Koa Sitka
Sometimes I wind up with incomplete front/back/side sets and then the mix and match situation occurs. Here I have a back and side Koa set that needed a top. Alternative Koa tops are a possibility but usually I place an alternative top on these sets, ie: spruce species, cedar or even redwood. On this Hawaiian tenor ukulele I have used a vertical scratch, bear claw sitka top. I used Oregon curly maple binding and then matched that with a neck of curly maple and Koa. The accents are Vanuatu Maidou burl. The back strip is laser cut petroglyph design and finished flush to wood. The combination of low density Koa and bright sitka top make for a lively instrument.