It arrived Friday, and I'm still a little stunned. Speechless. What a ukulele! I ordered it after a long search for a used John S. Kinnard concert (don't even try), since I doubted I could afford a new one. But finally John's associate, Kevin Beddoe, made it almost affordable, and my long-suffering husband did the rest.
What I have is a Series 1 concert, a series you won't see on the Kinnard website but that Kevin tells me can still be ordered. The Series 1 line is much simpler than the others, and less expensive. The simplicity suits me perfectly, since I wanted a very bare and simple look. The only decoration at all is the tiny 3-ring rosette and the black embossed logo on the plain paddle headstock. No binding, no purfling, no nuthin'. All I added in the way of extras was small-dot fretboard markers (side markers are included). Oh, and ebony strap buttons.
The woods are maple (back, sides, neck), cedar (top), and ebony (bridge, radiused fretboard, tail strip). Bone nut (34 mm) and saddle. Nineteen frets, thirteen to the body. All-black Gotoh UPT's. The finish is satin, very smooth and silky to the touch (a pleasure to the hand). The overall effect is extremely clean and elegant, with the unstained blond woods contrasting with the black appointments. The cedar is straight as straight can be--you can see the striations at the end of the uke. That's not binding--it's the cedar top.
As for the sound, I'll just say that I'm not worthy of this instrument, but I'm working on it. The clarity and purity is just what I wanted, and requires only a very light touch to ring out. The uke can be VERY loud. But no matter how it's played, every note is distinct, pure, clear. The sustain is pretty unbelievable, especially on the E and A strings (overtones, overtones!). The uke came with Worth clears and an Oasis smooth wound low G.
All along the way, Kevin sent me pictures of the uke's progress, and in the end he sent a dozen or more pictures of the finished uke, plus pictures of John at work (I'm including one of him here). My new avatar commemorates the new (and probably final!) member of the team.
I placed the order on July 12 and was given a 12-week estimate for arrival. It was done on Sept. 12 (8 weeks later!) and landed on my doorstep on Sept. 15, impeccably packed in a HUGE box (I wondered if I was getting TWO ukuleles). Inside the hard case was a small color brochure with a picture of the uke and my name printed on the front, all the details of the build, care tips, and warranty. Class all the way! And an extra-large polishing cloth with the Kinnard logo. A small touch, but thoughtful and much appreciated.
I'm so lucky! I now own only two ukuleles, this one and my Barron River concert. I wouldn't even attempt to compare them--each is perfect in its own way. I will probably never want another ukulele. I'm where I want to be (except in my playing!).
What I have is a Series 1 concert, a series you won't see on the Kinnard website but that Kevin tells me can still be ordered. The Series 1 line is much simpler than the others, and less expensive. The simplicity suits me perfectly, since I wanted a very bare and simple look. The only decoration at all is the tiny 3-ring rosette and the black embossed logo on the plain paddle headstock. No binding, no purfling, no nuthin'. All I added in the way of extras was small-dot fretboard markers (side markers are included). Oh, and ebony strap buttons.
The woods are maple (back, sides, neck), cedar (top), and ebony (bridge, radiused fretboard, tail strip). Bone nut (34 mm) and saddle. Nineteen frets, thirteen to the body. All-black Gotoh UPT's. The finish is satin, very smooth and silky to the touch (a pleasure to the hand). The overall effect is extremely clean and elegant, with the unstained blond woods contrasting with the black appointments. The cedar is straight as straight can be--you can see the striations at the end of the uke. That's not binding--it's the cedar top.
As for the sound, I'll just say that I'm not worthy of this instrument, but I'm working on it. The clarity and purity is just what I wanted, and requires only a very light touch to ring out. The uke can be VERY loud. But no matter how it's played, every note is distinct, pure, clear. The sustain is pretty unbelievable, especially on the E and A strings (overtones, overtones!). The uke came with Worth clears and an Oasis smooth wound low G.
All along the way, Kevin sent me pictures of the uke's progress, and in the end he sent a dozen or more pictures of the finished uke, plus pictures of John at work (I'm including one of him here). My new avatar commemorates the new (and probably final!) member of the team.
I placed the order on July 12 and was given a 12-week estimate for arrival. It was done on Sept. 12 (8 weeks later!) and landed on my doorstep on Sept. 15, impeccably packed in a HUGE box (I wondered if I was getting TWO ukuleles). Inside the hard case was a small color brochure with a picture of the uke and my name printed on the front, all the details of the build, care tips, and warranty. Class all the way! And an extra-large polishing cloth with the Kinnard logo. A small touch, but thoughtful and much appreciated.
I'm so lucky! I now own only two ukuleles, this one and my Barron River concert. I wouldn't even attempt to compare them--each is perfect in its own way. I will probably never want another ukulele. I'm where I want to be (except in my playing!).
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It may just have lots of lessons secrets for you to find as your skill, playing, and technique develop!
