c.1935 Sam Chang Fancy Koa Ukulele

This is yet another customer instrument! I'm absurdly jealous of the owner of this uke because he got a flabbergastingly good deal on it. It's a Hawaiian-made Sam Chang in fancy Martin-inspired clothing, though sporting its Hawaiian-roots Spanish heel and neck profile and Martin-slaying gorgeous tone. I absolutely love it.

Work included some fill to an old repair area on the lower bout/end block top, a hairline crack cleating, a light fret level/dress, and setup. The wood pegs also got a bit of peg dope... and guess what? Aside from a nut that was slotted too high, the thing was actually setup after all these years near-perfectly with 1/16" action at the 12th fret (after adjusting just the nut, of course).

The medium brown "chocolate" koa looks a lot like mahogany here but I'm fairly sure it's not. It certainly doesn't have the darker mahogany tone... this thing is clear-bell jangle all the way.

Sam Changs happen to be in my top rung favorite makes of vintage uke and are perhaps simply my favorite make. I never seem to be able to keep one for myself when I have them, though...!

Don't you love the stripe down the board?

Wood pegs? As long as you're confident about using them... there's nothing better on a uke. They're so lightweight.