a hardwood stage, and i bought myself a brand new acoustic guitar once that was pretty expensive and 3 days after i bought it i knocked it over and snapped off a tuning peg as the headstock smashed into a stone fireplace.

and my 1976 12 string looks like it's been through a war zone.

Sorry about the chip on your uke. I would feel exactly the same as you. However, as I think about it, in time you may come to love that little chip as it is a direct link to the time together with your grandmother. Your time with her sounds very special and your uke will always carry a reminder of what is really important in life......time with special people in our lives!

I agree with the suggestion to bring it to Kanile'a and see what they can do. If you still have the chip, maybe they can glue it back on and re-do the finish so It's not so noticeable.

You're lucky to live so close to the makers of that gorgeous instrument.

Thanks for the kind words guys, really makes me feel better! Unfortunately I have no idea where the little chip of wood went so I don't think anything can really be done about the damage. But i'm pretty much okay with it now so it's all good No Kamaka tenor for me today though, I went to PuaPua and they were all sold out. Checked Bob's Ukulele in Royal Hawaiian shopping center and they had one but the 3rd string buzzed like crazy so I didn't buy it lol. Hopefully soon though!

ItsAMeCasey said:

Thanks for the kind words guys, really makes me feel better! Unfortunately I have no idea where the little chip of wood went so I don't think anything can really be done about the damage. But i'm pretty much okay with it now so it's all good No Kamaka tenor for me today though, I went to PuaPua and they were all sold out. Checked Bob's Ukulele in Royal Hawaiian shopping center and they had one but the 3rd string buzzed like crazy so I didn't buy it lol. Hopefully soon though!

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ARE YOU GONNA LET THE KANILE'A GO?? sorry. I've calmed myself down. Heh.

Lexxy said:

ARE YOU GONNA LET THE KANILE'A GO?? sorry. I've calmed myself down. Heh.

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lol no i'm still gonna keep the Kanile'a. I just woke up one day and thought to myself, "damn, I want a Kamaka tenor." I have enough money saved up so I figured why the heck not, and made the decision to start looking to buy one. The Kanile'a holds a special place in my heart

Casey,

I have a Kamaka soprano. When I was about seven or eight (over 40 years ago) my folks had bought it for me--like most kids in Hawaii those days we took uke lessons. My dad engraved my name on the side of the headstock. A couple of years ago I took it into Kamaka to have it refinished and repaired since the top was separating. When I got it back they had sanded down the side of the headstock and the engraved name was gone! I was bummed since it was a reminder of my dad who had passed away in 2000. I never imagined they would sand it off. Of course, its worth more to another person without the engraved name (the "engraving" was made with the edge of a chisel so its not like it was this nice laser engraved font) but it is worth a LOT less to me.

Perhaps, in time, that chip in your headstock will bring you fond memories of playing with your grandma. And, if you ever take you Kanile'a in to have it refinished, make sure they do not fill it in!

Moore Bettah Ukuleles said:

Nothing discourages me more than to see one of my ukes that's a couple of years old yet it still looks like new. It's a normal reaction to freak when your new baby gets it's first scratch but normal wear and tear only means it has character and lots of stories to tell. And after all, playing the ukulele is just telling your story.

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Thank you, Chuck! I totally agree.

Also, finish touch-up and cosmetic repairs like this are among the most difficult lutherie tasks you can take on. It can be incredibly maddening and difficult to blend wood and finishes, and it takes forever, and it takes years to learn how to do this kind of work well. What is really easy is making the problem look worse.

RyanMFT said:

Sorry about the chip on your uke. I would feel exactly the same as you. However, as I think about it, in time you may come to love that little chip as it is a direct link to the time together with your grandmother. Your time with her sounds very special and your uke will always carry a reminder of what is really important in life......time with special people in our lives!

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Best answer yet. Gave me goosebumps. Besides there are few things sadder than seeing a vintage interment that looks like it was never played.

I take pretty good care of my instruments but I don't cry when my favorites pick up little bits of "road rash." It just shows that they're my favorites and they're getting used. I accidentally dropped my custom-built-for-me SG guitar when I was returning it to the case about a week after I got it. Yep, chip in the paint on the back where it hit the metal rim of the hard case. I just figured it was nice that it wasn't on the front...

I flat won't own an instrument that is too nice to take to a gig - at least an indoor gig. After much agonizing I left my "road uke" home and took the KoAloha longneck to UWC. I just made sure I pulled my car up under the trees so when the uke was in the car it wouldn't self destruct from the heat.

When I got my ukes home I had to wipe them down and wax them from all the sweat and skin oils they'd picked up at UWC, but there wasn't any permanent damage.

John

Moore Bettah Ukuleles said:

Nothing discourages me more than to see one of my ukes that's a couple of years old yet it still looks like new. It's a normal reaction to freak when your new baby gets it's first scratch but normal wear and tear only means it has character and lots of stories to tell. And after all, playing the ukulele is just telling your story.

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That is what I'm saying. Instruments are meant to be played, not kept in a case. When I hand down my ukes to my kids when I die, I want them to look like Dad played them, not like they just came off the rack at puapua.

The first ding is always the worst. I wanted to cry when I got the first ding in my guitar. Now I still get a little upset but I don't want to throw up...as much...