Doc_J
Well-known member
FS Rare by Steve van Pelt
In an hard effort to reduce my collection, I’m offering a rare and splendid Koa/Sinker Redwood custom tenor built by the late Steve Van Pelt. I’m 100% sure I can let it go. It’s gorgeous, lightly built, and sings loud, resonate, warm and clear. Unfortunately, Steve didn’t build many ukes. But the ones he built were great sounding instrument, with the good looks to match the voice.
$1500 + shipping.
Here’s video by the late, great MGM discovering Steve at the 2012 Reno Uke Fest Show, and playing this very tenor.
Here’s a very recent sound sample
https://app.box.com/s/qkoo0g1bp4iczlk2qdildi16r7wi8mtm
There are some small flaws from the builder that keep this fabulous uke from visual perfection:
1) Some strum marks on the lower upper bout.
2) A bit of glue residue on the back of the headstock.
3) On the back, treble side, lower bout, there is rice-sized mid finishing ding. The luthier filled it and finished over it.
Detailed Specifications
P1070016 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150516092@N02/, on Flickr
P1070027 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150516092@N02/, on Flickr
P1070024 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150516092@N02/, on Flickr
P1070021 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150516092@N02/, on Flickr
In an hard effort to reduce my collection, I’m offering a rare and splendid Koa/Sinker Redwood custom tenor built by the late Steve Van Pelt. I’m 100% sure I can let it go. It’s gorgeous, lightly built, and sings loud, resonate, warm and clear. Unfortunately, Steve didn’t build many ukes. But the ones he built were great sounding instrument, with the good looks to match the voice.
$1500 + shipping.
Here’s video by the late, great MGM discovering Steve at the 2012 Reno Uke Fest Show, and playing this very tenor.
Here’s a very recent sound sample
https://app.box.com/s/qkoo0g1bp4iczlk2qdildi16r7wi8mtm
There are some small flaws from the builder that keep this fabulous uke from visual perfection:
1) Some strum marks on the lower upper bout.
2) A bit of glue residue on the back of the headstock.
3) On the back, treble side, lower bout, there is rice-sized mid finishing ding. The luthier filled it and finished over it.
Detailed Specifications
- Body length: 11-7/8" Overall length: 26-1/2"
- Upper bout: 7", Waist:5-3/16"Lower bout: 9-1/4"
- Nut width: 1-7/16"
- Neck at 14th fret connection: 1-7/8"
- Back/Sides: lightly curly koa with a sapwood center on the back.
- Top: sinker redwood with racing stripes.
- Neck: one piece Spanish cedar. Two carbon fiber reinforcement rods. Thin and fast. Cross dowelled and glued bolt on. Stainless steel bolt and washer.
- Koa backstrap on top of .010" black veneer.
- Peghead veneer is spalted maple to match endgraft.
- Headstock is bound with koa and black/pearwood/black purfling to match fretboard and body.
- Fretboard: East Indian Rosewood, bound with koa and black/pearwood/black purfling. Koa 12th fret dot on face of fretboard. Side dots at 3,5,7,10 and 12 are a black circle surrounding glow in the dark centers. Fretwire is Stewmac #764 small mando wire. Fretwire ends are fully polished.
- Tuners: Gotoh Ukulele tuning machines, nickel with black button, 15:1.
- Soundhole binding and side soundport binding is black fiber.
- Body binding: cut by luthier, so the koa bindings are both bookmatched side to side and sistered top to bottom. The same on the fretboard and headstock. The purfling is all .040" (10/20/10) black pearwood/black. Purfling on top, back, sides and endgraft. Fretboard and peghead, too, of course.
- Bridge: 12 hole bridge of Brazilian rosewood.
- Nut and saddle: polished bone. Nut is 1-7/16" with 1-1/8" string spacing. Strings are 1-11/16" at the saddle.
- Heel cap: koa
- Rosette: Same as purfling, B/P/B. Segmented rosette inlayed into top with mitered corners. The centers of the cells are empty to let the redwood shine through.
- Bridge patch is spruce
- Bracing: all bracing is hand split Sitka spruce from Prince William Island in Alaska. Luthier split it to be perfectly quartered and free from runout. There are 3 back braces. The top has a brace in the upper bout and one at the waist. There are 5 light fan braces. One small brace > on each side of the sound hole. Back seam reinforcement is spruce.
- Kerfed linings are Spanish cedar.
- Finish: Cardinal brand UV gloss finish, leveled and buffed to a mirror like finish. It goes on at .001 per coat before leveling/buffing. There are 4 coats on the top and 6 on the back and sides.
- 12" radius fretboard
- Currently strung with Oasis Warms
- Comes with Oahu hardcase
P1070016 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150516092@N02/, on FlickrP1070027 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150516092@N02/, on FlickrP1070024 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150516092@N02/, on FlickrP1070021 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/150516092@N02/, on Flickr
