Standard Wood Choices
Koa |
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Koa is the traditional wood for ukuleles. Grown exclusively in Hawaii, it is increasingly hard to get.
As you can see from the pictures above, Koa is likely the most varied wood with which we work. While most of the sets are acoustically very warm, we can "brighten" the sound of any set through modified internal engineering, and some sets are naturally brighter.
The color of koa can very from reddish, to brown, to tan. And, some sets are very straight-grained while others display heavy curl ($300 upgrade for some highly figured sets).
Koa is a wonderful choice for a 6-string or classic, as the natural warmth of the wood tends to balance the natural brightness of the ukulele (especially those strung in high-g). In a resonator or lap steel, koa is warm enough that it almost masks the tones of the reso-phonic cone.
