Custom KoAloha “White Label” Tenor Ukulele

Circa 2018. Beautiful preowned Custom KoAloha ‘White Label’ Tenor Ukulele handcrafted on the island of Oahu, Hawaii by luthier and now President of KoAloha Ukuleles, Paul Okami. In contrast to the Custom KoAloha “Black Label” ukuleles, which are predominantly handcrafted by Alan “Griz” Tagama, the “White Label” is somewhat of a unicorn and is so rare that even the most sincere KoAloha fans have never heard of one let alone seen one. This White Label custom KoAloha tenor ukulele remains amongst the rarest custom ukuleles available in the market and are highly regarded for their fine craftsmanship, playability, and tone.

This beautiful Custom KoAloha ‘White Label’ Tenor Ukulele boasts a simple but elegant feel with an understated set of Hawaiian curly Koa wood on the soundboard, back, and sides of the instrument. The body shape of the ‘White Label’ is similar to the “Black Label” models and was 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 White Label and 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 ‘White 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 ‘White Label’ logo with added three-stream inlay leading up to the classic KoAloha “wings” headstock logo iconic to the “black label” models.  Black mother-of-pearl Hawaiian Mano or ‘shark’ tooth rosette entirely cut and inlaid by hand. Macassar ebony wood top and back binding. Wai or ‘water’, the symbol of early Polynesian voyaging and life and sustenance in the Hawaiian Islands was inlaid on positions 5 and 7 for quick reference. 6 red inverted triangles inlaid of reconstructed stone represent the Big Island of Hawaii while paying tribute to the active volcano of Kilauea. 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 body with a smooth satin style finish on 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 of the instrument.

In terms of tonal qualities, this Custom KoAloha ‘White 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 ‘White 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. ID#:230031

Price: SOLD