Your opinion of flat finish?

finkdaddy

finkdaddy

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I'm just curious what peoples opinions are on ukes with a flat finish.
To me, sometimes high gloss finish takes away from the beauty of the wood. In certain lighting conditions, all you see is the reflection of the lights, rather than the beauty of the wood.

I'm in the middle of making a tenor scale uke out of some of the most gorgeous walnut I've ever seen. I'm thinking about puting a flat finish on this one, but I'm wondering if I am making it harder to sell by not putting a gloss finish on it.

So, what are your opinions; flat or gloss?


~Fred
 
What about a middle of the road satin finish? I agree with you that a flat finish shows the wood. I personally don't like a high gloss finish. I have a Cordoba uke that I would call a satin finish and I really like that. A walnut uke....I'd like to see pics of that when you are done. Best of luck on whatever you decide to do!
 
I love flat/matte finishes. My Martin guitar, my custom uke, and even my cheapo throw around Makala tenor all have matte finishes. I agree about the gloss taking away from the beauty.
 
I could not agree more finkdaddy!!! The more gloss the worse for me. I love a clean matt or light satin finish where all you see is the beautiful wood...not your own reflection. I stay clear of shiny gloss and blingy inlays.
 
Thanks, guys!
That is very encouraging. I believe I will definately try a matte finish on this uke and I promise I'll post it up when it's finished.
 
I agree that a gloss finish can be distracting, but it sure is beautiful on Tamara's Kamaka. I have a Kala that's a matte finish, and it's nothing to look at, but my Kala that has a satin (what painters call semi-gloss) that I like much, much better. The satin shows off the mahogany, and gives just the right amount of bling to my uke. Gloss finishes show everything, fingerprints, french fry grease, cat's pawprints, you name it!
 
I"ll throw a little kink into this thread. I personally like a glossy finish and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I feel that the gloss brings and as well enhances the grain pattern of the wood...and again that is just my opinion. For whatever reason, I have always had a bit of buyers remorse whenever I've spend $ on a ukulele costing over $1k. That being said, I do have a Compass Rose as well as a Koolau both tenors that are in the satin finish. AND they sound great.
 
What's the difference between Flat, Matte, Satin, Semi-Gloss, and Gloss finishes? Is there a term for finishes that feel like smooth plastic vs. textured? Sorry if off-topic.
 
Just a couple of thought:

1. Might you test the various finishes you are considering on some scraps of the walnut to get an idea of how they will appear?

2. If you start with a gloss finish and don't like it, you can always rub it out.
 
With playing, all non-gloss ukes get glossy spots. So, I prefer to start out glossy.

My first nice uke was a glossy Kanile'a. Gloss has been my favorite ever since.
 
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Make what you consider to be a gorgeous, classy looking uke, according to your standards, and it will sell.
 
I've got some gloss ukes and some non-gloss. The gloss ukes are gorgeous but have two drawbacks - they show every fingerprint and minute scratch and it is difficult to restore the finish if you ding it. Okay, three drawbacks; when you ding it the damage is much more obvious.

Since I play my ukes more than I look at them, and I know that they will eventually get dinged in the course of using them, I prefer a satin finish but gloss isn't a deal breaker.

John
 
I like the sun and moon set of ukuleles on your link. The finish seems perfect. As others have said, each piece seems to have its own personality and likely the finish contributes to that perception.
 
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For me it depends on the wood. If the wood is highly figured, like my Kala acacia tenor, I like a nice gloss to bring out the flame in the grain. If it's mahogany and not as figured, I prefer the satin look. I also prefer the satin finish as far as feel goes, but will put up with gloss to bring out the grain in the right wood.
 
No preference for me. I was proud when I first strummed through my Kamaka HF-1's gloss finish, though. My goal is to eventually rub through the finish on the back of the neck.
 
I choose 'ukulele by sound, not finish. I'm finding that high gloss is harder for me to play because my thumb gets no traction on the neck. The upside of satin is that it "shows the love" of being played. If I ever get a custom I'll listen to the builder's preference but my bias is toward satin finish.
 
I like the matte finish too. I have a Weber mandolin I had made in 1999 with a matte finish and it seem to sound better all the time. With that said, I had a Boat paddle kayak uke made with a matte finish that I love too. Not a big fan of gloss.
 
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