Domestic Woods Super Tenor Ukulele - Custom Build-Sold
I still love Koa. Who doesn’t? But, custom ukulele builders are continuing to explore the appearances and tonal possibilities of instruments made with alternative domestic woods. Here is another Port Orford Cedar and Claro Walnut combo–the Domestic Woods Super Tenor Ukulele.
Not Koa.
The Woods
The soundboard is Port Orford Cedar. This stump salvage wood has the 3 C’s: cut, color and curl. It does have to be braced special for the curl factor similar to curly redwood. It exhibits beautiful warmish tones across the scale and is not lacking for volume.
Stump salvage Port Orford Cedar sound board.
The back and sides are Claro Walnut. Another beautiful domestic wood exhibiting the 3 C’s. This is the second to last set of this particular look that I have with the last set in construction now. BUT WAIT! I have some new stock that’s going to be killer.
Curly Claro Walnut back and sides.
I’ve built a lot of walnut instruments over the years with a variety of soundboard materials and I believe that I have liked them all. For some reason, this also seems to be the hot ukulele wood of the year.
The neck is also Claro Walnut. Why not. I don’t get this kind of stock often. It’s a solid, one piece neck and exhibits a bit of curl and matching color. It has a sanded finish not glossy
Claro Walnut neck.
The Accent Pieces are Maple Burl. Keeping it domestic again.
Maple Burl accent pieces.
The fret board and bridge are Munn Ebony. Okay, I slipped here. We were thinking originally of a curly maple fret board but didn’t think that the coloration matched that of the POC top very well. Instead, this chocolate brown ebony from Asia filled the bill pretty well.
Munn Ebony finger board and bridge.
The Binding. Had to have a little curly Koa Aloha with maple/black fiber purfling to keep it clean looking.
Curly Koa binding with maple/black purfling.
The Rest of the Build
Strings: Pepe Romero flourocarbon with wound low “G”.
Tuners: Gotoh UPT’s in black. These are not friction tuners.
Fret Markers: White mother of pearl.
Nut and Saddle: bone.
Bracing: Alaska Denim Spruce.
Case: Crossrock Fiberglass.
I think that’s it, your basic Domestic Woods Super Tenor Ukulele. Well, almost!
