I've paired the back and sides with a sinker incense cedar top which I prefer to western red cedar because it has a more complex tonal response and resists splitting better. The rustic character is complemented with a rosette of different tiles I've made over the years. Sinker incense cedar is soft so care must be taken to avoid dents. A film finish and clear pickguard help with that. It's a very responsive top because of the open structure of sinker wood which makes for lovely overtones, sustain and note separation.
Moena Amarilla
The South American hardwood for this Ken Franklin tenor is called by different names in different countries. The back and side set here is from Peru where it's known as moena amarilla. It has a robust tap tone and a camphor-like aroma when worked. The beautiful unique figure is reminiscent of dark feathers. Some might think the color is like walnut but in good light there is a golden chatoyance. The headplate and backplate are also moena amarilla. The finish is a penetrating oil varnish.
I've been using older stock lately. This moena amarilla I've had for fifteen years. It was easy to work, glue, bend and finish. Wish I had more but in 2022 moena amarilla was listed on the IUCN Red List due to declining range as a result of deforestation. That's a recurring problem for ukulele builders and the planet.
The neck is English walnut as are the custom tuner buttons. The radiused bound fingerboard with cherry purfling is ebony as is the string through bridge. Cherry and black veneer purfling are used with the ebony binding. Position markers on the face and side of the fingerboard are aluminum.
The 1 1/2 inch nut and intonated saddle are
unbleached bone. String spacing on the saddle is 1 5/8 inches from G to A. Frets are nickel silver with rounded polished ends. The scale length is 17 inches. Black Gotoh UPTL 4:1 tuners and strap buttons enhance the design. Strings are PHDs with a Pepe Romero smooth wound low G.
Laminated maple linings are hand carved in place. Adirondack spruce braces are shaped and tuned for optimal response during tap tuning of the plates. There is a reinforced side sound port to aid the player's listening experience.
This tenor comes with a protective wooden case. $5300. Here's The Ukulele Site listing. Sold
