For four years now, our friends Lizann and Ken have offered access to their family wood stash in Portland (which we nicknamed the Carpenter Ant stash). Their generosity knows no bounds and we really value the relationship. The tools and wood we have gathered from them (most marked with a “K” or “KLS” for Ken’s initials) have truly kickstarted Beansprout and laid a long term foundation for our family. When she ordered this alto, I had just sliced a quilted maple board that I knew would look amazing for the back and sides. The next time I went to their place, I found this spruce top in a pile of shop scraps. It had her name penciled on it, as Ken had set it aside for a uke for her! The last piece of the puzzle was to pull a cutoff from the building of my work bench for her neck. It was fir from her shed, of course. It feels right to have this uke neck and my workbench connected in this way. The Pistachio fretboard and headplate come from California Orchards, but the rest is from the Carpenter Ant stash. This uke celebrates music, craft, community and friendship, thanks for supplying all, Lizann and Ken.