#903- Figured Koa Tenor Guitar

I have used Mahogany for a few tenor guitars now and have been wanting to make a Koa one. I remember a vintage Weissenborn Koa tenor guitar that I saw some photos of, which inspired me to make this one. The Koa for this project is all Clockmaker’s Koa from the Carpenter Ant stash in Portland. I didn’t expect it to be so fancy, but it did not disappoint. It has a few bug holes and bark inclusions in the sapwood that I filled, reminding us of its life as a tree. The rest of the instrument is curly Maple, which is a good partner for the sapwood. It has steel strings and is tuned DGBE with a sweet and direct tone. It has ladder bracing and responds to the lightest touch. I am very proud of it. As with all my Koa instruments, I will donate to plant more Koa trees here.