Moonscape Myrtle Wood Tenor Ukulele

 

Steve specifically requested a Moonscape Myrtle Wood Tenor Ukulele. He was infatuated with the amazing variety of appearances in Myrtle Wood and totally open for a combination of woods, so we came up with this instrument with a curly Koa Sound Board and a Moonscape Myrtle Wood back and sides.  I really don’t know how else to describe this beautiful wood–burly, curly, and moonscape.  The colors went together very well but I was most enthusiastic about the balance of of the densities of these two woods.  I felt that the finished instrument would have a big full and mid-range tonality.  The koa top, besides being very curly, was very light in weight and of low density–think Cedar or Redwood.  The Myrtle Wood back and sides had about the same weight and density but had more rigidity and a brighter tap tone–a perfect match.

I used a curly, chocolate Koa binding, and a natural maple and black fiber purfling to accent.  The neck is Honduran Mahogany with a bridge and finger board of India Ebony.  Just a note here:  the India Ebony seems to be one of the blackest of the ebonies available at the present time.  It seems to me to be a little softer than the African species but I can’t complain about the quality and appearance of this wood.

The accent wood is Oregon Black Walnut Burl.  The tuners are Gotoh and the strings are my GHS cust0m flourocarbon with Sarah’s low “G”.  

Steve texted me a week after receiving this instrument:  “Man this ukulele is amazing.  The aromatic wood smell is so cool.” Wel, I’m not sure that smell is a criteria for greatness, but I am using Port Orforad Cedar for kerfing now and I agree, it does smell great. This instrument will open up to be really big.  Thanks for the kudos Steve!