New Pohaku "Yellow Label" Ukes

I have been admiring Pohaku ukulele's for a long time and I regularly check Peter Hurney's (http://www.pohakuukulele.com/) website. Today I noticed he had a couple new instruments that he is selling for a good bit less than he usually has sold similar models for. Apparently, he is making use of a new-to-him finishing technique on his smaller instruments that in addition to suiting them better is significantly easier to apply and thus significantly brings the cost down. He is calling these his Yellow Label instruments.

I just happen to be looking for a new soprano uke and have been desiring a Pohaku for quite some time so grabbed the soprano he listed , but there is still a concert 10 up there (that I was VERY tempted by as well).

The prices on these are UNBELIEVABLE considering that these are very high quality, very unique, bespoke instruments made by a very well regarded uke builder. I can't wait for my new soprano to arrive!

(P.S. With all the links I included I just realized this post looks a little like a Pohaku advertisment. FWIW, I don't know Peter beyond having just exchanged a couple emails with him this morning and I have never owned a Pohaku uke. I'm just a long time admirer of his work and am REALLY excited about the new uke I will be getting.)

Congrats on your new soprano! Thanks for letting us know about the Yellow Label models now available, too! Pohaku ukes are absolutely awesome! Years ago, I used to own a pearwood tenor that I purchased from a member, here, on the Marketplace. I reluctantly re-homed the ukulele only as I discovered that the nut width is a bit too wide for my hands due to having wrist tendonitis.

My head was certainly turned by the pheasantwood soprano, although sadly it's well beyond my reach. Quite beautiful instruments; I'd not heard of the brand before.

BigJackBrass said:

My head was certainly turned by the pheasantwood soprano, although sadly it's well beyond my reach. Quite beautiful instruments; I'd not heard of the brand before.

Click to expand...

I first ran across his instruments when someone was selling a used one in the marketplace. I looked up some sound samples on YouTube, went to his website and immediatly fell in love with his instruments. Take a look at his gallery. He has done some really cool unique things, unlike any builder I've ever seen.

I like how his back side extends up to cover the heel (I think that's what it's doing.. but images keeps cycling, so I can't be sure).

Looks like someone snapped up the Concert 10!

I was really admiring that soprano earlier today. I love his builds. He has a great eye for detail and his designs are very artistic. Let us know how it is once you get it.

EDW said:

I was really admiring that soprano earlier today. I love his builds. He has a great eye for detail and his designs are very artistic. Let us know how it is once you get it.

Click to expand...

Sure will. I'll post a NUD after I get it. I know I've chatted with you about how I've been wanting a second nice soprano. I'd been going back and forth over one of Pop's KoAloha UkeSAHawaii sopranos, a vintage Kamaka, a used Kepasa Madeira someone on the forum has for sale, a Kepasa Hollywood concert on Reverb, and entertaining the idea ordering a Wunderkammer. I actually started my hunt out really wanting a Pohaku and had been checkinig the site reguarly to see if he would post any basic mahogany sopranos. I had no idea that he had a new finishing process that would drop the price so much. In the past the simplest sopranos have been more like $800 or $850 (which is still a lot of bang for the buck).

I'll admit, I almost passed on it because being mahogany soprano it is fairly similar to my Weyman and part of me wanted to get something a little more different..in koa or with a softwood top or something. But at the end of the day I love a good mahogany soprano and while this is certainly inspired by vintage Martins in it's build it is obviously not a copy, has Mr. Hurnery's unqiue styling, and I'm sure will have it's own voice. I think it will be just different enough. The 13 frets to the body is insteresting. To my surprise, I've come to realize that that I like 12 to the body better than 14 to the body, but I think I'll like the 13 just fine. One extra note and just a little extra space up around the 12th.

I must say I spent a lot of time listening to Kepasa sound samples over the past few weeks and came aways REALLY wanting one of those someday too. They are pricier but, oh my, do they sound amazing.

Peter has two more of these up. Another mahogany soprano and a walnut spruce concert 10. He has raised the price some (I think the first two he might have been testing the waters a bit), but at $700 and $800 they are still heck of great deals.

http://www.pohakuukulele.com/for-sale

No affiliation. Just a fan trying to promote a builder that I adore. I love mine more every day.

The film short on his website of a build process was a joy to watch!!

I love that video. I like this one too where he talks about how when your selling 16oz of wood to someone for a large sum of money there can be no excuses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUnl3Xe26_M

I just love his whole approach. He is so creative and has such and eye for original design, but still can make a excellent traditional looking and sounding ukulele. For me, mine is the perfect balance of traditional and not so traditional. It has been an excellent UAS remedy except in one respect. It's made me really want to order a custom designed uke from him some day.

I do wish I had had a better mic for all those sound sample/string tests I recorded. That combined with my not so great playing just doesn't begin to do the instrument justice. I'm half tempted to re-record them someday when I get a better mic and pull the existing ones down, just because if there are sound samples of his instruments floating around out there, I feel like they should better reflect just how lovely sounding an instrument it is. I would hate for someone to run across them and decide not too buy one of his ukes just because my not so great recording quality didn't make the instrument sound as good as it is...but that's a project for another day.

The concert 10 that is up is very similar to a custom that Peter is building for me, with the main difference being mine has a maple body. Oh, and I am having crossed dog bones for the head stock/ peg head inlay, and dog bone fret markers. One can say I like dogs. I am super excited.

richntacoma said:

The concert 10 that is up is very similar to a custom that Peter is building for me, with the main difference being mine has a maple body. Oh, and I am having crossed dog bones for the head stock/ peg head inlay, and dog bone fret markers. One can say I like dogs. I am super excited.

Click to expand...

Awesome! He has one in his gallery called "Yahtzee Dog" with a dogs face inlaid in wood. I think that concert 10 sold, but I think the soprano is still available. The store page (vs the 'for sale' page) seems to be more up to date. I'm really looking forward to seeing yours. What's the wait on a custom order?/when are you expecting yours?

CPG said:

Awesome! He has one in his gallery called "Yahtzee Dog" with a dogs face inlaid in wood. I think that concert 10 sold, but I think the soprano is still available. The store page (vs the 'for sale' page) seems to be more up to date. I'm really looking forward to seeing yours. What's the wait on a custom order?/when are you expecting yours?

Click to expand...

We stated writing about my uke in Sept, and I shall have it in November, so a very reasonable timeframe. I saw Yahtzee Dog, and that, along with the stellar reviews and the price, sealed the deal! I am really excited to hear it--the spruce top and a slightly smaller concert body sounds like just my cup of tea. I will post pic!

richntacoma said:

We stated writing about my uke in Sept, and I shall have it in November, so a very reasonable timeframe. I saw Yahtzee Dog, and that, along with the stellar reviews and the price, sealed the deal! I am really excited to hear it--the spruce top and a slightly smaller concert body sounds like just my cup of tea. I will post pic!

Click to expand...

You're gonna love it. Looking forward to seeing/hearing it.