If Taylor were to produce a ukulele, the USA made elite series by Kala would be it.

[Patty]

I’m sure y'all have seen this, but if you have not, I will link it below. There is a single Taylor ukulele still up for sale, but only if money is no issue.

Taylor BR-VII Builder's Reserve Tenor Ukulele - Terry Carter Music Store

Discover the exquisite craftsmanship of Taylor BR-VII Builder's Reserve Tenor Ukulele, an unmatched blend of artistry and tone.

terrycartermusicstore.com

I wonder why the owner of that uke chose to sell it through Terry Carter Music? It’s more of a Ukulele Friend instrument. It looks incongruous at TCM.

 

[badhabits]

I wonder why the owner of that uke chose to sell it through Terry Carter Music? It’s more of a Ukulele Friend instrument. It looks incongruous at TCM.

Cuz it's like the pros?

 

[PTRarch.]

Oh yeah, if Taylor did the Kanilea/Pono thing with Kala and somehow got the Taylor name involved, I’d want one. Most definitely. edited to change Koaloha to Kanilea

So you buy (for) the badge ? If it says Kala it's not good enough, and when it says Taylor, even if it's the same instrument, made by the same people on the same machines - but probably sold at a much higher price, you'd want that one? Whatever tickles your fancy I guess...

Looking down on a brand like Kala is ridiculous. And they are upping their game. And FYI: they even have their own budget brand: Makala.

Don't judge a book by it's cover.



OK, storytime!

I've got a Fender ukulele. Yes it has that tele-headstock. And you know what? That thing is sweet as a nut.
That's why I bought it.
And for the headstock offcourse .
So go ahead and mock me, I don't care. It's  mine and your opinion is just that: yours.

Don't judge a book by it's cover...

 

[PTRarch.]

I wonder why the owner of that uke chose to sell it through Terry Carter Music? It’s more of a Ukulele Friend instrument. It looks incongruous at TCM.

Every opportunity ...

 

[Doc Ivory]

Money and self-loathing…

That's a pretty hefty price there..

 

[Keith5523]

Don't judge a book by it's cover.

I don't believe I'm doing that, but whenever I buy something of some value I like to think there is a good market for it if I ever decide to re-sell it. I believe the Taylor name would help more with resale value since even though Taylor makes budget guitars, that's not what most people associate them with. Again, if you look at the post, I began by apologizing if some found it offensive. Your post is why I did that. And I also believe. I closed it by saying jmho, just my humble opinion. Sorry you were offended.

 

[merlin666]

I wonder why the owner of that uke chose to sell it through Terry Carter Music? It’s more of a Ukulele Friend instrument. It looks incongruous at TCM.

These were supposed to be part of a set and I would think that if the set was ripped apart would drastically diminish collector value. Would make more sense to get one of the sets like this

Taylor Builder’s Reserve VII Guitar and Ukulele Set 2012 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Taylor Builder’s Reserve VII Guitar and Ukulele Set 2012 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.ca

They were also discussed here when new and it seems they may have held value over 12 years

New Taylor Mahogany Ukuleles - Builders Reserve VII

My shop just got these in. Thought everyone would like to see these. I actually like these better than the koa ones they did at the beginning of the year! They come with a nice hardshell case this time. If I get some time later I'll make a video or make an audio clip!

forum.ukuleleunderground.com

 

[PTRarch.]

I don't believe I'm doing that, but whenever I buy something of some value I like to think there is a good market for it if I ever decide to re-sell it. I believe the Taylor name would help more with resale value since even though Taylor makes budget guitars, that's not what most people associate them with. Again, if you look at the post, I began by apologizing if some found it offensive. Your post is why I did that. And I also believe. I closed it by saying jmho, just my humble opinion. Sorry you were offended.

Not offended in the slightest .
IMO an ukulele is foremost a tool that serves a purpose (making music, having fun) and not an investment - like a car that is a tool to get you from A to B. Yes, some do that lathered in leather and luxury. Yes, some are exotic and lusted after. But a scratch and a ding is nothing I worry about. If I would think about the re-sale value from the get-go, that would not benefit my enjoyment. Yes I drop stuff ...

To each his own. Or her. Or theirs.

 

[kissing]

This post may offend some folks, so I'll apologize in advance if it does. It's just an opinion.
I see a strong parallel between the Hyundai brand of automobiles and Kala ukuleles. When Hyundai was first introduced in the USA, it was a low budget, low priced car and they sold tons of them. Their image was that of a dependable, inexpensive mode of transportation. They were even able to up their game and compete with mid-priced Japanese brands like Toyota, Nissan and Honda. But when they decided to go upscale with the Hyundai Genesis, it didn't compete well with the other upscale brands from Toyota(Lexus), Nissan(Infiniti), Honda(Acura), much less Mercedes and BMW and the other European luxury models. So they started their own Luxury division called Genesis. People that could afford a luxury automobile just didn't want to pay $50,000 - $75,000usd for a car that had HYUNDAI plastered on it. When I first started looking for ukuleles, I looked on Facebook Marketplace(and still do) and it seemed every other $50-$100usd ukulele had Kala on it. So I immediately got the impression that they were a budget conscious brand, i.e. cheap ukulele. And from reading this forum, there are apparently lots of nice Kala's and happy ukulele customers that have propelled this brand to compete even with the middle tier brands. But if they continue on into the price ranges of the really luxurious K brands and custom luthier brands, I doubt they'll anytime soon be considered the 4th or 5th K brand. It seems a smart marketing plan would be to introduce their luxury brand with another name. Maybe just call it the Elite? Personally, if I'm going to spend $1200+ on a ukulele, there are tons of other ukuleles I'd consider first. jmho.

There are societal differences in how people approach cars and ukuleles though.
Cars are more strongly seen as status symbols and there is a whole market to appeal to rich people who can spend over $100K on a car to show off.

Ukuleles are (relatively speaking) niche and I don't think the market is driven by being status symbols.

You're not going to impress people who don't play the ukulele with a Kamaka any more than with a fancy Kala.
And any enthusiast worth their salt will figure out that it's a Kala Elite, which is rarer than most K-brand ukes.

Lastly, people can generally afford a very expensive ukulele if they save up for it.
$1000-5000 is a lot to spend on an ukulele, but it is doable if they put their mind to it.
Not something you can do as easily with cars that are over $100,000.

Thus I don't think the ukulele market is affected by brand names in the same way cars are.

 

[Keith5523]

There are societal differences in how people approach cars and ukuleles though.
Cars are more strongly seen as status symbols and there is a whole market to appeal to rich people who can spend over $100K on a car to show off.

Ukuleles are (relatively speaking) niche and I don't think the market is driven by being status symbols.

You're not going to impress people who don't play the ukulele with a Kamaka any more than with a fancy Kala.
And any enthusiast worth their salt will figure out that it's a Kala Elite, which is rarer than most K-brand ukes.

Lastly, people can generally afford a very expensive ukulele if they save up for it.
$1000-5000 is a lot to spend on an ukulele, but it is doable if they put their mind to it.
Not something you can do as easily with cars that are over $100,000.

Thus I don't think the ukulele market is affected by brand names in the same way cars are.

That's a well thought out and logical response to my post. And a good one. I agree with more of your thoughts than I disagree with, but thank you for a thoughtful response.