This is a ‘new’ uke, except that I purchased it in October 2022. After getting it in, I discovered some issues and it has sat in my ‘elephant’s graveyard’ area. This is a stand with numerous ukes on it that were causing me problems. Sometimes these are slow to resolve so, with an order for a uke, it’s quicker to get a new, problem-free one from the shelf.

Anyway… I pass this area every single day and the ukes there look at me. I perhaps spend too long on my own, as I feel like they’re like those adverts for Battersea Dog’s Home, with the doleful eyes of pups that are waiting for a new owner. Which is, of course, silly. Really, I should be more concerned that a) I’ve paid for this stuff long ago and b) If I would just admit defeat and actually send something back once in a while, I wouldn’t have them (but would have my money back).

But no… nonsensically I don’t like to return things. I just wait for a day when I have time to sort them. Today was that day for this KA-KTGE-C, a laminate koa tenor electro tenor, which was buzzing.

I started by putting a new set of aNueNue Clear Water fluorocarbon strings on. I then levelled the 3rd, 6th and 9th frets, which were high. I then replaced the battery compartment, which was defective and vibrating (cannibalising another from the elephant’s graveyard). Now it’s good! But… there’s some tarnishing on one of the tuners. This is smooth still, but tarnished. It looks really bad in the macro photo but the key thing is it’s not rough.

So here I am, with a two year old uke, where I’ve spend a couple of hours all in, plus a new set of strings, for an instrument I have paid for and could have returned two years ago. All to sell it to someone for less than I bought it for. And you know what, it feels GOOD! What would have happened to it? Put in a skip? Instead, it’s a nice, bright sounding uke that’s nice to play and sounds good acoustically and through an amp. It’ll get a new home. It’ll have only cost me about £60 and 2 hours time to achieve this. YES! I am great at business! (Yes, I am being sarcastic!)

For a bit more ino on this uke, you can check out the page for a new one elsewhere on my website. To do that, click here.