Pete Howlett Legacy Series Solid Koa Ditson Style Concert Ukulele in hard case #162

This Peter Howlett legacy series concert ukulele is simply stunning! I love the way that Pete has let the natural beauty of the koa sing here. There's no binding, no rosettes, no bling at all - just lovely, deep red-brown koa with some lovely figuring in it. The matte finish does not make the figuring pop quite as much as it would on something like a gloss Kanile'a, but it has sensational holographic chatoyancy when you are up close to it.

The 'Ditson' part of the title refers to the kind of miniature Dreadnaught guitar styling, which features a less pronounced waist and shoulders than a more traditional ukulele shape would display. The sound that results is full, rich, loud and clear, with a really appealing character quite unique to Howlett ukes. Pete does not often make acoustic instruments these days, but as one of the last instruments that he will make. Legacy no.162 means he is 38 away from his target of making 1000 ukes over his lifetime! This concert ukulele will just sound better and better with playing and be a lasting testament to him.

The tuners are planetary Der Jungs, and they work really nicely indeed. They are a little larger all round than the Gotohs, and the back of the headstock at first feel can seem a little crowded, but you soon get used to it. You can easily tune without fouling other tuners. With the Worth Brown strings, it really sings, and feels and sounds world class.

Thanks, Pete and Helen!

Specification:
All solid Hawaiian figured koa
Matte finish
Mgurure (leadwood) fretboard
Rosewood bridge
Mahogany neck
Corian nut and saddle
Worth BM high G strings
36mm nut width
12 frets to body, 17 in total
Der Jung Planetary geared tuners with 22mm buttons
Body depth 58mm at bottom bout
Kinsman woodshell case included
Wooden endpin in bottom bout
Legacy no. 162, serial no. 97102