The Ukulele on the left is called the Juke-a-lele and the one on the right is the Sceptre. Let's talk about the one of the right, first. Pops tells me that he was lying in bed one night and he awoke in the middle of the night and he saw this shape on his ceiling. He rubbed his eyes a few times to clear his eyes and the form did not go away. Not wanting to forget it, he took a pen and a piece of paper that was on his nightstand and drew the shape so that he would remember in the morning. When he woke up he looked at the shape and decided that it reminded him of King Midas' Sceptre so the Sceptre would become part of the Masterpiece Mini-collection for KoAloha. He made many prototypes and just a few years back, after moving to a new factory location, KoAloha held an online Facebook auction to sell the original prototype scepters.
The story behind this specific uke is not so much about the uke itself but about me. Back in 2012, I was new to Ukulele and a well-known member on this board (who I have not seen on here in years) was selling an absolutely gorgeous sceptre. I was a new player and I did not have much money for ukulele purchases but I saw his sceptre and oh boy did I want it. However, I had just purchased the most amazing sounding 2009 KoAloha concert (which I just sold to
@SkeeterAB). I would have to sell the concert to get the Sceptre and decided to do so. I was in discussion with the owner of the Sceptre and he knew I had a money problem, but he also knew that I loved his uke so he sent it to me and told me to pay him $100/mo for the next year, or when I sold the concert. I received the Sceptre and it was lovely, but I could not let that KoAloha concert go. Also, the Sceptre was difficult for me to hold (I was a beginner player) and I was not ready for it. It would not be fair to give it back to the owner and have him have to sell it again, so I put it up on the marketplace and sold it -- in an hour. I sold it for exactly the same amount that I purchased it for and sent the original owner full payment. This was my first uke sale and the beginning of me buying and selling about 100 ukes in the past 13 years.
But I never forgot that beautiful uke and when I started working with Pops, I asked him to make one for me to replace the one that I had sold. This is what Pops made. The Koa is not as beautiful as the first one, but the incredible sound is the same.
The Juke-a-lele (on the left) is another from Pops Masterpiece collection, but it is the first 8-string uke that Pops ever made. Pops had made the 4-string Juke-a-lele before but the 8-string concept was totally new to him. How I came to own one was unplanned and typical of Pops. Let's start with how I was involved. For years, I had been asking Pops to make a Wow Tenor but Pops was reluctant. He kept putting me off. This is for years!!!
@rhiggie had purchased a Pineapple Sunday, Sceptre, and soprano Wow from Pops and he asked Pops to make a tenor. Pops agreed (thank you Rick!!). However, the old KoAloha jigs would not be suitable because the Wow tenor was a new form so Pops had to start from scratch by making new plexiglass jigs, and trying them out one after another until it was just right. This takes time, but it started to be months and I was not getting updates on Rick's Tenor. I finally called Pops and he was so excited about the new ukulele and he wanted me to hear how loud it was because it was 8-strings. EIGHT STRINGS!!!!!!! WHAT??????? Rick did not want 8-strings. Pops played for me over the phone and I told him that it was supposed to be a 4-sting tenor, and Pops said that it was his new 8-string Juke-a-lele. I was floored. What happened to Rick's Wow tenor? Apparently, that went on the back burner for a while. Pops told me that years ago, he gifted a juke-a-lele to a woman who was a missionary in Africa and she used it to play for the people at the mission. She was in Hawaii and brought the Juke with her because it was not holding its pitch and she wanted it adjusted. Pops decided to make a new one for her, but one that was even louder so that she could be better heard at the mission. This would call for 8-stings. A brand new form for Pops and when Pops starts on a new concept, there are many ukes made until he gets it where he wants it. It can take a long time. Pops sent me pictures.
I wrote to Rick to tell him that the main reason why his Wow tenor is taking so long was because of this Juke-a-lele. Rick saw the pics that I sent to him and said that he wanted an 8-string Juke and asked if Pops could make a second one. Well, I heard that and I thought, "Hell, I want one too" so I called Pops and put in an order for two more 8-string Juke-a-lele's. Only one other, a prototype, was made and that one is for sale at Ukulele Pua Pua at the Sheraton in Waikiki.
@rhiggie has one that is totally unique in that it is the only one with an ebony faceplate headstock, front and back.
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I now understand why my wife gets upset when she sees an ukulele delivered to the house. Can you ever have too many? I think I might. Everyone of these ukes has a story attached and in some cases, I find the story even more interesting than the uke.
