What wood is this?

[Jeanpaul]

Aloha, luthier masters!

I came across this Ko'olau cs on Reverb. The seller says it's koa b/s and he did call the tel number on Ko'lau website to get this answer. However, I don't think a Ko'olau cs tenor would use koa like this grade. Then I dialed that number again, and got exactly the same answer. What's more confusing is that the person on the other end of the telephone said it's from 2019, while I believe it's from 2015. The serial number is 191815. I've checked the telephone number, it surely is the same number on the website of Ko'olau.

So is this koa? Anyone with any input? I might be wrong, but very curious to know the answer. Looks a little bit like milo to me.

Mahalo,
Jean

 

[JJohansen]

I am 99% sure that is Koa.

 

[Sporky]

It looks like very plain koa. Might sound great though.
Have you any reason to distrust Koolau? I don't know why our input would be better than theirs or why you think it's from 2015

 

[Michael Smith]

Looks like Koa though it's possibly Black Acacia or Australian Blackwood. Certain specimens of those three can be indistinguishable.

 

[Pegasus Guitars]

Definitely not milo. Milo looks nothing like that. It could be one of the species that Mike Smith mentioned, but almost certainly it is koa. I see koa like that everyday. It's not curly, but not that plain either.-Bob

 

[Jeanpaul]

Thanks for all these input!

Koa accepted. I was expecting it to be more curly or some flaming pattern though, it's a Ko'olau cs uke! At least I know it's not that plain, Hahaha Thank you all, Bob and Michael and JJohansen and Sporky.

As to the numbers, I have been hunting for Ko'olaus recently, and I think the last two numbers are the year of made. You might agree with me if you google some Ko'olau ukes, Spoky. But it doesn't matter, you sure need not go into this.

 

[Jeanpaul]

Just found another pic of the same uke, any chances of some rosewood?

Thanks,
Jean

 

[Red Cliff]

Just found another pic of the same uke, any chances of some rosewood?

Thanks,
Jean
View attachment 137569

Nope, still Koa.

 

[lauburu]

Koa

 

[John Colter]

Jeanpaul,

After all you've been told and the responses you have read here, you should be convinced by now. Why do you wish to believe this is something other than Koa?

 

[Timbuck]

I recon it's "virtual Koa"

 

[Jeanpaul]

After I have read here, I found the former owner on Reverb posted it writing rosewood, with the pic I attached above. I thought the light when taking pictures might be baffling, so I asked twice.

I believe the original price of this uke is around $4k, and most of the Ko'olau cs model I saw are using very culy or flaming koa. I'm not distrusing anyone, it's just a little weird.

 

[Jeanpaul]

Hey, Guys!
I finally found this, please check this link.

Ko'olau CS Spruce Rosewood Slothead Tenor

This is one of the most phenomenal ukes you will find. It is a custom build from Noa Bonk at Ko'olau.

theukulelesite.com

These guys could be wrong, but I just breathed a sigh of relief.
My bad for not having all these infomation provided at the first time when I posted this thread, but I was digging then.

Jean

 

[sequoia]

Interesting that the site says, "The back and sides are beautiful South American rosewood ..." Not sure what "South American Rosewood" is but I believe that would be Brazilian Rosewood and isn't that subject to restrictions on where it can be sold?

 

[Jeanpaul]

Interesting that the site says, "The back and sides are beautiful South American rosewood ..." Not sure what "South American Rosewood" is but I believe that would be Brazilian Rosewood and isn't that subject to restrictions on where it can be sold?

So I've seen many ukes on the site or on other sites selling ukes with South American rosewood, or Amazon Rosewood, sometimes Bolivian rosewood. How could one tell which is whch? Sry for my curiosity.

Jean

 

[sequoia]

What the wood is different from "Brazilian rosewood" (Dalbergia nigra) and does not come under the same restrictions.

Common Name(s): Amazon Rosewood

Scientific Name: Dalbergia spruceana