TINY BUBBLES... IN THE WINE... NOT LONG AGO MY FAVORITE BARITONE SOLD TO A MAN WHO COMPLEMENTED THE ALTERNATIVE SOUNDHOLES AND SUGGESTED THAT I SHOULD OFFER MORE CHOICES. I LIKE THE 4 BUBBLE DESIGN, AND, SEEING THAT I HAD NO OTHERS IN STOCK, I CHOSE TO MAKE MORE.
AMONG ALL OF MY POTENTIAL KOA STOCK WAS SOME BEAUTIFUL KOA GIVEN TO ME BY WORLD RENOWNED ARTIST DALE ZARELLA, ALSO ON MAUI. HE WORKS ON HUGE PROJECTS, CARVING MASTERPIECES FROM LARGE KOA TREE TRUNKS, OFTEN OF MERMAIDS. IN DOING SO, HE GENERATES MANY CUTOFFS THAT HE GENEROUSLY DONATES TO OTHER ARTISTS LIKE MYSELF WHO CAN'T SAY THANK YOU LOUDLY ENOUGH OR OFTEN ENOUGH. THIS PARTICULAR WOOD WAS FROM HIS 'FATHER DAMIEN' SCULPTURE, A PIECE TO COMMEMORATE THE NEWLY SAINTED FATHER DAMIEN OF THE LEPER COLONY OF KALAPAPA ON THE ISLAND OF MOLOKAI. I HAD ROUGH CUT IT TO SOMEWHAT GENEROUS PROPORTIONS... SO IT PAINED ME TO THINK THAT SOME FANTASTIC KOA WOULD BE WASTED AS FLYING SAWDUST. IN RESPONSE, I CHOSE TO USE A HIGHER, MORE ROUNDED PROFILE FOR THE BACK PLATE, THUS INSPIRING A LESS THAN SAINTLY NAME FOR A REALLY BEAUTIFUL UKULELE.
LIKE MANY OF MY RECENT CREATIONS, SHE HAS A SLOTTED HEADSTOCK, RUBNER TUNERS, FISHMAN PICKUP, AND IS READY FOR THE STAGE. YES, THERE IS A PICKUP HIDING IN THE VERY SLIMLINE BRIDGE. SOLID KOA NECK, SIDES, BACK, TAILPIECE, AND BRIDGE. SHE HAS A ZERO FRET FOR TROUBLE FREE TUNING, AND A FIXED BRIDGE. THE KEAVE FRETBOARD HAS PAUA ABALONE FOR FRET MARKERS. SITKA SPRUCE TOP. STRUNG UP WITH LOW 'G ' TUNING. PRICE: ALL INCLUDED, $3,000