" Wild Koa" Tenor
Solid Koa w/Abalone
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Click on pictures to enlarge.
This koa tenor is sort of one a kind. It is not a look I have ever seen before. There is curl in the middle, tiny knots, clear caramel colored pools down low and an almost burl pattern at the top.
The abalone rosette is a little larger than I normally use, but Rescue Pearl did a great job of matching the pieces so the joints are almost invisible.
This was supposed to offered for sale at Island Bazaar, but the owner decided that had to keep it for herself.
The back matches the front. I skipped my usual back strip, because I didn't want to mess up the flow of this gorgeous wood.
The binding is a very narrow faux tortoise shell. This was my first time working with plastic binding. It was easier than I thought it would be.
The accents are Brown Mallee Burl. Instead of having "eyes" this piece of burl has more of a paisley look. Bookmatching the back strap brings out some really nice patterns.
The neck is black walnut with a carbon fiber truss rod instead of the classic mahogany. The walnut had a better tap tone than the mahogany and I thought it might make this uke even a little more special.
The fingerboard and bridge are Gaboon Ebony. Nut and saddle are natural water buffalo bone.
As always, there is a side soundport. The sides match the top and back very nicely.
The sound of this uke is very mellow and warm, yet still projects very well.
