Ulu Wood

Joyful Uke

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I see that there is a Moore Bettah auction now at HMS, and though I won't be a bidder, I enjoy watching those, and most especially, I enjoy listening to the MB ukuleles.

The one up for auction has a Ulu top. My web search didn't bring up anything about that as a tone wood. What does anyone know about it? Just wondering. It does sound great, though. :)
 
Maybe look up the more common name, breadfruit wood.
 
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The yummiest tonewood, for sure.
 
Ulu wood is quite common but finding luthiers who use it is rare and from what I hear getting boards good enough and large enough is rare. I have played an Ulu wood uke and it is a good sounding wood.
 
Here's my spalted and flame mango uke. "Taste is in the mouth of the devourer."

Spalted done montage 800.jpg



This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly Grove near the Beverly Center
8 tenor cutaway ukes, 4 acoustic bass ukes, 12 solid body bass ukes, 14 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 38)

Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
Member The CC Strummers: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers
 
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That MB is sweet for sure!
 
Ulu (breadfruit) was valued and used extensively by the early Polynesians primarily for food but also used in certain parts of canoe construction. The bark was even used in tapa making that was turned into clothing. The wood is light, strong and stiff, making it an ideal candidate as a tone wood. I know of only one other luthier that has experimented with it. My guess is that it
 

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Oh never mind. It seems my post was truncated. If anyone wants to know more about ulu they can write me. ;)

Oh, no. I'm sorry that the post got truncated. I'd hate to pester you just because I'm curious about the wood, though.
The ukulele up for auction sounds fantastic, but I won't be able to bid on it.

Thanks for attempting to respond, though.
 
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I don't know if it is still up, but a few years ago I was contemplating a Koolau custom and I went to their website and they had a page devoted to tonewoods, among which was ulu.
 
I don't know if it is still up, but a few years ago I was contemplating a Koolau custom and I went to their website and they had a page devoted to tonewoods, among which was ulu.

Hmm, I'm not seeing it. Maybe I'm just not having a productive day on the internet. That happens sometimes.
But, I'm getting good at finding vaccination appointments for people, so by the time it's my turn, I should have that one figured out. :)
 
Hmm, I'm not seeing it. Maybe I'm just not having a productive day on the internet. That happens sometimes.
But, I'm getting good at finding vaccination appointments for people, so by the time it's my turn, I should have that one figured out. :)

yeah, I checked and it is now gone. What Moore Bettah Ukes was saying above was very reminiscent to what I remember reading on the koolau site. I seem to recall that the Koolau site also mentioned that Ulu wood had some religious significance. However, when I google ulu wood all the items seemed very utilitarian and not especially sacred.
 
From an article in the Honolulu Advertiser. I am apparently forbidden by UU to post a link to this article.

"In Hawaiian lore, the god Kū lived secretly among humans as a farmer. Life was serene, until famine gripped the land. Loathe to witness the starvation of his family, Kū convinced his wife of a solution, but it would mean his departure. He submerged into the soil until only the top of his head remained visible. Day and night, his family remained at the site, his wife watering the ground with her tears. Unexpectedly, a green shoot sprouted, and evolved into a leafy, lofty 'ulu tree, bearing breadfruit that the family and neighbors consumed, saving themselves from their wrenching hunger. The site of this myth is surmised to be Ka'awa-loa, in Kona, along the Big Isle's southwestern coast. 'Ulu (Artocarpus altilis) surfaces in numerous other Hawaiian legends. A picturesque 'ulu represents the goddess Haumea. On Lāna'i, the mischievous adolescent, Kaululā'au, was hounded by man-eating spirits, but beguiled them by taking refuge in 'ulu trees and blinding them with the 'ulu gum. The son of a ruling Maui ali'i was exiled to Lāna'i for uprooting the 'ulu trees of Lahaina."
 
From an article in the Honolulu Advertiser. I am apparently forbidden by UU to post a link to this article.

"In Hawaiian lore, the god Kū lived secretly among humans as a farmer. Life was serene, until famine gripped the land. Loathe to witness the starvation of his family, Kū convinced his wife of a solution, but it would mean his departure. He submerged into the soil until only the top of his head remained visible. Day and night, his family remained at the site, his wife watering the ground with her tears. Unexpectedly, a green shoot sprouted, and evolved into a leafy, lofty 'ulu tree, bearing breadfruit that the family and neighbors consumed, saving themselves from their wrenching hunger. The site of this myth is surmised to be Ka'awa-loa, in Kona, along the Big Isle's southwestern coast. 'Ulu (Artocarpus altilis) surfaces in numerous other Hawaiian legends. A picturesque 'ulu represents the goddess Haumea. On Lāna'i, the mischievous adolescent, Kaululā'au, was hounded by man-eating spirits, but beguiled them by taking refuge in 'ulu trees and blinding them with the 'ulu gum. The son of a ruling Maui ali'i was exiled to Lāna'i for uprooting the 'ulu trees of Lahaina."

Thanks!

When UU rejects a link, it usually lets you add it as an edit to something you posted.

Moore Bettah Ukes was kind enough to try to PM me with what he was trying to post, but that got truncated too. I appreciate that he tried, though.
 
What I've noticed is not to use fancy quote marks or apostrophes, also symbols or punctuation that's not very basic.

You can add to that the non English characters that you find on other keyboards ( mine is a German language keyboard and one of the funny letters with the double dots over caused and unexpected truncation as well)
 
Nice example of an instrument made from Ulu wood

 
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