NUD: Moore Bettah

mnb128

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This post is very long, but not as long as it could be. The instrument and Chuck Moore both deserve chapter and verse worth of praise for the instrument I’m now lucky to own, but I’ll do my best to keep it in check.

The extremely short version is this. I’m now one of the lucky few to own a Moore Bettah, even luckier and even fewer now that he’s slowed down his production, and officially and fully stopped taking custom orders. Pictures are posted below if you want to skip to it.

When I first started playing, not being a musician of any sort, I thought it would be crazy to spend more than a couple hundred bucks on an uke. After all, they’re toy instruments, right? That was my uneducated, ignorant perspective. It only took a month or two of playing before I realized how wrong I was, and I got the itch for something special, really special.

Fast forward some time, and I knew I wanted a custom. I did my research, read a ton of reviews, read through thread after thread of these forums, and I learned there were some exceptional builders out there. However, one of them seemed to have this kind of mythical existence, and I realized that if I were only to have one custom in my life it would be a Chuck Moore built Moore Bettah.

Moving this forward in time, I was fortunate to get on his build list. My uke was scheduled to be built during his second build set this summer.
Then, as many of you know, Chuck ran into some health issues and was forced to completely cut off his custom orders. He sent me the kindest email you could imagine, explaining and apologizing that he wouldn't be able to build my uke.

After that we emailed off and on, sometimes about ukes, but mostly about other things. He's just a super cool guy, and occasionally I'd reach out to see how his recovery was going. I realized I was far less concerned about having a Moore Bettah ukulele than I was about having a good guy like Chuck Moore around.

Fast forward to a couple of months ago, and he posted a photo of 3 ukes in the works. It's the photo attached with three unfinished instruments below. A lot of people, I’m sure, gravitated to the two in front, and rightfully so, but it was the one in the back that caught my eye. As soon as I saw it, I thought, "That's my uke."

Let me be clear. It wasn’t my uke. Chuck didn’t build it for me. He built it for himself without me in mind. As far as I’m aware, he’s still not taking custom orders and doesn’t plan to.

That said, what I’d asked for when he added me to his build list was simple. (That is relative. Nothing Chuck builds is simple.) I wanted 100% koa. Slotted headstock. No elaborate inlay. (I absolutely love his inlays, but, at heart, I’m really just a fan of the traditional look. Classically elegant was the term Chuck used.) I just wanted something built with impeccable craftsmanship that had that Moore Bettah sound. The rest, with the exception of a few small ‘It would be nice to haves,’ I left completely to him. I basically said, ‘Work your magic any way you want to. I know it will be wonderful.’

After seeing the picture he posted of the unfinished ukes, I emailed him right away, kind of embarrassed, cause I really didn't know how he was 'doing business' these days, and I hadn't wanted to bother him when he started putting new ukes out again. It went something like this.

"Hey Chuck. I'm kind of reluctant to ask, but that uke in the back of your recent post looks an awful lot like a classically elegant, koa uke with a slothead. Any chance it's still available?"

A few weeks later, I held my Moore Bettah in my hands for the first time. It's a work of art. Every time I play a note, I'm awed by it.

It’s light as a feather, stunningly beautiful, and sounds as wonderful as it looks. It combines brightness and warmth beautifully and is also well balanced all the way through the highs, mids, and lows, at least to my untrained ears. The sustain and intonation all the way up the neck are impressive as well.

I know he has many people knocking on his door for a chance to own one of his instruments, so I don’t know exactly why he agreed to sell this particular one to me. I think it helped that I was on his build list prior to the building of this uke, but either way, I count myself fortunate that Chuck agreed to allow me to be a part of the MBU Ohana. Even more, I count myself lucky to have gotten to know the man a little bit. There's nothing mythical about him at all. He's just a really great guy that pours his heart and soul into his craft. Those that truly know him, through more than just humorous email exchanges, can probably attest to the great guy he really is.

I don’t have great recording equipment, nor am I a great player, but I may get some sound clips up if there’s interest.

In the meantime, I recommend to anyone that is interested in getting to know a little Moore about the Moore Bettah experience to pick up a copy of ‘Building and Owning a Bettah Ukulele’ by Staci Blevins. It’s not cheap, but, just like the instruments themselves, it's totally worth it. You can find it at the link below.

https://www.blurb.com/b/6910527-building-and-owning-a-bettah-ukulele

I know this was long. Thanks for reading, and for all of you Moore Bettah owners out there, I’m happy to be part of the Ohana.

Aloha,

Matt
 

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Congratulations Matt. Both for being able to own a Moore Bettah tenor, but moore importantly, (couldn't resist) getting to know the builder as a person.

This is a heritage instrument. Enjoy it.
 
Wow, Matt! Your new ukulele is gorgeous!! I prefer classical elegance too, and that's definitely what Chuck gave you...in spades. And such a marvelous story to go along with it. Thank you for sharing it with us. I see a long and beautiful relationship ahead between you and that Moore Bettah uke. So glad it found you.

Jan
 
Congratulations!! It is hard to explain why Chuck’s ukes are special to those who own them. In addition to the obvious sound and looks, it is the soul that Chuck puts into them.. I should do NUD too, but it is hard to put into words all that I feel.
 
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My tastes run similar to yours. I’d want that design more than any of the other pieces of art made by Chuck. I’d play that model whereas the others I see would simply be a very expensive display item. Congratulations!
 
What a heartwarming story! Congratulations, and welcome to the MB family.
 
That is a wonderful story and a stunning uke.

In my head if I had come to the ukulele 5 years earlier, that's the uke by looks and by builder that I'd agonise for months over sending that first email.

Thanks for sharing.
 
Congratulations Matt and welcome to the family. I remember when I received my first MBU and was just amazed at how beautiful it was and equally as important, how great it sounded.

Mitch
 
It's great news that Chuck is still building ukuleles, and that you were able to get one. While of course Chuck's health was the primary concern, I'm sure it had to be a disappointment to have been on the build list, but then learn that it wasn't going to happen. So, this is good news in many ways.

If you do get a chance to post a sound sample, I'd love to hear it. It's a beautiful ukulele. Enjoy it!
 
That’s one spectacularly beautiful ukulele! Would love to hear a sound clip....
 
Chuck is posting his new ukes on his Facebook page....although he will not take custom orders when he post his new ukes on F/B there is a good chance you can get one of them....keep in touch with him and you might get lucky....he is building less than before but glad to see he is still doing what he loves....

Congrats on your new MBU...enjoy!!
 
Thanks everybody for all of the congratulations and kind comments.
@kernaltime I know exactly what you mean. I've been sitting on this NUD for a few weeks. I wasn't even sure if I was gonna do one, to be honest, but in the end I just thought it would be a shame not to share it with the community.

Since a couple of you mentioned that you'd like to hear a sound clip, I've recorded a few and just uploaded them to a SoundCloud playlist. This is the first time I've ever actually attempted to record myself, and I don't feel like the clips do the instrument justice. My recording equipment isn't all that great either. I'm still trying to figure out the best settings, positioning, volume, and all that stuff. Most of the recordings sound a bit muffled to my ears, and there's definitely something missing. In person the uke sounds so vibrant and alive, and it's just not coming through in the clips.

That said, I think the snippet of 'Here Comes the Sun' is the best representation of the real-world magic that is the Moore Bettah sound.

Here's the SoundCloud link: https://soundcloud.com/user-104262065/sets/moore-bettah

I've also attached my absolute favorite picture of the uke. It's one that Chuck posted himself as a sneak peek of the instrument before I got my hands on it. I think it captures the raw beauty and intricate detail of this piece of art perfectly.

Thanks again.
 

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Is chuck still using Ti-Infeld 3&4 with Oasis 1&2? Gorgeous tenor Mnb. I have one Chuck made for my 65th b'day. It's in the book, "Two Feathers". Relieved to know he's doing better.
 
Is chuck still using Ti-Infeld 3&4 with Oasis 1&2? Gorgeous tenor Mnb. I have one Chuck made for my 65th b'day. It's in the book, "Two Feathers". Relieved to know he's doing better.

Hi Pat,

I just found the picture of you with 'Two Feathers' in the book. It's a beautiful instrument.

I don't think Chuck's using the TI and Oasis strings anymore. I think he's cooked up his own concoction. I've got the TI and Oasis string combo on my Farallon and they feel similar but different. Chuck's feel higher tension for one. It's possible that's a result of the slothead, but I don't think so. The wound strings also have a slightly different feel to them. They're smooth and quiet, but not quite as smooth as the TIs in my opinion. Then again, I'm comparing them against strings that have been mounted longer and are more worn in. Whatever he's using, I like the feel, and I can't imagine finding anything that sounds better on this instrument. But, if I didn't have any MB string sets left, the first thing I would mount up is the TI-Oasis Warm combo. I think they'd sound great on it as well.

So, all of that said, they're close enough in feel that I can't be entirely certain one way or the other. How unhelpful is that?! Sorry.
 
Thanks for your wonderful story, especially about the human connection with Chuck. Enjoy your beautiful Ukulele, Chuck's instruments not only look great but have the sweetest sound. :)
 
Congratulations. This type of understated elegance where the wood is the focal piece is my favorite. Enjoy it for a long time.
 
Thanks for posting the sound sample. I was listening to the one on Ukulele Friend this morning, (they have a Moore Bettah for sale), and now yours. The sound is outstanding. And your playing is quite good, too. :)

Enjoy your ukulele.
 
Thanks for posting the sound sample. I was listening to the one on Ukulele Friend this morning, (they have a Moore Bettah for sale), and now yours. The sound is outstanding. And your playing is quite good, too. :)

Enjoy your ukulele.

Thank you. I saw the one on Ukulele Friend and just listened to the sound sample. Mika Kane can play circles around me, and yes that uke sounds wonderful. If you tried to get me on camera playing through just about anything mistake free, it would take you a looooong time.
 
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