Posts
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…
Front and Back Petroglyph
On this Hawaiian tenor ukulele I have taken an old theme and applied it to the front and back. This is the last full set of this particular Koa that I have and the laser cut petroglyph design really shows up well in the sap wood. In case…
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…
Sassy Sassafras
This wood is Tasmanian Black Heart Sassafras. I've been looking for some to use on an ukulele for some time and scored this piece from an unmatched guitar set. The spalting (dark colored wood) is created by a fungus, giving very piece…
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…
Double Up and Catch Up!
For some odd reason there seems to be a renewed interest in double sound hole and asymmetric sound hole instruments. After the rapid sale of the last double puka tenor, I quickly got to work on another. This instrument is a new Koa wood…
Inside the Box, Part 1
No rules, but some basic principles to follow. My mentor, John Greven, has stated in some of his articles that the premise for bracing may have been more for strength rather than sound. This subject could be debated for ions and I am…
and, Koa to you!
Here's another custom ukulele with Koa from the island of Maui. You don't get Koa from Maui often, and I consider myself lucky to have found this.
I have used a Koa and curly Maple laminate neck. Since it is so difficult to find solid…
She’s a real cutie, a Mexican beauty. . . . .
I need to write Jimmy Buffett and give him these words--could be the making of a great song.
Here is a new instrument made from Mexican Palo Escrito (a genuine rosewood). This is one of those "off the grid" woods that hasn't been over…
More Black
I haven't been able to keep one of these instruments for too long. After the last sold, I started a new one and decided to keep it a little more conservative--meaning, no beetle holes. Here is that effort. Of course the body is solid Black…
