It’s pretty rare for somebody to bring a chunk of wood to my shop that I haven’t seen before. In this case, a boat builder dropped off two boards of Golden Chinquapin, a rare west coast, high altitude tree. I milled the board up and knew it would be great for ukuleles. I paired it with a Western Red Cedar top, salvaged from a hot tub for a rich but lively tone. The neck is mahogany from a furniture maker’s scrap bin. The pistachio fretboard and headplate are from California Orchards. Over all the instrument feels solid but lightweight and sounds rich but lively. A really unique combination that I enjoyed playing today.

“I received my gorgeous tenor ukulele today. It has such a rich sound and i love the wood smell. It reminds me of going into my granddads workshop when I was young. I’m so excited to start playing it. Thank you so much for the beautiful instrument.
- K. H. ”