Quality

I've been wanting another ukulele. It's the funniest thing, but I've seen the phenomenon. It's all giggles and/or wry sneers till you actually play one. Then it sets in. This new tick grips you and you can't shake it. Must. Buy. Ukulele. So. Fun. Happens to the best of us. You play one, you want one.
So, I bought another uke to celebrate the onset of spring and the promise of summer. This time I picked a nice pineapple shaped soprano and began the 3 to 5 day insanely anxious wait for the man in the little brown truck. My uke arrived at the end of one of the worst work-life days in recent memory and instantly salved the wounds. (Seriously, try it. Ukulele. Better than Vicodin) Like a Christmas morning kid all jacked up on sugar coated chocolate bombs I set at the wrapping, sending a steady stream of torn paper to the heavens. I pulled out of the wrapping, however, a little wooden piece of crap. Now, ok...made in China. But come ON. I've seen the birds nest, people. It's not like it's impossible for china to make something worthwhile. My guitar was made in China, and the binding rivals that of a Larrivee. Great craftsmanship. I wouldn't have minded if this was a twenty dollar toy, but this thing took a big, wet bite out of seventy bucks. I played it for a bit trying to like it, and failing this put it down and went off to a corner to grouse, arms akimbo. A few days passed and I'd as good as given up trying to accept it as a real uke when something occurred to me. This things finish looks like it was finger painted by my 3 year old son, but its solid wood. The action is horrible but the nut and bridge are made of Nubone. The name on the headstock and sound hole rosette are decals, but removable. I can fix this thing myself. I got out the toolbox and started to work late at night. Sand. File. Sand. Tweak. I took the finish down to the wood with the intention of re-staining it myself, but halfway done, decided it looked pretty good all antiqued. I filed down the nut and bridge and filed in the intonation. Within an hour the thing was not only perfectly tweaked, playing like a dream but the wood looked great and actually sounded more full. This got me really frustrated, because if I could whip this thing into shape in less than an hour, why didn't the company that makes it do it in the first place. I mean, I'm in LOVE with this thing now, and I was pretty much ready to throw it out. There's so many companies out there that go the full 6 or 7. Hire some designers and some quality control people, people. Good investment.
I saw a bumper sticker once that said: "if you can't find it, design it." And I've always loved that phrase. So i guess I'll have to apply it to, if it's crap, fix it yourself.