Impressions of Ordering a Custom Ukulele

[ailevin]

Pops sent me this test run of the Concert Wow

 

[Jan D]

Alan, I think the three small pukas on your Concert Wow are adorable. Their existence makes what is obviously a superbly well crafted and fabulous sounding instrument somehow more approachable. You might enjoy the following article about perfection and the cultures that embrace the art of deliberate imperfection. It’s a fascinating concept, and one that you, too, may come to embrace with regard to your new Wow.

The Art of Deliberate Imperfection

www.amusingplanet.com

 

[TBB]

Alan, I think the three small pukas on your Concert Wow are adorable.

I agree, they’re like dimples. To be honest I suspect I’d struggle to see them in real life. And if that little sound sample is anything to go by the instrument sounds phenomenal

 

[efiscella]

The is the full original recording. The file was too big to attach to Alan's email. It was recorded with an iphone so the sound is not studio quality.

 

[ploverwing]

Pops sent me this test run of the Concert Wow

Oh my goodness that sounds amazing. And I agree with Jan, plus that concept of embracing "imperfections in handmade" is something we follow: we strive for our best and make it as perfect as we can, and embrace the beauty, functionality and quality of the results. I'm so excited for you!

 

[CPG]

The is the full original recording. The file was too big to attach to Alan's email. It was recorded with an iphone so the sound is not studio quality.

Thanks for sharing this Ed. Lovely to hear and see. Pop's sure has a nice touch on the uke as well. I've been away from the forum for while (been going down a guitar effects pedal rabbit hole lately). Nice to see what you and Pop's have been up to!


And congrats to the OP. Looking forward to seeing your NUD when you get it.

 

[rainbow21]

Alan, I think the three small pukas on your Concert Wow are adorable. Their existence makes what is obviously a superbly well crafted and fabulous sounding instrument somehow more approachable. You might enjoy the following article about perfection and the cultures that embrace the art of deliberate imperfection. It’s a fascinating concept, and one that you, too, may come to embrace with regard to your new Wow.

The Art of Deliberate Imperfection

www.amusingplanet.com

This first brought to mind my mentor's camp story about "A spot of red" whereby the artist would put a small spot of red, likely as both a piece of themselves and to represent imperfection, since nothing people create could be perfect. That can be thought of as Pops' spot of red. Secondly, it is like a first scratch on a new car... the second one won't matter as much and you can focus on it being a car.

And a declaration of "acoustically perfect" from Pops is high praise indeed!

So looking forward to your NUD.

 

[ailevin]

Alan, I think the three small pukas on your Concert Wow are adorable. Their existence makes what is obviously a superbly well crafted and fabulous sounding instrument somehow more approachable. You might enjoy the following article about perfection and the cultures that embrace the art of deliberate imperfection. It’s a fascinating concept, and one that you, too, may come to embrace with regard to your new Wow.

The Art of Deliberate Imperfection

www.amusingplanet.com

I appreciate all the support and interest in this thread, and thanks to Ed for posting the complete video. Perhaps because Pops was worried about my reaction, or maybe just my expectations about quality control in a modern production environment, I immediately cast these pukas into the category of problems, rather than fetures: dimples, or birthmarks, or unique characteristics, as others have suggested. I think @Jan D really hits the spot with the link to deliberate imperfections. Whether deliberate or not, there are many things that make a hand made instrument unique, almost like a watermark.

I'm reading a book titled The Cartographers. The plot premise is built around the notion of a phantom settlement. These were small towns, roads, streams, or other geographic features that didn't really exist, but were put into maps by cartographers to protect their intellectual property and all the effort that went into surveying, research, and map layout. If they found a phantom feature in another map, then the cartographer knew their map had been copied.

 

[ZaBeth]

You might enjoy the following article about perfection and the cultures that embrace the art of deliberate imperfection. It’s a fascinating concept, and one that you, too, may come to embrace with regard to your new Wow.

The Art of Deliberate Imperfection

www.amusingplanet.com

In quilting culture, some master quilters deliberately incorporate a small mistake into their work, because "only God is perfect."

I agree with what Jan D. suggests. Part of the joy of having any fine handmade object is embracing that it was made by an individual, so it necessarily is imperfect -- because we are imperfect. I think that being too, too exacting in our requirements only sets us up for disappointment: how can an individual live up to our notions of perfection?

I love the look of this uke -- and the story behind it. Thanks for sharing the process of its coming into being with us.

 

[efiscella]

A few years back, when Pops first asked me to help him to be the person who interfaces with the customers, a person in California (I am in NJ) ordered an original wow. When they got it, they said there was a mark on the back where the neck meets the body. Since I could not see it firsthand, I asked them to send a photo. I saw that it was a pencil mark that Pops used to center the neck. it was not completely erased. The buyer wanted to send it back to be resanded, which we honored, however, it got me thinking. I wondered if this was a Stradivarius, and there was a pencil mark made by the master in the creation of the instrument, would it be considered a defect, or a mark from the Master? Would the proud owner be showing this mark off to everyone and telling the story? I guess it is all in how you look at it. So, just to be clear on this, the photo shows three pukas but I believe there are more, but all of them are around the triple laminate banding-- and that is where the problem is.

If Alan chose to have a new uke made, I would have suggested that it be without the banding. As it is now, Alan owns the ONLY Concert Wow that will have the triple laminate banding. Pops explained it as two strips of ebony being glued to one strip of Koa and then all three being inlaid and glued to the body. I remember a discussion at Koaloha when Pops made Alan's soprano with that banding. All of the KoAloha folks told him that he was crazy doing that because not only is it a ton of work, also there are also so many chances for things to go wrong. Pops had decided that he would no longer use the triple laminate banding. When Alan ordered, he mention that he would like a larger version of his soprano. I just assumed that to mean the banding also, and that is what I communicated to Pops. Pops was worried about it but neither of us wanted to disappoint, and Pops had done it perfectly before, so we went with "one last time."

I am sure that things like this happen all of the time and that is why there are factory seconds. One little mishap can make a perfect instrument a factory second. Or like buying from the Marketplace. As long as the price is reflective of a factory second or better, then I believe it is fair. In this case, we did "or better" on the price and Alan has the first Wow Concert, the only one to have the binding and a cool story here for all to read in the future.

And as for perfection, in the NUD, who knows, Alan may discover @rainbow21's fingerprint under the final coating. What does that do to the value? - LOL

 

[CPG]

For you Pops aficionados, one thing I've been curious about is the use of pine for the back and sides. I have no doubt about the tonal qualities, as judged by Pop's meticulousness and listening to sound samples. But i wonder about pine being a softer wood than those usually used for backs and sides.

The most common back and side woods are all considered hard woods, I believe. Mahogany, koa, rosewood, sapele, maple, walnut, oak, etc. Unless I'm mistaken, or there is a subspecies difference, pine is much softer. I wonder if there are any concerns about how well they will hold up over time. I doubt they'd crack so much as deform their shape.

I'm sure its not an issue and that Pops likely considered it when he developed these, but I've been curious about it since learning about his preference for that wood.

One thing I learned when I was doing a lot of woodwork is that strength, stiffness, and hardness are differnet things. Some softwoods, such as Southern Yellow Pine, are actually stronger than much harder woods.

The Strongest Softwoods | Bending Strength Chart (psi) | Lumber Guides

Not all softwoods are built the same. Our chart lists the bending strengths of all the softwood species sold at North American lumber yards.

handtoolessentials.com

In fact, Southern Yellow species, such as longleaf pine are actually a very common wood used for woodworking workbenches, as they are very strong and stiff and also inexpensive.

Also, "softwood" just refers to wood from coniferous trees (as opposed to broadleaf trees) and some softwoods are harderer than some hardwoods. Longleaf is also actually a good bit harder than a lot of other softwood species. Closer in hardness to cherry than to many softwoods and harder than some hardwoods such as popler.

Longleaf Pine | The Wood Database (Softwood)

www.wood-database.com

Douglas Fir is another "softwood" that is actually very strong and very stiff. It's not as hard as Southern Yellow, but it is quite strong and I've seen it used for instrument necks before.

I'm not sure what type of pine Pop's uses for the bodies, but even if it is one of that is softer I still wouldn't worry about it mishaping over time, because that has more to do with stability and stiffness than hardness and there isn't much stress on the body of a uke anyway.

So all this is to say, that depending on the species, sure the body might be easier to put a little dent in than a harder wood in (especially when new as softwood tends to harden as it ages), but there isn't really any reason to think that the integrity of the instrument wouldn't hold up.

 

[efiscella]

One thing I learned when I was doing a lot of woodwork is that strength, stiffness, and hardness are differnet things. Some softwoods, such as Southern Yellow Pine, are actually stronger than much harder woods.

The Strongest Softwoods | Bending Strength Chart (psi) | Lumber Guides

Not all softwoods are built the same. Our chart lists the bending strengths of all the softwood species sold at North American lumber yards.

handtoolessentials.com

In fact, Southern Yellow species, such as longleaf pine are actually a very common wood used for woodworking workbenches, as they are very strong and stiff and also inexpensive.

Also, "softwood" just refers to wood from coniferous trees (as opposed to broadleaf trees) and some softwoods are harderer than some hardwoods. Longleaf is also actually a good bit harder than a lot of other softwood species. Closer in hardness to cherry than to many softwoods and harder than some hardwoods such as popler.

Longleaf Pine | The Wood Database (Softwood)

www.wood-database.com

Douglas Fir is another "softwood" that is actually very strong and very stiff. It's not as hard as Southern Yellow, but it is quite strong and I've seen it used for instrument necks before.

I'm not sure what type of pine Pop's uses for the bodies, but even if it is one of that is softer I still wouldn't worry about it mishaping over time, because that has more to do with stability and stiffness than hardness and there isn't much stress on the body of a uke anyway.

So all this is to say, that depending on the species, sure the body might be easier to put a little dent in than a harder wood in (especially when new as softwood tends to harden as it ages), but there isn't really any reason to think that the integrity of the instrument wouldn't hold up.

Thank you, Chris. This is some great info. Glad to see you back on the forum.

 

[ailevin]

I don't want to finish this thread before the ukulele arrives but I think a small summary is in order at this point. The video of Pops playing the first Concert Wow strikes me as a natural bookend to his initial almost frantic creative drive to create the instrument, the frustration of the early prototypes, and all the twists and turns along the way. There is a definite dramatic arc in ordering a custom ukulele from Pops Okami, and that is why I wanted to share my experience. Pops is a unique and multi-talented person who not only shares his creative process, but shares it enthusiastically. By sharing his hopes, frustrations, and ideas so openly, he helps create the arc that makes it a good story.

With my soprano, I didn't fully document the process, and the plot line was not as action packed. The most surprising, and satisfying part of that story was the connection I made with my Soprano Wow when I began to play it. That small almost weightless little instrument was so unlike anything I had played before, that I was somewhat baffled by it, or perhaps hypnotized. I went from soprano skeptical to soprano obsessed. Over the course of a month of so, my ukulele playing evolved and changed. For the first time I began to think about high G and low G as different instruments, and I saw my soprano and tenor instruments as complimenting one another. I also found that playing and practicing with both instruments seemed to speed up rmy ukulele progress rather than slowing it down as I had once feared. None of this was foreshadowed, or in any way hinted at by the whole process of ordering and following the progress of the build.

In any good story you get to know the characters and get invested emotionally. In my case, this involves learning more about how ukuleles are made and deepening my relationship with Pops through Ed. At the same time, I am getting to know and developing an emotional connection with my new instrument. While Ed and Pops have pretty much completed their roles in this little drama, there is still the last act where I meet the Concert Wow and we see how that relationship develops. I can't wait!

 

[efiscella]

I don't want to finish this thread before the ukulele arrives but I think a small summary is in order at this point. The video of Pops playing the first Concert Wow strikes me as a natural bookend to his initial almost frantic creative drive to create the instrument, the frustration of the early prototypes, and all the twists and turns along the way. There is a definite dramatic arc in ordering a custom ukulele from Pops Okami, and that is why I wanted to share my experience. Pops is a unique and multi-talented person who not only shares his creative process, but shares it enthusiastically. By sharing his hopes, frustrations, and ideas so openly, he helps create the arc that makes it a good story.

With my soprano, I didn't fully document the process, and the plot line was not as action packed. The most surprising, and satisfying part of that story was the connection I made with my Soprano Wow when I began to play it. That small almost weightless little instrument was so unlike anything I had played before, that I was somewhat baffled by it, or perhaps hypnotized. I went from soprano skeptical to soprano obsessed. Over the course of a month of so, my ukulele playing evolved and changed. For the first time I began to think about high G and low G as different instruments, and I saw my soprano and tenor instruments as complimenting one another. I also found that playing and practicing with both instruments seemed to speed up rmy ukulele progress rather than slowing it down as I had once feared. None of this was foreshadowed, or in any way hinted at by the whole process of ordering and following the progress of the build.

In any good story you get to know the characters and get invested emotionally. In my case, this involves learning more about how ukuleles are made and deepening my relationship with Pops through Ed. At the same time, I am getting to know and developing an emotional connection with my new instrument. While Ed and Pops have pretty much completed their roles in this little drama, there is still the last act where I meet the Concert Wow and we see how that relationship develops. I can't wait!

I find myself to be truly in a very strange place. Being the "Pops whisperer" and basically the person who communicates on behalf of both Pops and the buyer, I am the only one who will never see the ukulele in person and never get to strum it. I live vicariously through each party. Also, I find my role to be different than what most people will originally think. Pops will build whatever people want. My job is not so much to represent Pops, but to ensure that the buyer gets the ukulele of their dreams built. I actually see myself as representing the buyer. I see my job to communicate to Pops what the buyer is looking for and then report back to the buyer on the progress. All fascinating stuff-- and I never get to handle the uke. Well, this is true most of the time, but I was present for the creation of Alan's soprano Wow and did get to play that one.

 

[ploverwing]

Thanks both to Alan and Ed for this story. I've thoroughly been enjoying following the process, and have eagerly caught up with developments every time there was a new post notification on this thread!

 

[EDW]

Part of the joy of having any fine handmade object is embracing that it was made by an individual, so it necessarily is imperfect -- because we are imperfect

A few months ago I came across a lovely Kamaka white label pineapple uke. There are places where you can see some tool marks that were not completely sanded out. It is clear at the heel in particular. I love seeing those marks and thinking about the craftsman who carved it all those years ago. It somehow gives it a more human connection.

 

[efiscella]

I see that the Wow concert is out for delivery. Now comes the interesting part for me. Alan has a Koaloha tenor that he loves, and a Wow soprano that he equally loves. Will this concert Wow fill that middle gap, or will it be redundant? Very interesting. I have done the same, myself, and in some cases the concert fills the gap, and in others, unfortunately, redundant. Looking forward to the NUD.

 

[CPG]

A few months ago I came across a lovely Kamaka white label pineapple uke. There are places where you can see some tool marks that were not completely sanded out. It is clear at the heel in particular. I love seeing those marks and thinking about the craftsman who carved it all those years ago. It somehow gives it a more human connection.

I own two banjos made in a one-person shop and have owned 3 ukes that were made in one-person shops. Literally, every one of them had some type of imperfection if I looked close enough. The first one of those that I owned was my fretted banjo. It was the first one-off/custom instrument I had ever purchased (techincally I didn't custom order it but it was built by an independant builder) and the most expensive instrument I ever purchased at that time. I remember within a couple weeks of owning it I started to notice little tiny imperfections here or there. Nothing big. A tiny tool mark or bit of tearout that got missed in final sanding. I didn't really care about the marks and having done woodwork I understood that most truly "handmade" stuff will have those things if you look hard enough, but at the same time I remember thinking that having spent $1500 it should be absolutlely PERFECT and did feel some disapointment at first. As I continued to play it and enjoy it I stopped caring and as I aquired more "handmade" instruments I noted similar things. Some had more imperfections than others but even on the cleanest of them I could find a little something if I looked hard enough. I don't doubt that there are hand-made instruments out there that I wouldn't be able to find imperfections on (especially as one gets into REALLY pricey high end stuff), but in many, perhaps most cases, if I looked hard enough I could find something. My understanding is that this is even true of very high end historic furniture. It's just the nature of working and finishing wood, an imperfect and ever moving/changing medium, by hand.

I'm glad you decided to keep the instrument Alan. I know the feeling of wanting absolute perfection when spending that kind of money, but have also come to understand what a moving target perfection can be when purchasing one-off isntruments. Try not to worry about those little dimples. Chances are they are far less visible in person then in the photo and you may not even have noticed them if they hadn't been pointed out to you. I'm sure that once you have the instrument in your hands and bond with it you won't think about them at all.

 

[ailevin]

I see that the Wow concert is out for delivery. Now comes the interesting part for me. Alan has a Koaloha tenor that he loves, and a Wow soprano that he equally loves. Will this concert Wow fill that middle gap, or will it be redundant? Very interesting. I have done the same, myself, and in some cases the concert fills the gap, and in others, unfortunately, redundant. Looking forward to the NUD.

Given prior disappointments with UPS, I don't want to get my hopes too high. It currently says the package is "On its way" and "Processing for delivery" in Gardena, CA. That's a good sign because Gardena is the local delivery hub where all the UPS truck go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning. However, I've had packages get all the way to "Out for delivery" and not arrive. Last fall I had to mount a late night search and rescue mission for a Pono ATD at the Gardena UPS hub.

The pre-arrival hopes and jitters are a little different for this one compared to the soprano. With the soprano, it was more curiosity than anything else. I just had no idea what to expect, and I truly thought of it as an experiment or exploration in the sense of giving me the opportunity to seriously audition a quality soprano. My guess is that I will love the concert, because of my experience with the soprano. But there is no way I could have predicted my response to the soprano, so I am excited to play the concert. It also reminds me of having a sibling who follows or proceeds you at school. The older sibling creates expectations in the teachers or coaches and with no other information that seems reasonable. Yet each child is unique and deserves a chance to develop their particular abilities and find their path.

 

[Joyful Uke]

I see that the Wow concert is out for delivery. Now comes the interesting part for me. Alan has a Koaloha tenor that he loves, and a Wow soprano that he equally loves. Will this concert Wow fill that middle gap, or will it be redundant? Very interesting. I have done the same, myself, and in some cases the concert fills the gap, and in others, unfortunately, redundant. Looking forward to the NUD.

Thanks for sharing this experience.
The ukulele looks beautiful and sounds great. I hope that it is all Alan hopes for and even more.

Now I'm excited about someone else's "out for delivery"! Definitely looking forward to the NUD.