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shop stuff


I source instrument-grade logs and lumber from sustainable or salvage sources and then air dry the milled lumber a minimum of three years, often much longer. I then accurately resaw it into thin plates, grade it, and store it in our wood room where it is kept at 45–50% relative humidity. Generally, all plates in a set are matched from the same tree.

Shop photos coming soon.


While I am not a luthier, I make an occasional instrument. Here's a slideshow of three baritone 'ukulele I made. Mahalo to Jake Shimabukuro for his Blue Roses Falling playing in the background.  

three little ukulele


Here are slides from our trip to a sawmill up at 5,500' elevation on the windward slopes of Mauna Kea. This is cattle pasture land, with stands of senescent, healthy koa trees throughout. The only koa harvested by this mill owner is from dead/dying trees. The log being milled was 42" in diameter, and had rotted at its core and fallen over. Even so, plenty of good instrument-grade koa was salvaged.

Waipunalei