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Original Post By:
MrBrown
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Date: 5/9/2008 4:02:18 PM |
I recently saw a koa Oscar Schmidt with abalone at a second hand store. Its neck appeared to be made of two pieces of wood that have been glued together in the middle of the neck. It doesn't appear to be a repair job because the two pieces are not matched. They're only asking $99. Would this be an accident waiting to happen, or could it be a solidly made instrument. I am very suspicious of OS because my 1st uke was a cheaper model of theirs that was just horrible.
Thanks,
Richard |
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Posted By:
Madeira Sailor
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Date: 5/9/2008 5:17:06 PM |
Many instruments are built that way. It conserves wood in the manufacturing process. As far as the price, it depends on which model it is. A new OU5 concert has street price of around $120-150 with a lifetime warranty and the OU6 tenor goes for around $160-200. They are beautiful instruments, with abalone inlay work that you don't find on other brands until you spend considerably more, but as many have noted in this board before, "they can be a lot of show and no go", meaning the sound quality varies significantly from one instrument to another. I carry them in my shop and have had some really good sounding, well playing instruments, but I have also had a few clinkers too. Good strings always help as the GHS they ship with are just OK, but the real test of any instrument is, "does it sound and play well to you." I used to work for Gibson guitar and I can tell you there can be a world of difference between multiple instruments of the same model. The best advice I have is to compare several instruments in that price range if at all possible. I hope this helps.
Chris
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Posted By:
B Flat
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Date: 5/9/2008 5:47:32 PM |
The Oscar Schmidt ukes definitely have their faults (not being very loud and not having a very ukey sound being the big ones) but one thing you definitely cannot accuse them of is being fragile.
I keep one around the house because the quietness is sometimes a virtue and if we ever have a home invasion here I figure I can use it in self-defence.
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