Mr Wu / Yunzhi / Ms Lora

[ah.clem]

Maybe coincidence, maybe my postng in this thread, but this AM I got a few pics in my email of my design in raw wood. It's front and back, the grain looks pretty tight, I haven't really looked closely yet. I was expecting to see a photo of the side port I requested but no joy yet. I sent a request to Lora for that. I wanted the Wu headstock and inlay rather than the generic and it looks like that is what has been started. I'm very glad to see progress and now I can wait for however long it takes. It's good to know that it's actually happening.

[Jimmy blue note]

Nice figure, good bookmatch, nice work from what I see. You'll sleep real easy knowing this baby will be on the way to you in time. I'd be looking forward to a lot of music together if I were you!

[ah.clem]

Thanks, man. Yeah, pretty relieved and definitely looking forward to eventually playing this guitar! I'm hoping it sings!

[nbevan3]

Maybe coincidence, maybe my postng in this thread, but this AM I got a few pics in my email of my design in raw wood. It's front and back, the grain looks pretty tight, I haven't really looked closely yet. I was expecting to see a photo of the side port I requested but no joy yet. I sent a request to Lora for that. I wanted the Wu headstock and inlay rather than the generic and it looks like that is what has been started. I'm very glad to see progress and now I can wait for however long it takes. It's good to know that it's actually happening.

Stunning looking guitar!

I am glad you are seeing progress, it can be really stressful when you invest so much emotion into something and you don’t appear to get any feedback.

[ah.clem]

Pic of the side port as requested arrived this AM. Never tried one. I was thinking of keeping this guitar all acoustic for quite a while before adding the 1100 so thought I'd show it to the forum. Things are moving along, just sharing pics for those folks following this.

[sgosnell]

Something that works for some people is mounting the pickup using Blu-Tack. It provides a secure enough mount without altering the guitar at all. I've done it using thumbwheel controls mounted in the treble f hole with mounting tape, and an endpin jack. Wu has always included the jack already mounted on the ones I have, as standard, with a cable loose inside the body, which can be connected to the controls wherever they are, or even directly to the pickup if you want. Whit Smith has mounted pickups to a couple of his acoustic archtops that way, and touring with them didn't seem to be a problem. It can take some effort to clean off all the residue, but it's not all that difficult. For temporary mounting or for frequent changes, it can be useful to use some sort of quick release connectors between the controls and the pickup - RCA plug/jack, or mini 2.5mm or 3.5mm plug/jack, whatever you have, but unsoldering/resoldering is possible.

[ah.clem]

Something that works for some people is mounting the pickup using Blu-Tack. It provides a secure enough mount without altering the guitar at all. I've done it using thumbwheel controls mounted in the treble f hole with mounting tape, and an endpin jack. Wu has always included the jack already mounted on the ones I have, as standard, with a cable loose inside the body...

I hadn't thought of the blue tack idea, thanks. I did request the pre-wired end pin jack. I do use the "under the pick guard" controls from StewMac, they are pretty noise-free. When I was trying out pickups for my 5th Ave acoustic I removed the pick guard and used a not-too-sticky tape I found at a building store to test positioning. I was surprised by the difference between the 1000 and 1100, but I think it depends on the instrument. I'd kind of like to keep this as my all-acoustic archtop but I'm always fiddling. I do like adjustable pole pieces and I'm thinking I might also try a Benedetto and a Armstrong as well.

Man, I'm starting to get excited!

[sgosnell]

Yes, mounting the controls under the pickguard is a viable solution. I just don't like pickguards in the way, so I remove them from most of my archtops. That's just a personal preference, but it does sometimes cause me to forget that they are usually present on guitars. Pickups are also a personal preference. I would certainly start with putty mounting for other styles, to avoid putting lots of extraneous holes in the neck. I've only owned the Asian made Armstrong pickups, but they seem to be of good quality. The SD Benedetto pickups are excellent. I've tried Vintage Vibe pickups on my Wus, but didn't keep them on long. The Rhythm Chief is by far my favorite. YMMV.

[ah.clem]

Even though I only play fingerstyle I started early on using the pickguard as a rest for my little finger when not plucking a full chord or arpeggio. It's a bad habit but I'm too old to change it. I have the guard off on a few of my archtops but I instinctively go for the support every now and then. I've had the 1100 and Shaller controls sitting in a box on my bench since I ordered the guitar as I'm pretty confident that if I decide to add a pickup that's gonna be the one that sounds the best, but I really have to hear different pickups to really know. I like your idea of making a "quick release" fitting for the pickups into the controls so they are cleaner for returns. Otherwise I would probably be forced to purchase more archtops to go under the extra pickups...

[tbeltrans]

Yes, mounting the controls under the pickguard is a viable solution. I just don't like pickguards in the way, so I remove them from most of my archtops. That's just a personal preference, but it does sometimes cause me to forget that they are usually present on guitars. Pickups are also a personal preference. I would certainly start with putty mounting for other styles, to avoid putting lots of extraneous holes in the neck. I've only owned the Asian made Armstrong pickups, but they seem to be of good quality. The SD Benedetto pickups are excellent. I've tried Vintage Vibe pickups on my Wus, but didn't keep them on long. The Rhythm Chief is by far my favorite. YMMV.

My Emerald Kestrel (carbon fiber archtop) has two pickups - a humbucker at the end of the fretboard, and a piezo in the bridge. There are two volume controls, one for each pickup. These are mounted just inside the 'F' hole closest to the player. That seems to work rather well.

Tony

[sgosnell]

Even though I only play fingerstyle I started early on using the pickguard as a rest for my little finger when not plucking a full chord or arpeggio. It's a bad habit but I'm too old to change it. I have the guard off on a few of my archtops but I instinctively go for the support every now and then. I've had the 1100 and Shaller controls sitting in a box on my bench since I ordered the guitar as I'm pretty confident that if I decide to add a pickup that's gonna be the one that sounds the best, but I really have to hear different pickups to really know. I like your idea of making a "quick release" fitting for the pickups into the controls so they are cleaner for returns. Otherwise I would probably be forced to purchase more archtops to go under the extra pickups...

Using a pickguard is a valid choice, it's just not mine. It does make some things, such as this, easier. More archtops for attaching extra pickups is also a valid choice, and I think it's probably a popular one.

[AKA]

This is going to be a beaut!

Maybe coincidence, maybe my postng in this thread, but this AM I got a few pics in my email of my design in raw wood. It's front and back, the grain looks pretty tight, I haven't really looked closely yet. I was expecting to see a photo of the side port I requested but no joy yet. I sent a request to Lora for that. I wanted the Wu headstock and inlay rather than the generic and it looks like that is what has been started. I'm very glad to see progress and now I can wait for however long it takes. It's good to know that it's actually happening.

[ah.clem]

If it plays as good as it looks, I'll feel like I've won the lottery!

[nbevan3]

Lovely!

[nbevan3]

If it plays as good as it looks, I'll feel like I've won the lottery!

Does it?

I have had mine for 12 months now and I can't get it out of my hands.
It was well worth the wait and the stress of the delivery process.

Would I do it again? I am not sure, 6 months ago definitely not ... now I have a different perspective

[ah.clem]

Would I do it again? I am not sure, 6 months ago definitely not ... now I have a different perspective

No. And I wouldn't recommend it to anyone either. It's beautiful, yes. On closer inspection, it did not have everything I paid for and the setup was crap. Someone (apprentice, even though I paid extra for only Mr. Wu to do the work?) just jammed a floating bridge in there, as is, no contouring, the action was stupidly high to compensate for that, round wound strings despite repeated assertions that there would be flat 12s for testing so I wouldn't have to waste a set. the "ebony" fingerboard has a mess of something spilled all over it, I can't really play it to figure out all it needs, I put it in a gig bag in December and haven't had the enthusiasm to take it to a luthier to get it straightened out. Maybe next month. I'm just pissed with myself for whole experience, spending way too much money for "extras", etc. at first blush, it's a beautiful instrument; look more closely and it's not so much. Lesson learned. YMMV. I figure another $500 on top of my $2400 and 14 months wait. I just own so many higher quality guitars. Like I said, YMMV, but be wary. I'll never do it again.

[nbevan3]

No. And I wouldn't recommend it to anyone either. It's beautiful, yes. On closer inspection, it did not have everything I paid for and the setup was crap. Someone (apprentice, even though I paid extra for only Mr. Wu to do the work?) just jammed a floating bridge in there, as is, no contouring, the action was stupidly high to compensate for that, round wound strings despite repeated assertions that there would be flat 12s for testing so I wouldn't have to waste a set. the "ebony" fingerboard has a mess of something spilled all over it, I can't really play it to figure out all it needs, I put it in a gig bag in December and haven't had the enthusiasm to take it to a luthier to get it straightened out. Maybe next month. I'm just pissed with myself for whole experience, spending way too much money for "extras", etc. at first blush, it's a beautiful instrument; look more closely and it's not so much. Lesson learned. YMMV. I figure another $500 on top of my $2400 and 14 months wait. I just own so many higher quality guitars. Like I said, YMMV, but be wary. I'll never do it again.

Terrible story, but one worth telling to get the balance of reality for prospective buyers! It is just a shame that you had to go through the process to find out.

[Cunamara]

No. And I wouldn't recommend it to anyone either. It's beautiful, yes. On closer inspection, it did not have everything I paid for and the setup was crap. Someone (apprentice, even though I paid extra for only Mr. Wu to do the work?) just jammed a floating bridge in there, as is, no contouring, the action was stupidly high to compensate for that, round wound strings despite repeated assertions that there would be flat 12s for testing so I wouldn't have to waste a set. the "ebony" fingerboard has a mess of something spilled all over it, I can't really play it to figure out all it needs, I put it in a gig bag in December and haven't had the enthusiasm to take it to a luthier to get it straightened out. Maybe next month. I'm just pissed with myself for whole experience, spending way too much money for "extras", etc. at first blush, it's a beautiful instrument; look more closely and it's not so much. Lesson learned. YMMV. I figure another $500 on top of my $2400 and 14 months wait. I just own so many higher quality guitars. Like I said, YMMV, but be wary. I'll never do it again.

Wow, that's shocking and not typical of the reports I've heard from folks who've bought via Lora and Mr. Wu. A regular setup seems to be necessary (and their electronics are notoriously bad), but you have that same problem with Gibson and Fender. Have you taken photos and sent them to Ms. Lora? Needing a setup is one thing, as that's personal to each guitarist, but the bridge and the mess on the fingerboard are no-gos. The base should be contoured to the top and the saddle should the formed to the proper radius at a minimum. If you didn't get the extras you paid for, they should refund that portion. Good luck!

[Spook410]

No. And I wouldn't recommend it to anyone either. It's beautiful, yes. On closer inspection, it did not have everything I paid for and the setup was crap. Someone (apprentice, even though I paid extra for only Mr. Wu to do the work?) just jammed a floating bridge in there, as is, no contouring, the action was stupidly high to compensate for that, round wound strings despite repeated assertions that there would be flat 12s for testing so I wouldn't have to waste a set. the "ebony" fingerboard has a mess of something spilled all over it, I can't really play it to figure out all it needs, I put it in a gig bag in December and haven't had the enthusiasm to take it to a luthier to get it straightened out. Maybe next month. I'm just pissed with myself for whole experience, spending way too much money for "extras", etc. at first blush, it's a beautiful instrument; look more closely and it's not so much. Lesson learned. YMMV. I figure another $500 on top of my $2400 and 14 months wait. I just own so many higher quality guitars. Like I said, YMMV, but be wary. I'll never do it again.

Round wounds instead of flats. Improperly fitted bridge. High action out of the box. Why is ebony in quotes? Do you believe it's not ebony or you don't like that it's dyed? What do you mean by 'something spilled all over it'? Like.. epoxy? Or coffee? Seems a lot of unhappiness for what appears to be pretty minor issues but maybe I'm missing something important (seems to happen quite a lot..). Looks like a beautiful guitar.. I am sorry you're not happy with it and hope in the long run you'll end up liking it.

[ah.clem]

Hey, Spook. I figured you might chime in. I'm still too pissed to really talk about it, but I'll address your points. First off, I thought I was going to be ok if the instrument was less than I expected based on all the good press on this site. I guess I wasn't.

I wanted an acoustic instrument, built exclusively by Mr. Wu and I paid extra for that, but I cannot believe that he would have built this. Yes, the body is beautiful to look at and the joinery is really pretty good. Here's where it falls apart for me:

1. Jamming an uncut bridge onto the top with rounds leave me wondering about neck angle. The relief looks ok so what will happen when a proper floating bridge is installed? I suspect that the bridge will need to be cranked all the way up to achieve proper string angle.

2. Ebony fingerboard. Perhaps but really doesn't look like it. Crap all over it? Looks like stain or glue or something drizzled on it, maybe whatever they used to set the 12th fret marker? (BTW, the marker looks nice.) I'm pretty confident that the entire fretboard will need to be refinished to be acceptable. No one would purchase a guitar with a neck that looks like this one does.

There is no way that I can believe the Mr. Wu built this guitar from wood selection to final finishing. The box looks great, the neck carve is pretty good, the lacquer on the back of the headstock, not so much. The heel is quite small, not certain I can get a button on it but I'm guessing my luthier will perhaps have a smaller one? I have considered going 30's and using the button and a headstock tied strap.

Speaking of the button, in numerous communications I was assured it would be wired as eventually I was planning on adding a hand wound pickup or a deArmond with under pickguard controls. Again, no wiring at all, meaning it will cost me more to have my guy do the install.

But the most worrisome issue is the neck angle and that 2x4 bridge to clear the fretboard. I was expecting a fret leveling and a setup but frankly, I'm embarrassed to take this to my guy. It seems to me that Wu built the body, maybe carved the neck, passed the rest on to a junior apprentice and never even looked it over before shipping. Of course, my opinion, but 14 months of waiting and little or no communication with Laura and the fact that when you use PayPal internationally you have no recourse if there is a problem makes me recommend buying something used rather than going the custom Chinese build.

I know you have had good luck with these instruments but I'm sticking with interesting guitars from the 60s and 70s from now on. I just picked up another '97 Jerry Sims Ibanez 7 string (AAF-207) in pristine condition for half of what this Wu is gonna finally cost me.

[2bornot2bop]

What a pity. There must be several dozens of those on this site that purchased WU’s. But they all require extra work for finishing. This is known going in. I paid another $580 for a plek, pickup and all electrical install, fret leveling, and had Matt Cushman make a custom bridge. The result was the smoothest playing archtop I’ve owned. I’m wondering if WU has so much business he’s simply having others build guitars. My guitar was an 18” and cost was only $1200. I understand it’s more expensive now.

[Spook410]

Sorry to hear the details Clem. Clearly worse than it sounded at first. Something drizzled on the neck that can't be wiped off.. what the heck is up with that? Let us know when you figure out what caused it. Hopefully the bridge/neck will work out but no way to know until work is done. Kind of stressful. In any case, you're right.. zero inspection before it went out with major problems and unfinished work. And paying for things you didn't get like having it pre-wired. Anybody would be angry after that 14 month wait just to be met with a disappointing result.

It is true I've been lucky with my Wu guitars which needed little attention to be solid players. And in spite of the extra work required and terrible hardware, I'm still enjoying all my Yunzhi's. So yea.. I do have some bias. But I bought mine 10 years ago when they were cheap and arrived quicker. After your experience it's just as well I don't need any more guitars.

In any case.. I do hope it works out to be less effort than you're expecting and the disappointment in Wu's attention to his business will be less aggravating over time.

[sgosnell]

Being so concerned about the strings seems a little over the top. Strings have to be changed now and then anyway, they're expendables. I can't comment about the rest without seeing and handling the guitar, and of course that isn't going to happen. All I can say is that I have three guitars made by Wu, two of which I commissioned and one that I bought via eBay at a ridiculously low price. That one needed fret leveling, and was built years ago, so having that done wasn't a big deal for me. The other two needed nothing but a setup. The truss rods came loose, to help prevent shipping damage, and the pickguard and bridge were removed for the same reason. That would be expected. The nut slots also needed some work, and I have never acquired a new guitar that didn't, especially factory built guitars. Fit and finish have been fine, better than most factory built guitars I've played. But my sample size is small, only three total, so I cannot vouch for every guitar that he builds.

[nbevan3]

my sample size is small, only three total, so I cannot vouch for every guitar that he builds.

ah.chem's sample size is small also (it sounds like one) but his experience sounds 100% unacceptable.
I do not think he is trying to extrapolate his experience to every guitar that is produced by the Yunzhi factory or Mr Wu but it does provide a story for prospective buyers to be aware of.

[sgosnell]

My point was just that I haven't seen the issues he described, but I haven't seen enough samples to rule anything out. I cannot deny that he received a defective guitar without seeing it in person. I have seen some rather disappointing Gibsons, so anything is possible.