Ohana USA - Spruce/Redwood Burl Live Edge PT-OCEAN Exhibition Tenor Ukulele

Ohana's USA Custom Shop continues to really impress the whole team here at SUS. At NAMM in 2024 and 2025; I found the exhibition Ukuleles built by Ohana's Luthier Brad Kahabka to be irresistible. Brad has a history in fine art and the way in which he has transferred these skills and his flair for design over to the art of Ukulele building is perhaps rivalled only by Kawaii at Coast Ukuleles. Maybe there is something in the water in California that is breeding these eccentric, crazy and highly conceptual Ukulele luthiers right now?!? Brad is in his 3rd year of heading up the Ohana USA custom shop and in many ways, we feel he is hitting his stride right now. 

This is clearly a luxury instrument made with hundreds of hours of love.  The Ohana USA instruments have a more Earthy, folk instrument feel to them than the more lullaby like tones of a Hawaiian made Koa instrument. I anticipate for many, a Ukulele like this is a once in a life time purchase and you can't go wrong with a once in a lifetime instrument.

The PT-OCEAN is a one of a kind live edge Ukulele with a high grade Spruce top and an exhibition grade Redwood Burl back and sides. The flaws and natural ends to the wood set have been covered with an ocean turquoise covered transparent epoxy resin. It looks stunning and has an open and crisp sound unlike any other Ukulele we have ever featured before.

American Redwood is sometimes used as a top wood and can often have similar tonal qualities to Cedar. As a back and sides wood, the reflections and undertones are just gorgeous. Sweet but clear and confident... I want to see more ukes with this kind of wood.

The trim on this Ukulele is of the classic California ilk with builders like Mike Da Silva. An elaborate, multi layered Abalone Rosette with gorgeous Oval shaped ocean themed abalone inlays running up the fingerboard. The Birdseye Maple neck has nice subtle layers to it visually and it feels soft and vibrates gently in the hands as you play the Low G. The body binding and fingerboard are a lovely figured Indian Rosewood. The final elements of the trim are the heel cap and end graft which are Ebony.

Brad is using a polyurethane high gloss which resonates nicely and gives the instrument a lot of depth and character from new, he also uses a uniquely thin and weight relieved bracing which in many ways is Ohana's secret weapon in the custom shop.

My favourite thing about this Ukulele is that the blue epoxy shines a gorgeous light blue/green glow directly into the instrument when you put it under direct light. I'm not telling you what to do but if I owned this ukulele; it would go out on display at all times with a light gently shining down on the epoxy live edge.

Solid Spruce Top
Solid Reclaimed Redwood Burl Back and Sides
Epoxy Resin Live Edge Sides
Abalone Trim throughout
Indian Rosewood Fingerboard and Bridge
Indian Rosewood binding
Abalone Rosette
Abalone Ocean Oval fret markers
Gotoh UT500 tuners
Carbon Fibre Neck Rod
38mm nut width (30mm string spacing at nut)
17' Tenor Scale Length
High Gloss
D'Addario Titanium w/NYL030W Low G
S/N- 170028
Comes in a Woodshell Hard Case