John Croft, Glan Tanat, Llanyblodwel, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY10 8NQ, England
Tel: (+44) 01691 - 828850.
E-Mail: theukuleleman@hotmail.com

Tips About Buying An Instrument
(Continued)

Should I buy ‘new’ or ‘vintage’? Difficult! There are good and bad instruments in both categories. I know of some great modern instruments that I wouldn’t hesitate to sell on my web-site and some lousy vintage ones that I would never sell. To be honest, my own personal preference tends to be for ‘vintage’ instruments, although I have to say that Phil Davidson makes the finest Ukuleles that I have ever seen or heard, and Peter Howlett, Gordon Markendale, Phil Cartwright, Dennis Mitchell, and others, all either make or have made some superb modern instruments. When you buy an old instrument you are also buying a small piece of musical instrument history from the period of the 1920’s and 1930’s, which is generally regarded as being the zenith of the design, manufacture, and popularity of such instruments. There is another point here. A good modern instrument will set you back a minimum of about £500, which is actually good value when you consider what goes into making it, but for that you can buy a nice vintage instrument with a proven pedigree and a piece of musical history. However, some of todays instruments are undoubtedly going to be the collectors items of the future, so we just have to make up your minds as to what we like best.

Finally, over the years a vintage instrument is more likely to appreciate in value than a modern one, so it may be a better long term investment. Some contemporary manufacturers copy the old designs of well respected vintage manufacturers and some do it very well indeed. What I don’t like is when some of them deliberately use the ‘Vintage’ name on the peghead, because in doing this they may mislead a prospective buyer into believing that an instrument is something which it patently isn’t. Many customers order contemporary copies of vintage instruments that are hard to find, or which are far too expensive for most of us to be able to afford, and some of these are brilliant. So the question of ‘Vintage’ or ‘Modern’ is one for each of us to decide on an individual basis, and it is a question to which there is no right or wrong answer.

How much should I spend? Well, don’t ever spend more than you can afford. Look around and try some out them make up your mind, but make sure that you buy instruments in good condition that are properly set up and make sure that they are in playable condition when you receive them. A good instrument is likely to give you a lifetime of enjoyment. It is sometimes worth saving up for a few months (or even years) to buy the instrument that you would really like. I did, and I never regretted it.

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