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All feedback (73)
- rogo (2769)- Feedback left by buyer.Past yearVerified purchaseExcellent Contact & Payment, AAA+
- thinnestman (3018)- Feedback left by buyer.More than a year agoVerified purchaseQuick response and fast payment. Perfect! THANKS!!
- shook2003 (661)- Feedback left by buyer.More than a year agoVerified purchaseFast Payment! Great buyer!
Reviews (4)
Nov 07, 2015
You Do Get What You Pay For
A friend and I have now bought several of these "Gambler Special" bari ukes. As the seller clearly states they are "as is" items and some may have flaws. When it comes to musical instruments cosmetic flaws can often be ignored if the instrument plays acceptably; that is if it has both reasonable tone and playability. There isn't a Strad, Amati or Guaneri in the world that's in mint cosmetic condition but most are cream of the crop among violin players. The first uke we ordered had only a relatively minor collection of cosmetic flaws none of which impaired either its tone--which is reasonably good for an instrument at this price--nor its playability. It suffered only from a poorly shaped neck heel, an incompletely sanded area on the bottom bout and some finish slop on the fingerboard. The second one we ordered sounded just as good but had what could have amounted to a fatal flaw had not I had the tools and skills to repair it. That one had the string nut installed at a significant angle to the end of the fretboard which noticeably effected playing in tune. Placing a capo at the first fret would be a simple work-around for that problem but I chose instead to re-seat the nut correctly rather than having to keep a capo in place all the time. That instrument also had a poorly shaped heel, some final sanding carelessness and finish runs around the fret ends but once the nut problem was solved it was as playable as the first one. The only other quibble I would have is with the out-of-the-box set up. The strings could be spaced slightly wider at the bridge saddle…also a simple correction with a few common hand tools. All that said this is a pretty good deal if one is looking for a first instrument. It may be particularly economical for a parent with a young child who wants to play guitar. Tuned like the first four standard guitar strings chords learned here translate directly to its larger cousin with the addition of any notes on the other two strings. The nylon strings are easier on young fingers than steel. And at this price it isn't such a precious item that one would be hesitant to let a child experiment with it. In fact that is exactly what my pal is doing. His Gambler Specials are being used in his elementary school classroom music program. We haven't gotten a real dog GS yet. But if you order one be prepared for the possibility that it may need some thoughtful & careful tinkering before it is 100% playable.
Jul 18, 2017
Compact & Stable Stand for Small Instruments
It has been a challenge for me to find economical, stable stands for small, relatively heavy instruments like banjo-mandolins that will also fold compactly. This one fills the bill--so far--I've only had occasion to use it twice. Looks like it will also work well for lighter instruments like mandolins, ukes and banjo ukes. I have another Hercules stand that folds down even more compactly but it has only a single heavily padded support that hits the mid-line of an instrument's back. If the instrument is knocked even slightly off center of this supporting member it will--reliably--fall off that stand. This design is bulkier overall when folded but seems a better option with its splayed and forked back support. Still a little larger than I'd like when folded but a step in the right direction at this price.
Feb 02, 2016
Exactly as described
I always appreciate speedy processing and delivery