#301- Myrtle Alto Ukulele

Wabi-Sabi is a Japanese phrase that describes an aesthetic that features asymmetry, imperfection, impermanence and uniqueness over the clean and symmetrical lines in Western art.  In this case, I chose wood that others would have thrown out due to imperfections and featured those imperfections as part of the design.  Specifically, you can see the top and back have a big knot that would have normally exiled this myrtle to the scrap bin.  On the top, I put the knot in the soundhole and on the back I reinforced it and placed it in the middle.  The neck is made from old growth Douglas Fir floor boards with nail holes that are filled.  It shows the floor board's utilitarian origins as they progress to their new job of making music.  All of these "flaws" are solid and stable and do not hamper the sound or playability at all.  In fact, they serve to create a unique artistic statement that is my own small tribute to the concept of Wabi-Sabi.