This is a vintage instrument, made in Hawaii from all solid koa. It’s a 6 string instrument, currently strung with a high G, a pair of C’s (one regular, one high), an E and a pair of A’s (one high, one low). It sounds exquisite! It’s an older uke, but in very good condition for its age. The two pieces of the top have shifted slightly over time so you can feel the division between them, but it’s perfectly stable.

Unfortunately it’s hard to put an age on it. There’s a receipt in the pod case it is supplied with from a vintage musical instrument store, in New York, from the mid 90s (for $735, about £1,100 in today’s money). I know Pete Howlett made some ukes under this name in the past, but this has a distinctly retro looking label inside, that’s different from the Howlett logo (which also said made in Wales on it).

So, it’s a hard one to put a finger on. But given it was sold in a vintage store 30 years ago it must have some age to it. It plays wonderfully, with a lovely set up. And has this sort of sweet, rich, harmonically rich tone that suggests over the time it’s been around, it’s only improved. (I say this as if it was this good when they were made, surely it’d have been a famous name going forward).

It’s a fabulous piece of history. Yes, you can’t be very accurate on that history, but boy does it sound lovely.

There’s a video demo of this one - if you click additional info below. I don’t usually make them for one-off sales like this, but I enjoyed playing it so wanted another excuse to do so!