SOLD!
I am the soon to be owner of the Antica Ukuleleria Galileo tenor that Baz posted his review of today.
That means I have to let this one go with great reluctance to cover the new one. It is a special 1999 kiwaya 100th /Famous 60th Anniversary long neck soprano model for Famous, designed together with and named after Kiyoshi Kobayashi (FLS-kk) who has enjoyed a long relationship with Kiwaya/Famous. It is a prototype model (you will see the sticker inside the uke has no information which is what I understand how Kiwaya/Famous handle models during testing periods so as to not confuse them with production runs).
It is long neck soprano, with solid mahogany top and laminate back and sides. It has a cutaway because Kobayashi plays jazz and related genres (you should check out his books which are wonderful). Zero fret. Has Gotoh UPT tuners. It currently has fluorocarbon strings but I will include a set of GHS nylons. On the website for the instrument (https://www.kiwayasbest.com/smartphone/detail.html?id=000000002832) the specs list Ghs-10 strings but their diameters wouldn’t fit the current openings in the bridge (the Ghs ones do and that I believe is one of the differences of this prototype). Perhaps originally they considered tuning it in D?
The pictures show it is in excellent condition. I am not a collector but a player and I have played it but only me, and in my home. It hasn’t ventured out.
So if you want something different and that sounds great (the sound has that Kiwaya/Famous sound) this could be for you.
I am selling it with shipping included and at a price less than I paid for it. These are very hard to find. I bought mine directly from Japan after much hunting. When new in 1999 it sold for equiv $650. I am selling shipped in CONUS. International would be extra. Includes case shown
Thanks for looking.
I am the soon to be owner of the Antica Ukuleleria Galileo tenor that Baz posted his review of today.
That means I have to let this one go with great reluctance to cover the new one. It is a special 1999 kiwaya 100th /Famous 60th Anniversary long neck soprano model for Famous, designed together with and named after Kiyoshi Kobayashi (FLS-kk) who has enjoyed a long relationship with Kiwaya/Famous. It is a prototype model (you will see the sticker inside the uke has no information which is what I understand how Kiwaya/Famous handle models during testing periods so as to not confuse them with production runs).
It is long neck soprano, with solid mahogany top and laminate back and sides. It has a cutaway because Kobayashi plays jazz and related genres (you should check out his books which are wonderful). Zero fret. Has Gotoh UPT tuners. It currently has fluorocarbon strings but I will include a set of GHS nylons. On the website for the instrument (https://www.kiwayasbest.com/smartphone/detail.html?id=000000002832) the specs list Ghs-10 strings but their diameters wouldn’t fit the current openings in the bridge (the Ghs ones do and that I believe is one of the differences of this prototype). Perhaps originally they considered tuning it in D?
The pictures show it is in excellent condition. I am not a collector but a player and I have played it but only me, and in my home. It hasn’t ventured out.
So if you want something different and that sounds great (the sound has that Kiwaya/Famous sound) this could be for you.
I am selling it with shipping included and at a price less than I paid for it. These are very hard to find. I bought mine directly from Japan after much hunting. When new in 1999 it sold for equiv $650. I am selling shipped in CONUS. International would be extra. Includes case shown
Thanks for looking.
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