NUD: Moore Bettah slotted headstock

I haven't played any other uke since getting my Moore Bettah last year. That will now change. I just received my new uke - a Moore Bettah slotted headstock with an offset soundhole. Where the other MB has red crushed velvet curly koa this one has blonde fiddleback koa with a darker curly koa binding. Where the other has a heavy inlay, this one has a simple hibiscus on a slotted headstock. Both the honu and hibiscus were made of dyed maple wood.

But the one theme they both carry is a small honu - in one at the bottom of the fretboard, on the other on the rosette. Both were surprises from Chuck as he knows I love Hawaiian sea turtles. I rather like how it looks like they are swimming to meet each other, one down to the right and the other up and to the left.

I had a bit of a panic when it fell off the USPS grid for about 60 hours and felt a great bit of relief when it arrived only a day late. This one is strung with Oasis Warm and a Fremont Soloist and has a full, rich sound. I have only played it for a minute so I can't speak as to any tonal changes due to the offset soundhole or slotted headstock - though I look forward to conducting lots of testing!! Now just to decide which to take to my new uke class this Saturday. Thanks Chuck for making my dreams come true again. I will treasure these for as long as I live.

Wow, what a pair of beauties. You're not that far from me. Let me know if you want to get together sometimes. I can show you my Hive Hornet and Kinnard Soprano. Would be fun to show-and-tell.

Congratulations!! They're both beautiful! Does the new one have a slightly wider lower bout than the old one, or is it just the way they're posed in the photo of both of them?

Since you're going to a new uke class, maybe you should take the new uke.

Absolutely beautiful. Owning one of these is pretty close to the top of my bucket list!

Congrats Staci !

I guessed you were expecting a new Moore Bettah when you sold off your K-brand ukes. I like the differences between your two Moore Bettahs, the common honu theme is very cool. This has just the right amount of bling for a slotted headstock.

Can't wait to hear it. Happy strumming!

mds725 said:

Does the new one have a slightly wider lower bout than the old one, or is it just the way they're posed in the photo of both of them?

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Half inch wider bout on all my ukes starting earlier this year.

That's one fine look'n uke you got there! Congrats!

Congratulations...... exceptional pair of Ukuleles.... I love the detail and simplicity of the offset hole ...thing like the red line at bottom of slotted heat stock and the honu by the offset sound hole. You have caught lighting in a bottle twice.
Cheers

Congratulations, it is elegant and beautiful!

Mitch

Wow, gorgeous! I love the simple elegance of the new one! :shaka:

Both are very beautiful! Congratulations!

congrats Staci!!

You deserve them!!

That's awesome. Love that they're different, yet similar. Congrats Staci!

I can't think of anyone more deserving than you Staci. The work you put in doing the script on Moore Bettahs alone shows how dedicated you are to MB's. Congratulations bigtime. Chuck you just get better and better. I feel blessed everytime I play Two Feathers.

Aloha Staci,
Congratulations you lucky gal, what an awesome twosome of mbs now.. happy strummings..

Congrats Staci! Very pretty uke!

As expected, it looks even better than the progress pics Staci. I hope that you are going to bring it along with you come October so I can get a first hand look. And Chuck, interesting on the change to your lower bouts. Is there a big difference in the sound? Projection? Volume? Resonance?

Well done!

Congrats, Staci. Stunning! Different, but both beautiful works of art.

Thank you so much everyone for the kind words. I am so in love with it. Btw, while I know naming ukes is considered silly by some, I always do. I was planning on naming it Pukalaha'ole (for unusual hole) due to the offset soundhole. My spouse made a series of juvenile jokes at the name's expense and that quickly put an end to that! So it is is Kula Leo for golden voice. Right out of the box, it surely has the prettiest and fullest sound of any uke I have ever played, including the other MB.

Patrick Madsen said:

I can't think of anyone more deserving than you Staci. The work you put in doing the script on Moore Bettahs alone shows how dedicated you are to MB's. Congratulations bigtime. Chuck you just get better and better. I feel blessed everytime I play Two Feathers.

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That is so sweet of you to say Pat. That book project was a labor of love. Thank you (and everyone else that participated) so much for contributing. Your story in particular is one that resonated deeply with me. I'm just so glad that Chuck enjoyed receiving it.

dkcrown said:

As expected, it looks even better than the progress pics Staci. I hope that you are going to bring it along with you come October so I can get a first hand look. And Chuck, interesting on the change to your lower bouts. Is there a big difference in the sound? Projection? Volume? Resonance?

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You bet Dana! I was actually just measuring it for a Calton case because I thought it wouldn't fit in my old one -- which I use everytime I fly anything other than Hawaiian Airlines. For Hawaiian, I use fiberglass Kamoa cases (because they always let me store it in the overhead) but I always take the Calton on other carriers (even though I'm gonna insist on the overhead worst case scenario a Calton could be checked). Since we are taking American to Boston I wanted a Calton for it. I did all the measurements and was about to place my order when something told me to try it in the old one -- yep it fits. That extra 1/2" I thought made it too big, in fact, Chuck and I tried it at his house. But it does fit very snug inside and that saved me a boatload of money on a new case. So yes, it will definitely come by to say hi to your MBs this October! BTW, our Red Sox are killing me. We finally win a couple of games only to lose Pedroia to the DL. Sigh. Looking forward to seeing you my friend!