Posts

As Good as Gold

This is still one of my favorite wood combinations for the Hawaiian Ukulele:  curly Hawaiian Koa and curly Black Walnut.  The wood densities are a close match for sound and the color contrast makes for an appealing…

Killer Koa and Bear Claw Sitka

Here's a new instrument with very specific requests.  The Koa is absolutely killer.   The shape is my Hula Hips Tenor with a lower bout at approximately 10.5 inches.   Stephen selected this cool bear claw top wood of Alaskan Sitka Spruce.…

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…

Jonah Price Ukulele Review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDqYASj_kmY&feature=youtu.be

Koa and Mango

Here's a Hawaiian Ukulele with a Koa/Mango combination.  I've used some of my spalted mango for the back strip and sound hole rosette.  I was going to use mango binding but opted for a curly off-color maple which matched well.  The neck…

Kompression Kurl Koa Kauai

Just in:  premium compression curl Koa from the island of Kauai.   Couldn't wait to clean it up a bit and show ya'll.  It is really interesting to see how this wood grows in the different environments of the islands.  This particular Koa…

New Premium Koa

Two weeks ago I purchased this Koa from a local wood supplier who had been storing this wood for the last 15-20 years.  Who knows how old it was before this individual purchased it.   The billet was a bit pricey but what quality Koa isn't…

Cut, Color and Curl

In the old days (????) this type of Koa might have been common place. Now days it is a rarity to have the privilage to work with this type of wood.   This Hawaiian tenor ukulele  exhibits Koa with perfect Cut--meaning quarter sawn or vertical…

New Koa Tenor

Missed my weekly update so here is a midweek showing of a new Koa Tenor.  I'm using a new urethane finish and it has a little tint like lacquer.  The instrument is all Koa.  I have used curly maple binding to accent and have a koa/curly maple/koa…

Double Puka Koa Tenor

I have built a number of double puka ukes in the past but for some reason they are not high on the list of requests.  I was totally re- motivated after seeing HAPA this year though and thought it was high time to make another.  Here are a…