This was built for my daughter Eleanor as a graduation present. She has a wonderful stage singing voice and was Dorothy in the high school production of The Wizard of Oz.
- Back and Sides: East Indian rosewood
- Top: Sitka spruce, Kasha braced, with recon-stone inlay bluebirds
- Neck: Pennsylvania walnut
- Binding: Curly maple
- Fingerboard, bridge, headplate: ebony
- Nut & saddle: Mammoth ivory
- Black-White-Black purfling, Red abalone pearl, colored veneers in the rosette
- Headstock inlay: Red abalone pearl
The Kasha bracing is a very different type of bracing from the ‘fan’ bracing traditionally used on ukuleles. It is off-center, allowing the base and treble side strings to interact differently with the rest of the instrument. This form of bracing leads to the off-center sound hole and (in several people’s opinions) to a more “guitar like” sound. Very resonate, with good base response and good volume.
