Koa Mandolins

[GRW3]

In a recent issue of Taylor Guitars Wood and Steel newsletter they had an article on tonewoods. In the hardwoods they showed koa cover pretty much the same upper end as maple but to have a bottom end moving into the mahogany area. (Not Rosewood deep though.) Their placement of woods jibs with my guitar experience with all three and my mando experience with mahogany and maple.

I've seen that Weber has made some koa mandolins and references to others. So my question is; what's the experience with koa as a body material in practice?

[Dave Hanson]

Flatiron used koa for mandolins, very successfully.

Dave H

[RobAlan]

CF Martin made in the past A style flat tops mandolin using Koa for tops, backs and sides. I owned one built in 1926 some time ago and what a sweet sounding mandolin! I know they made guitars also in Koa and some have compared them in tone to their mahogany models.

[Tim2723]

Can koa be carved into an arched-top instrument? I've seen guitars and ukuleles, but not mandolins.

[Jim Garber]

Custom Weber Koa mandolin (http://beautifulinstruments.com/weber.koa.html)

[Dave Cohen]

I have made a few mandolins with koa backs/sides/necks. Beautiful wood, but I'm not overly impressed with its physical characteristics. For one thing, the samples of koa with good color and figure have been quite dense. I have had to carve the backs significantly thinner than with maple in order to get them down to what I consider a reasonable weight.

I have attached some images of a redwood/koa F demo that I finished last April. The koa came from Bruce Creps. He talked me into it at the 2006 GAL Convention, and gave me a good price, so I couldn't refuse. The figure of this sample is certainly over the top. Sounds good, but I have a slight preference for maple, walnut, etc.

[allenhopkins]

CF Martin made in the past A style flat tops mandolin using Koa for tops, backs and sides. I owned one built in 1926 some time ago and what a sweet sounding mandolin! I know they made guitars also in Koa and some have compared them in tone to their mahogany models.

Martin made about 1300 AK mandolins between 1919 and 1937, and about 55 fancier BK models in the '20's. There was a real vogue for koa mainly due to the ukulele craze; many of the Hawaiian-made ukes were built from this native hardwood. Martin's koa instruments were built entirely of this wood, tops as well as back and sides. The koa forests in Hawaii became so denuded (probably not just through instrument production!) that restrictions were placed on its production. The fanciest Martin koa ukulele of that period, the 5-K, is the "Loar" of ukes, bringing prices approaching five figures.

I have a few koa instruments: a '30's Regal all-koa tiple, and an '80's Flatiron 3-K octave mandolin, back and sides of koa. Seems a lot like mahogany to me, as a tonewood, but with a more attractive figure. One of the better recent guitars I've played was a Martin D-28 "Keb Mo" model, with koa back and sides. Lighter tone than a rosewood D-28, but with a real "ring."

[frankenstein]

Not sure about carved Koa but ditto on the guitars Gibson Koa Hummingbird has that ring as well..

[Jake Wildwood]

I love koa on instruments in general, but that may be because I'm uke-biased. Tonally it's a lot like mahogany but snappier, I guess, would be the word I'd use. Mahogany can sound nice and dark and woody (almost with a cedary sound, at times) and really suits smooth jazzy-sounding instruments.

Koa has that "woodiness" but I always feel like it has a much quicker response to it, with a quick brightness to higher notes. I've been keeping my eyes out for a koa mandolin to fit in with my koa ukes, but so few come with koa tops.

Check this out, though:
http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Museum/Mandolin/Martin/AK/ak.html

[barry k]

#5 Bulldog

[jeff mercer]

Jake,
Did you happen to notice the thread regarding Weissenborn mandolins on the vintage instruments forum ?

At least 2 ( & possibly 3) of the mandos pictured are Koa, but his mandolins are ridiculously rare. In fact, they are probably the rarest vintage US mandolins by a known maker !

PS
I have a collection of 14 vintage Hawaiian koa ukes...love 'em :mandosmiley: .

[j. condino]

Koa is one of my favorite guitar woods. I played one of Lawrence Smart's earlier mandolins a few years ago with koa back, sides and neck; sounded great- just like one of Lawrence's mandolins.

j.

[Christopher Standridge]

I also love the wood and agree that it is sonically different from both mahogany and maple, perhaps in between. It is most assuredly more difficult to bend than both.

[aphillips]

Oh my goodness please don't show anymore - I can't handle it.

[raulb]

I have a koa R Taylor guitar and Blue Lion mountain dulcimer. They both look and sound fantastic. I have had people drool over the sound of the guitar. (my mandos are either maple or hog)

However, one koa instrument may not sound as good as another and you have to be mindful of that. More than with most other woods, you really have to carefully select the pieces. Some of the most beautiful looking koa can sound terrible. Don't know why this is.

The best advice on a koa instrument is, play it before buying.

That being said, I have a friend with over 50 koa guitars. He's happy as a clam!

[Rick Turner]

There are health issues associated with the dust of Tasmanian blackwood...acacia melanoxylon...a close cousin to koa...acacia koa.

The comment about the figured stuff not sounding as good as the plainer wood is true in my experience as a uke builder. Go with a more normal top wood.

Vintage Martin 5-Ks in really good shape are worth somewhere between $15,000.00 and $18,000.00. The new ones go for 5K list price.

[minkus]

Wow, thanks for the input & pix. Now I'm really excited about building a Koa mando. Those look awesome!

[oldwave maker]

Musser had been drying this plainer lightweight koa in south newmexistan for over a decade before I carved it. paired with a curly redwood top and burl ironwood (tesota greggii) fretboard, it left home quickly with a professional privy tipper. Also had good luck with acacia koa's local cousin catclaw (acacia greggii). Who was this Gregg dude anyway?