#946- Fir and Koa Kingdom Era Soprano Ukulele

This is one of my ukes inspired by my research into the instruments made in the 1890’s by the first three ukulele builders in Hawaii. I haven’t copied one builder, but instead drew inspiration from all three to design my own model. Like the originals, it is made entirely of Fir and Koa, except for the rope binding, which is Maple and Walnut. In order for it to be more useful for modern players, it has geared tuners, a radiused fretboard, strap buttons and fluorocarbon strings. It lives in a handmade Mahogany case with Kapa cloth lining. The sound is bright and cheerful, with nice sustain for a soprano. I look forward to more of these this year. In order to payback for the use of this Hawaiian Koa wood, I will donate to the Hawaii Foodbank.