Custom KoAloha “Black Label” Tenor Ukulele
2023. Custom KoAloha ‘Black Label’ Tenor Ukulele handcrafted on the island of Oahu, Hawaii by luthier Alan ‘Griz’ Tagama and under the direction of master luthier, Paul Okami of KoAloha Ukulele. Griz handcrafts beautifully playing and aesthetically pleasing instruments for both the professional musician and the recreational player in limited quantities per year. The ‘Black Label’ model ukuleles are the premiere model instruments at KoAloha and remain amongst the most sought after ukuleles in the world due to its fine craftsmanship, playability, and tone.
This beautiful Custom KoAloha ‘Black Label’ Tenor Ukulele boasts a gorgeous master grade set of Hawaii-grown curly Cuban Mahogany wood on the back and sides of the instrument with a tight grained Adirondack spruce soundboard. This set of wood is from a private stock of premium woods and provided to Griz with the greatest attention to maximizing the finest tonal yield possible. The body shape of the ‘Black Label’ is uniquely designed and fully customized in contrast to the production based tenor models. These body designs can be distinguished from the production model tenors by the slightly smaller waistline and overall compact body profile, making this instrument appealing to both men and women players even at the tenor size. The slightly more compact body design is strictly reserved for Black Label customs and those handcrafted for KoAloha sponsored musicians. The neck of the instrument is hand-carved rather than machine tooled and made of Honduran mahogany wood for added stability and increased sustain. The advantage of a hand-carved neck allows the luthier to add a personal touch in shaping the neck contours accordingly and adds comfort to the overall profile and feel for the player as s/he moves up and down the fingerboard.
In addition, this gorgeous ‘Black Label’ tenor ukulele also incorporates an elegant Macassar Ebony wood fingerboard, bridge, and matching headstock veneer with a black mother of pearl shell for a black-on-black custom KoAloha ‘Black Label’ logo and matching black mother of pearl shell fretboard markers on positions 5, 7, 10, and 12 for quick and easy reference when playing. Curly Hawaiian Koa wood top and back binding with top, side, and back black-white accent lines. Professional HipShot open geared tuners have been employed on the build to reduce the overall footprint and weight of the tuner at the headstock without compromising the function of a professional 18:1 gear tuning ratio for smooth and precise tuning. Another unique feature of this instrument is the high gloss finish on the headstock and soundboard with a smooth satin style finish on the back and sides of the body and the neck, bringing together the functional aspects of a smooth neck making for seamless transitions from one chord to the next with the elegance and aesthetic beauty of a high gloss poreless finish on the body and headstock of the instrument.
In terms of tonal qualities, this Custom KoAloha ‘Black Label’ Tenor Ukulele can be characterized with a rich and bold tone with wonderful sustain, exceptional clarity, and great range. These instruments have perfectly set intonation and offer precise and definitive note separation in both the lower register and higher positions on the neck. The customized neck and overall weight distribution of the instrument along with a slightly more compact body design allows for extended ease of play and free-flowing mobility to the player.
Custom KoAloha ‘Black Label’ Ukuleles are handcrafted with all the expertise and commitment to the highest level of craftsmanship with all the warmth of true ‘Aloha’ in every build. A highly recommended piece that rarely appears on the grand landscape of ukulele luthiery. #230036
Price: SOLD