AUCTION: Moore Bettah "Mahina Hula" Custom Koa Tenor (#2212)

AUCTION: New Moore Bettah Custom Tenor 

Hula is more than just a dance. It’s an artistic representation of the islands themselves. The nature of the dance and the “mele” (hula music) together share the essence of Hawaiian culture. Paul Theroux did a video for the Smithsonian where he said this,

"Something that unites Hawaii is the spirit of Aloha. You don't find it anywhere else. I've never found it any other place in the world. It’s love, it’s understanding, it’s respect. it’s behaving, it’s the way people drive, it’s the way people deal with each other, and it’s something that softens the edges of all encounters.

Hula is aloha in action. It encompasses a great deal of life. It’s philosophical, it’s melodious, the dance is to the ancient spirits. So it’s history, it’s society, it’s mythology, and then it’s a way of being happy. And it’s something that’s very vital in the society. It’s not some surface thing that’s danced in a hotel as a sort of folkloric dance the way you might find in some other countries, but it’s something that penetrates to the very roots of the society.”

The grace and elegance of hula is mirrored in this breathtaking custom tenor ukulele from renown Big Island luthier, Chuck Moore. With the rare art of scrimshaw, Chuck creates a real expression and dimension that you don’t normally see in inlay. The fact that the wahine here was etched out and shaded with an x-acto knife and dye is pretty staggering. Burled woods were cut up, dyed, and pieced together for the traditional hula wear and the ipu, a gourd used for percussion in hula. Meticulous construction and spectacular original art, along with the finest musical quality make this a classic masterpiece from the most famous custom ukulele builder!

Corey and Kalei give us reviews and samples. (Auction details below)

This Moore Bettah is exquisite in tone and feel. As far as the looks, there's a lot to enjoy and admire. Eyepopping mastergrade Hawaiian koa is used for the top, back, and sides. It's framed off with top and back abalone purfling inside the ebony binding and protected with a perfect gloss finish.

Appointments include an ebony bound side sound port, the smoothest and most elegant arm bevel, mitered purflings flowing along with wood bindings nicely rounded off, and a thin high-gloss nitro finish smooth to the slide. Little details went into every aspect of this build. The fretboard has an inlay of an ipu heke (double-gourd drum) that provides the rhythmic accompaniment to the oli (chant) and hula (dance).

Chuck is a solo builder and works by hand, no computer aided design, laser cutting machine or outside sourcing. The unique art called scrimshaw is said to be the oldest of all North American art forms. It's the art form that Chuck made his living at years ago while living on the island of Molokai and it's a time consuming technique he uses on many of his most special instruments.

Brad Bordessa (a Moore Bettah player) stopped by the shop to give some member lessons and gave us a demo on this one.

This is a very lightweight custom tenor ukulele with a powerful yet warm balanced tone. It has incredible sustain and accurate intonation all over the neck. On top of that, it has the best feel you can imagine. Having an ukulele this easy to play, with this wonderful of a sound, is very special. Add in the original art and you have a real treasure.

Chuck is in a class of his own and this instrument is the culmination of the many years he has pursued this art and lutherie. If you're inspired by the ultimate in ukulele, we give this our top recommendations. 

Includes Oahu hardshell case, humidifier, and free shipping.

This is an auction and the details are below.