Koa top combos?

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tangimango

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• Dec 5, 2017

• #1

Aloha, so we know an all koa ukulele are the norms for pretty much all.k brands and customs. But...

Has Anyone built a ukulele with a koa top and different back and sides?

Example.... Koa top/mahogany back and sides,, koa top and ebony b&s. Koa top and brazillian rosewood b&s. Etc, etc.

 

anthonyg

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• Dec 5, 2017

• #2

Mele ukuleles sell some ukuleles with Koa tops and Mahogany back and sides.

 

Michael Smith

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• Dec 5, 2017

• #3

What about walnut with a koa top. Same sound very beautiful combo. I'm pretty sure I have built a couple like that a long time ago.

 

sequoia

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• Dec 6, 2017

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A couple years back I built a koa and mahogany back and sides uke that the player loves. Turned out really sweet.

 

DownUpDave

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• Dec 7, 2017

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I didn't build this but I own it. Curly koa top and flamed maple back and sides. Sounds great, very even tone strummed or picked.

View attachment 105089

 

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Sven

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• Dec 7, 2017

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I'm sure it works great but to me, a ukulele with a hardwood top looks better with matching back and sides. If I ever mix the combo is always a softwood top on hardwood back and sides. Maybe I'm just limited by the weight of tradition in the guitar world. Or scratch that maybe, I am limited by the tradition.

 

DownUpDave

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• Dec 7, 2017

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Sven said:

I'm sure it works great but to me, a ukulele with a hardwood top looks better with matching back and sides. If I ever mix the combo is always a softwood top on hardwood back and sides. Maybe I'm just limited by the weight of tradition in the guitar world. Or scratch that maybe, I am limited by the tradition.

Click to expand...

Tradition is hard to break away from. My other tenors are spruce-rosewood, spruce-cocobolo, spruce-myrtle, redwood-walnut. The above koa-maple holds its own in the sound department, this I did not expect. I also never liked the look of a dark top with a light back until this one. Old dogs new tricks, who knew.