The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Other Musical Instruments

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 04-17-2017, 09:02 AM
blue blue is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: WetSiiiide! WA
Posts: 7,851
Default Banjolele stupid deal 4-17-17

Pretty smokin' deal

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupi...&CJPID=5696037
__________________
I only play technologically cutting edge instruments. Parker Flys and National Resonators
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 04-17-2017, 03:43 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Staten Island, NY - for now
Posts: 14,985
Default

Recently joined a local uke group, picked up one this morning (with my wife's encouragement ) - definitely one of their better SDOTD's, BTW; should be here within a week, hands-on review to follow...
__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool"
- Sicilian proverb (paraphrased)
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 04-17-2017, 06:14 PM
blue blue is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: WetSiiiide! WA
Posts: 7,851
Default

sold out now.
__________________
I only play technologically cutting edge instruments. Parker Flys and National Resonators
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 04-18-2017, 08:56 AM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Staten Island, NY - for now
Posts: 14,985
Default

Not surprised at that price; BTW there's a guy in our club who locates these impossible deals and then flips them on eBay/CL - considering the going price everywhere else is $575 I'm thinking he bought a half-dozen, and even if he sells them @ $400 each he's doubling his investment...
__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool"
- Sicilian proverb (paraphrased)
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 04-18-2017, 09:39 AM
Frankieabbott Frankieabbott is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 202
Default

Too late! The link is showing a piano now. I have a couple of ukes but really hanker for a banjolele. I'm a massive George Formby fan.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 04-18-2017, 01:29 PM
blue blue is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: WetSiiiide! WA
Posts: 7,851
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa View Post
Not surprised at that price; BTW there's a guy in our club who locates these impossible deals and then flips them on eBay/CL - considering the going price everywhere else is $575 I'm thinking he bought a half-dozen, and even if he sells them @ $400 each he's doubling his investment...
Hope he pays taxes. That'll catch up to you eventually.
__________________
I only play technologically cutting edge instruments. Parker Flys and National Resonators
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 04-21-2017, 08:44 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Staten Island, NY - for now
Posts: 14,985
Default

Received mine earlier this evening, pin holding the E string in the No-Knot style tailpiece came out and flew across the room while I was tuning - shame, since it's got a nice vintage vibe and lots of tonal potential; dashed off a note to Lanikai asking for a replacement tailpiece under warranty - let's see what happens over the next couple days...
__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool"
- Sicilian proverb (paraphrased)
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 05-20-2017, 08:23 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Staten Island, NY - for now
Posts: 14,985
Default

Still waiting to resolve the tailpiece issue with Lanikai - found out that they officially discontinued this model several years ago and anything out there is warehouse/dealer NOS (kinda explains the SDOTD price, the flawed tailpiece design, and the protracted negotiation process - caveat emptor) - but here's a hands-on review nevertheless:

Appearance: If you're into modern banjo-ukes you probably realize that Gold Tone pretty much owns the low/midprice market and, objectively speaking, they produce a high-quality, fine-sounding product at that price point; one thing I never really liked about most of their lineup, though, was the plasticky-looking poly finish that I always felt cheapened the appearance of otherwise well-constructed instruments (FYI I own an OB-250 banjo). The Lanikai stands in total contrast: antiqued brass hardware (at least some of which appears to have been subjected to a cold-blue process, similar to what gun owners use to touch up holster-wear spots), a rich red-brown satin finish on all exposed wood surfaces (the resonator back boasts some really nice bookmatched flame figure), simple dot fingerboard inlay, a dark-gold silkscreened "Lanikai" logo on the headstock, and maple binding on both the ebony fingerboard and resonator (offset by a single black purfling line in the latter case) that give it a real period vibe. The factory-issue gig bag, while convenient and lightweight, really isn't designed to be used over the long haul (pun intended) - you'll need a good hardshell case if you're going to be playing out frequently; unfortunately there's nothing currently available of appropriate size in the U.S., so be prepared to lay out some significant bucks to either import one from the U.K. (the spirit of George Formby is alive and well over there) or have an ATA-type road case made/modified to order...

Construction: Although it boasts the typical MIC separate neck heel and scarf-jointed peghead the glue joints on the plain-grain maple are tight and well-done: the headstock joint is only visible from the side (nearly invisible observed head-on from the rear) and the heel joint is invisible from the player's position (less so from the treble side of the neck) - surprisingly good workmanship for the price. As far as I can discern the tone ring is sheet brass, rolled and shaped to give an archtop configuration to the OEM 8" Remo Fiberskyn head. The factory Aquila Nylgut strings are secured by a proprietary four-string version of the slotted-post 1901-patent No-Knot tailpiece well-known among open-back banjo players (which I had to replace with a brass five-string version - rerouted the strings inward for even spacing at the bridge), and tuned by antiqued generic geared tuners with cream-colored plastic buttons. The plastic nut (there's a bone replacement coming somewhere in the near future) needed some minor filing to accommodate the somewhat thicker-than-nylon Aquila strings, as did the three-footed bridge; interestingly, Lanikai chose to go with a standard tenor banjo bridge rather than a dedicated concert uke-sized version, providing substantial additional spacing - an exceptionally handy feature if you're a proponent of the modern fingerstyle uke school. The frets, while smoothly surfaced/polished and reasonably level, are unusually large for a uke-family instrument (or even a standard banjo) - slightly wider and somewhat taller than Fender vintage-style; the edges, however, are a bit rough - fortunately not enough to drastically affect left-hand technique, and something I'll be fixing with progressive sanding sponges at my next string change. The WW I-era armrest also sits somewhat high for this type of instrument, so if you're used to keeping your right wrist closer/parallel to the head you'll either need to do some bending/trimming or remove it altogether. Finally, this one's heavy with a capital "H" (I'm estimating somewhere in the mid-fives, if not more), so you'll either need to sit when you play or install strap buttons on the neck heel and resonator (see Ukulele Mike's video for directions) - a standard Chicago-screw banjo strap absolutely will not work with the relatively lightweight brackets (they'll bend under the weight), and there's not enough space to fit a cradle strap along the rim beneath the brackets...

Tone: I had the opportunity to bring the Lanikai banjo-uke to the weekly uke group my wife and I attend (about a dozen regulars), and it cut right through everything - including an original 1920's banjo-uke owned by another member - to the extent that the group director asked me to take a few leads; where the archtop tone ring boosts treble response, the Fiberskyn head and Nylgut strings serve to round out the tone - think vintage gut-string banjo "plunk" but with more projection and clarity - and help retain some of the "uke" quality. If you're adventurous there's a lot of potential for experimentation here - head type/tension, string types, fingerstyle with/without picks, strumming with/without pick, alternate tunings - which IMO can net results far beyond what might be expected from a wooden uke. I'm thinking of setting it up in drop-G tuning (like my Deering Boston tenor banjo), and a bud turned me on to fluorocarbon strings (he gets amazing tone/volume from his Kala tenor) - should make a nice dedicated lead instrument with the extended low end, and the lighter weight (compared to my Deering) will let me backpack it easily along with my guitar to the next Irish seisiun...

Overall: I give it an 8.9 out of 10; well-constructed with loads of tonal/stylistic potential, but had Lanikai put a lot more thought into the entire package - better-quality hardware, a solidly-built hardshell case, bone nut, and attention to the fine details of finish and setup - they could/should have had a real winner here. As it stands it's a very useful instrument that'll see a lot of play time, and at $199 a welcome addition to my stable...
__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool"
- Sicilian proverb (paraphrased)
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Other Musical Instruments

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:02 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=