Custom Ukuleles..

mm stan

Mystery Man
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Something about them and having them being built for you personally
gives that personal touch...having owned a few in the past, I am waiting for mine ...Who are you most favorite custom builders and why...and how does it feel to play it ..
What do you like about yours the most? I want one that has a connection with me and keeping it to my last breath, not just a off the rack premimum ukulele.:)
 
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Hey Stan,
As you know I am completely in love with my Compass Rose....every time I pick it up I am still thrilled with the tone... it is a great pleasure to listen to while I strum and pick, and play as well...... I have hopes of keeping it and playing it for the rest of my life.... I feel like it will grown with me....
 
Hey Stan,
As you know I am completely in love with my Compass Rose....every time I pick it up I am still thrilled with the tone... it is a great pleasure to listen to while I strum and pick, and play as well...... I have hopes of keeping it and playing it for the rest of my life.... I feel like it will grown with me....


I love my Koa Compass Rose so much..i just ordered another CR from Rick Turner..style C tenor with macassar tonewood and a sinker redwood top..12 frets to the body..i like the bridge lower in the sweet spot..i think you get a nicer fuller sound..especially with the CR's

but like Stan>> you never know how it is going to sound..but that is why you pick a builder with all kinds of knowledge
and who knows what he is doing..i will never let my custom ukes go..
 
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Hey Stan,
As you know I am completely in love with my Compass Rose....every time I pick it up I am still thrilled with the tone... it is a great pleasure to listen to while I strum and pick, and play as well...... I have hopes of keeping it and playing it for the rest of my life.... I feel like it will grown with me....

Aloha D,
I hear Great things about Rick Turner and Compass Rose....many like you absoultely love theirs... I know Rick makes the finest sounding ukuleles around I heard, but none I have seen or heard here in hawaii....He is a true master and builds with great consistancy I hear... One day...I hope he hears me.. Ricky you there...Hee Hee
 
Aloha Bruddah,
First off, what constitutes a Custom? Woods, bindings, and bling?
For me I took a different approach. A Custom to me is a one off, something that I wanted for a long time, some 40 years or better in the making in my mind. That all came to an exciting climax when Willie Wixom helped me realize my dream.
It may not be the best in the world, but for me the connection between us is more than I can convey in writing. It has the best sustain of any and all ukes that I played. It was a huge hit when I took it to Waikiki to show it to the group S.O.S., and Troy Fenandez himself was impressed with the looks, sound, and playability. Forgot my camera though, shucks.
Anyway, should be good reading on this thread....................................BO............................
Oh, my B&D Special and Southcoast G-650s are made for each other.............
 
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Aloha D,
I hear Great things about Rick Turner and Compass Rose....many like you absoultely love theirs... I know Rick makes the finest sounding ukuleles around I heard, but none I haveseen or heard here in hawaii....He is a true master and builds with great consistancy I hear... One day...I hope he hears me.. Ricky you there...Hee Hee


Hey Stan don't forget i move back to Oahu in Jan..you show my yours and i show you mines Haha
i get my Devine Koa tenor sometime in 2014..
 
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I love my two Mya-Moes, but they're not "true" custom ukes. They're made-to-0order ukes in which I had say in some aspects -- wood selection, the use of binding and rosette -- but no say over the structural or design stuff like body shape and bracing that arguably makes an ukulele truly custom. (Gordon Mayer has said more than once that May-Moes are more "made to order" than "custom.") I'm not sure I'll ever sit down with a luthier and design an ukulele from scratch, or say "I want this sound and could you devise a design that does this?" I selected Mya-Moe because I wanted ukes with the "Mya-Moe sound," and I'd probably do that again for any other luthier with whom I worked. (I also have a Willie Wixom, but I bought it "off the rack," so it wasn't made for me.)

Having said that, and without trying to sidetrack this thread into a discussion of what constitutes "custom" and what constitutes something other than custom, like "made to order," it was thrilling to have ukuleles made for me, even if my input was limited to cosmetics, and to participate in the process of making choices about what my ukulele would look and, to a lesser extent, sound like. And my Mya-Moes have met and exceeded my expectations of what I wanted from them. I imagine I'll someday buy another ukulele that was made for me, even if the design differs little from the design of other ukuleles made by the same luthier.
 
Aloha D,
I hear Great things about Rick Turner and Compass Rose....many like you absoultely love theirs... I know Rick makes the finest sounding ukuleles around I heard, but none I have seen or heard here in hawaii....He is a true master and builds with great consistancy I hear... One day...I hope he hears me.. Ricky you there...Hee Hee

I'll bring mine to the Oahu festival next year . . . but you'll have to come out to play it :)
 
Aloha Bruddah,
First off, what constitutes a Custom? Woods, bindings, and bling?
For me I took a different approach. A Custom to me is a one off, something that I wanted for a long time, some 40 years or better in the making in my mind. That all came to an exciting climax when Willie Wixom helped me realize my dream.
It may not be the best in the world, but for me the connection between us is more than I can convey in writing. It has the best sustain of any and all ukes that I played. It was a huge hit when I took it to Waikiki to show it to the group S.O.S., and Troy Fenandez himself was impressed with the looks, sound, and playability. Forgot my camera though, shucks.
Anyway, should be good reading on this thread....................................BO............................
Aloha Bruddah Bo,
I hear you, some builders choose to stay within their parameters and go for adornments and bling where they are most comfortable in.....that way they guarantee themselves that their ukes
will sound like their ukes....I guess it a thing with pride and carrying on a good name standing and reputation.....So good you found Willie, he is very accomadating and willing to go outside
his comfort zone to please his clients....
 
Aloha Len,
I may have to replenish my custom ukes then...ha ha sold more so I can get more.....looking for the best man...I know, sometimes you just know some ukes don't match you...
 
July? I'll be there in July also. What's the date?
I'll be on Maui on the 26th of this month...........
 
I love my two Mya-Moes, but they're not "true" custom ukes. They're made-to-0order ukes in which I had say in some aspects -- wood selection, the use of binding and rosette -- but no say over the structural or design stuff like body shape and bracing that arguably makes an ukulele truly custom. (Gordon Mayer has said more than once that May-Moes are more "made to order" than "custom.") I'm not sure I'll ever sit down with a luthier and design an ukulele from scratch, or say "I want this sound and could you devise a design that does this?" I selected Mya-Moe because I wanted ukes with the "Mya-Moe sound," and I'd probably do that again for any other luthier with whom I worked. (I also have a Willie Wixom, but I bought it "off the rack," so it wasn't made for me.)

Having said that, and without trying to sidetrack this thread into a discussion of what constitutes "custom" and what constitutes something other than custom, like "made to order," it was thrilling to have ukuleles made for me, even if my input was limited to cosmetics, and to participate in the process of making choices about what my ukulele would look and, to a lesser extent, sound like. And my Mya-Moes have met and exceeded my expectations of what I wanted from them. I imagine I'll someday buy another ukulele that was made for me, even if the design differs little from the design of other ukuleles made by the same luthier.


I have a Mya Moe and a Kamaka HF3 special that really are not customs but i did have input on woods,binding, etc..and it was made just for me..so i feel differently about these ukes than my production off the rack ones..

i dont know if you order a custom uke that you design it yourself..i want the builder to put all his(know how) into it more than me..that is why i am willing to pay him for his great work..
 
I love my two Mya-Moes, but they're not "true" custom ukes. They're made-to-0order ukes in which I had say in some aspects -- wood selection, the use of binding and rosette -- but no say over the structural or design stuff like body shape and bracing that arguably makes an ukulele truly custom. (Gordon Mayer has said more than once that May-Moes are more "made to order" than "custom.") I'm not sure I'll ever sit down with a luthier and design an ukulele from scratch, or say "I want this sound and could you devise a design that does this?" I selected Mya-Moe because I wanted ukes with the "Mya-Moe sound," and I'd probably do that again for any other luthier with whom I worked. (I also have a Willie Wixom, but I bought it "off the rack," so it wasn't made for me.)

Having said that, and without trying to sidetrack this thread into a discussion of what constitutes "custom" and what constitutes something other than custom, like "made to order," it was thrilling to have ukuleles made for me, even if my input was limited to cosmetics, and to participate in the process of making choices about what my ukulele would look and, to a lesser extent, sound like. And my Mya-Moes have met and exceeded my expectations of what I wanted from them. I imagine I'll someday buy another ukulele that was made for me, even if the design differs little from the design of other ukuleles made by the same luthier.

Aloha Mark,
What is most important I think is getting a uke build just for you that fits and sounds great with great playability...and if you have a direct bond and connection with it....you will know
almost instantly as you buy more and gain experience on what you want and ideas....
 
Aloha Bruddah Gary,

We'll see if my health holds out....but I will certainly try...any peekchas of your compass rose that will tempt me more....LOL


Hey Stan Gary's CR going to be unreal..he has it built with Rick Turner's favorite soundboard and tonewood..lots of bling too..kind of different but nice!!
 
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Aloha Bruddah Gary,

We'll see if my health holds out....but I will certainly try...any peekchas of your compass rose that will tempt me more....LOL

Still waiting on delivery.

It's in the spray booth so it won't be long now. I'll definitely post some pics.
 
I have a Mya Moe and a Kamaka HF3 special that really are not customs but i did have input on woods,binding, etc..and it was made just for me..so i feel differently about these ukes than my production off the rack ones..

i dont know if you order a custom uke that you design it yourself..i want the builder to put all his(know how) into it more than me..that is why i am willing to pay him for his great work..

Aloha Len,
I believe in giving a builders like Chuckie and Toni artistic freedom and do as they choose because their good at what they do....in sound preformance and asthetics.....Call them Masters at their craft......
 
Aloha Len,
I believe in giving a builders like Chuckie and Toni artistic freedom and do as they choose because their good and what they do....in sound preformance and asthetics.....Call them Masters at their craft......

Hey Stan..

Kind of interesting..Toni learned how to build ukes in Hawaii(hana lima) and lives in San Francisco..and Chuck grew up in San Francisco and builds ukes in Hawaii..i like that Bay Area connection.. i live in the bay area too..as does 5/6 posters on this thread..ha ha
 
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