There are always a lot of great ukuleles showing up at a Ukulele Noir. The pool table in the back of the Sky Bar is turned into a ‘staging area’ for the performers’ instruments. Nobody brings just one ukulele. Robert Wheeler, who often does a “surprise guest” spot and illuminates the audience in the mysteries of Ukulele Consciousness while playing a few tunes…usually brings a different ukulele for each song he does.
This week he brought two new ukuleles just made for him by California luthier Mike DaSilva, and they were honeys. Noiristas are no strangers to Mike’s ukuleles, Mark Occhionero plays an SM-1 that sounds killer.
But one of the sopranos Robert brought was special and outstanding: the top and face of the headstock were one hundred (or more) year old redwood that was recovered from the water. There is a MOP koa tree logo on the headsock and the back and sides are dark koa.
The sucker sounded and played great. I was loath to put it down, man. Way loath.
Check out all the great and amazing and plain and fancy ukuleles played by in Ukuleletown on these pages
1 comment:
this is an exceptional instrument. i cannot wait to hear it when it 'opens up'.
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