@SloJimFizz I keep coming back to your picture and zooming in and out. The Koa I got looks fine against you Uke.
Thank you for posting it, puts things into context for me.
To everyone who has any wood stem treat them with respect.
Regular wax to keep the wood conditioned, no excuses you all get a pot of wax from me.
Woods also change colour when exposed to direct sunlight.
As an example my Padauk stems started out bright red with orange streaks over time they have changed to a rich deep burgundy colour.
Some woods eventually will turn brown.
Keep them away from heat sources the wood will shrink.
Also be careful if you live in the sweatier regions of the world.
I know @M0J0 has said wood can go mouldy over on Peurto Rico.
Woods will change shape and temperature and humidiy play their parts.
I've seen Boveda packs used to keep string instruments in good condition.
I'll look into it a bit more.
I've repaired a stem recently that was fine at mine but split after being sent out and used.
The picture I was sent looked bad.
By the time it arrived back for repair the crack had closed up.
It turns out the stem had been kept in a cupboard next to an oven and had shrank and cracked.
The 3 days out and about with the postal system allowed it to stabilise again and return to shape.
It was a wood I used in the beginning so I was never sure if it would work.
Lesson learned and as it was in the UK so I could do the repair. It now has Blackwood ends.
The MP was fine but it got replaced at the same time.
Thank you for posting it, puts things into context for me.
To everyone who has any wood stem treat them with respect.
Regular wax to keep the wood conditioned, no excuses you all get a pot of wax from me.
Woods also change colour when exposed to direct sunlight.
As an example my Padauk stems started out bright red with orange streaks over time they have changed to a rich deep burgundy colour.
Some woods eventually will turn brown.
Keep them away from heat sources the wood will shrink.
Also be careful if you live in the sweatier regions of the world.
I know @M0J0 has said wood can go mouldy over on Peurto Rico.
Woods will change shape and temperature and humidiy play their parts.
I've seen Boveda packs used to keep string instruments in good condition.
I'll look into it a bit more.
I've repaired a stem recently that was fine at mine but split after being sent out and used.
The picture I was sent looked bad.
By the time it arrived back for repair the crack had closed up.
It turns out the stem had been kept in a cupboard next to an oven and had shrank and cracked.
The 3 days out and about with the postal system allowed it to stabilise again and return to shape.
It was a wood I used in the beginning so I was never sure if it would work.
Lesson learned and as it was in the UK so I could do the repair. It now has Blackwood ends.
The MP was fine but it got replaced at the same time.