aNueNue UT5K All Solid AAAAA Grade Koa Bird Series Tenor Ukulele w/case

aNueNue really have their act together at the moment with this stunning Tenor! The Bird series of instruments, characterised by the funky cutaways, comfort edges and offset soundhole rosettes are among the freshest sounding and looking instruments available today.

This 5A grade Koa tenor is a feast for the eyes and ears alike. Using 5A grade solid Koa ensures that on rainy days when the view out of the window is as depressing as the pitter patter sound of raindrops, you'll always have the holographical depths of the figuring, and the sweet, perky sound to lose yourself in. It is so rare to find AAAAA Master Grade Hawaiian Koa in the hands of builders outside of the USA, AnueNue don't make many of these but when they do... wow! This is our first in a few years and when I ordered it from AnueNue's UK hub I said, only send it if it will give me goosebumps when I first see it. They didn't let me down!

As with all the best Koa instruments from the big Hawaiian K brands, this one has sustain, harmonics, poise and character aplenty in the sound. Superbly responsive, light plucking or strumming results in a surprising amount of volume, whilst vigorous strumming gives a huge, rich sound with no sign of muddiness or distortion that some of the lesser Koa/Acacia wood ukuleles can offer. There is no style I've tried that doesn't sound fabulous, and makes you want to keep you holding it and playing some more.

Yes, it is Chinese made - but honestly, I challenge anyone to come and try it against other instruments of a similar price made in the US, South Korea or Japan and not think that it is a serious and credible alternative! It does not have the bombast of a KoAloha, nor the ultimate, effortless Hawaiian sound of a Kamaka, nor the shimmering poise and presence of a Kanile'a; but what it does have is a character uniquely its own, a modernistic but timeless look engineered and designed with the top ukulele players in the world by master Japanese luthier Morhiko Mitsuta - and is all the better for it.

Mitsuta Morihiko is known in the music trade as a luthiers, luthier. He spent more than a year tweaking the shape and bracing for the Birds working back and forth with James Hill, Kalei Gamiao and Kyas. He calls the unique central positioning of the soundhole and top brace the Mount Fuji-voice brace. Its subtle but the Bird ukes have a unique body shape as well which you don't always spot because of the sheer cutaway design.

Pictures show an average example! No two look the same, each one tells its own story every time you open the case.

Specification:
Solid 5A grade Hawaiian Koa top, back and sides
Ebony headplate, bridge and fretboard
Slotted headstock
Mahogany neck
17" Tenor scale length
37mm nut width, with 28mm G to A string spacing
Buffalo bone nut / saddle
aNueNue Black Water high G strings
Gloss finish
Abalone freboard dot inlays
Custom Gotoh machine heads
Spalted Maple and Abalone rosette
Flamed maple binding
Blue leather hard case