AUCTION: Moore Bettah Custom Koa Tenor "Hula Dancer" ( #1708)

AUCTION: Moore Bettah Koa Tenor "Hula Dancer" ( #1708)
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AUCTION: Moore Bettah Koa Tenor "Hula Dancer" ( #1708)
$8,975.00 |or$816/month*

The grace and elegance that this ancient dance is known for is mirrored in this alluring design and breathtaking koa from renown Big Island luthier, Chuck Moore. With the rare art of scrimshaw, Chuck creates a real expression and dimension that you don’t normally see in inlay. The fact that the wahine here was etched out and shaded with an x-acto blade and dye is pretty staggering. Burled woods were cut up, dyed, and pieced together for the traditional hula wear and the ipu, a gourd used for percussion in hula, at the freboard. Meticulous construction and spectacular one of a kind art, along with the finest musical quality make this a classic master piece from the most famous custom ukulele builder!

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Custom Moore Bettah "Hula" Koa Tenor  (#1708)

Hula is more than just a dance. It’s an artistic representation of the islands themselves.The nature of the dance and the “mele” (hula music) together share the essence of Hawaiian culture. Paul Theroux recently did a video for the Smithsonian where he said this,

"Something that unites Hawaii is the spirit of Aloha. You don't find it anywhere else. I've never found it any other place in the world. It’s love, it’s understanding, it’s respect. it’s behaving, it’s the way people drive, it’s the way people deal with each other, and it’s something that softens the edges of all encounters.

Hula is aloha in action. It encompasses a great deal of life. It’s philosophical, it’s melodious, the dance is to the ancient spirits. So it’s history, it’s society, it’s mythology, and then it’s a way of being happy. And it’s something that’s very vital in the society. It’s not some surface thing that’s danced in a hotel as a sort of folkloric dance the way you might find in some other countries, but it’s something that penetrates to the very roots of the society.”

The grace and elegance of hula is mirrored in this breathtaking custom tenor ukulele from renown Big Island luthier, Chuck Moore. With the rare art of scrimshaw, Chuck creates a real expression and dimension that you don’t normally see in inlay. The fact that the wahine here was etched out and shaded with an x-acto knife and dye is pretty staggering. Burled woods were cut up, dyed, and pieced together for the traditional hula wear and the ipu, a gourd used for percussion in hula. Meticulous construction and spectacular original art, along with the finest musical quality make this a classic master piece from the most famous custom ukulele builder!

(Auction details below)

Bryan Tolentino is a local ukulele player and teacher. He has accompanied local Hawaiian artists on over 40 albums and recently released a fantastic duo album with Herb Ohta Jr. called Ukulele Friends. Here he gives us a raw sound sample of this amazing Moore Bettah.

This tenor has a slew of wonderful appointments like an ebony bound side sound port, the smoothest and most elegant arm bevel, mitered purflings flowing along with wood bindings nicely rounded off, and thin high-gloss nitro finish smooth to the slide. Little details went into every aspect of this build. The asymmetrical rosette is maple burl dyed green in areas along the fungal lines to retain a natural wood look and variation. Different and gorgeous.

Chuck is a solo builder and works by hand, no computer aided design, laser cutting machine or outside sourcing. The unique art called scrimshaw is said to be the oldest of all North American art forms. It's the art form that Chuck made his living at years ago while living on the island of Molokai and it's a time consuming technique he uses on many of his most special instruments.

This ukulele has Chuck's new string-through bridge and body shape with a slightly wider lower bout. The sound goes from sweet and clear when played lightly, to powerful and focused when you dig in. It has excellent balance in tones and this is in part because of the Thomastik Infeld Low g and c strings. They aren't as boomy or dominating as regular wound strings. They are also smooth when sliding, not squeaky like wound strings, but they have better sustain and tension balance than plain fluorocarbon strings, especially on the low G. Chuck continues to refine his offering and this is another area he has been striving to improve on. He continually enlightens us on just how great an ukulele can be. 

This came to us with a world-class setup, very low action without buzzing, and a carbon fiber rod in the neck to ensure it maintains that perfect feel. Having an ukulele this easy to play with this wonderful of a sound is very special. Add in the original art and you have a real treasure.

This ultimate custom tenor ukulele includes the Ameritage case offering the best fit and protection and also the Oasis Humidifier.

This is an auction and the details are below.

1. The auction will close on Wednesday March 29, 2017 at 4:30 pm Hawaii time.

2. This is an English format “open bid” auction. This means the bids are public and can be seen by others. The reserve price is $9,000. Any price shown above this in the box below is the current prevailing bid. You must bid higher by at least $25.00.

3. You must log in to your TheUkuleleSite account to bid. If you don’t have an account, simply create one. From "My Account" and  under the "My Auction" tab you need to set your auction name and choose when you would like to be emailed. You can also cancel bids from there. 

4. Bids are a fixed amount, there is no more Auto Bid in our auctions.

5. We’re including "Going, Going, Gone"  to simulate a live auction with an auctioneer. With this feature, any new highest bid received in the final 120] seconds will re-set a 120 second window for new bids to be received. As long as a higher bid comes in, the Going, Going, Gone window will re-set again. This cycle will continue until the prevailing bid survives without being overbid within the 120 second window.

6. When the auction ends, the highest bid received at or above the reserve price will be the winner. We must receive your bid for it to count.

7. The highest bid will be invoiced for the full value of the bid and have 24 hours from the invoice date to pay for their purchase in full. If the purchase price is not remitted by the deadline, Hawaii Music Supply may choose to offer the next highest bidder the opportunity to buy it at their final bid price.

8. Hawaii Music Supply reserves the right in its sole discretion to invalidate any bids that it determines have been made for the purpose of collusion or undermining the integrity of the auction. In such an event, Hawaii Music Supply may re-start or cancel the auction or choose to sell to any valid bidders. By entering this auction, all bidders agree that their bids are made with the intention to purchase the instrument featured in the auction at the price of their highest final bid. All bidders agree to avoid any coordination or collusion with other bidders.

Good luck and aloha!

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More Information
Specs
  • Model: 4 string tenor #1708
  • Size: Tenor
  • Body: 5A Hawaiian Koa Body
  • Bracing: Top, Sitka spruce, 3 fan pattern. Back, Honduran mahogany
  • Binding: Ebony
  • Purfling: W/G/W
  • Neck: Spanish cedar (carbon fiber reinforced)
  • Side sound port: Upper bout
  • Side Arm Bevel: Ebony
  • Fret board: Ebony, bound
  • Bridge: Ebony
  • Inlays: "Hula Dancer" Scrimsahwed Bettah Ivory & Maple and Boxwood Burl
  • Rosette: Maple Burl
  • Nut & saddle: Tusq
  • Tuners: Peghed
  • Strings: Low G: Thomastik-Infeld C (CF27) & G (CF30) Fluorocarbon trebles
  • Finish: Glossy nitrocellulose lacquer
Options Includes a beautiful Ameritage case and an Oasis Humidifier. From the Accessories tab above you can add a pickup or other accessories at the time you are invoiced when you win the ukulele! Aloha!!
Brand Moore Bettah

Shipping Information

 

For more even more details and FAQ visit our Shipping Page under the Company Info tab at the header menu.

SHIPPING CARRIER OPTIONS:
FedEx is our primary shipping carrier, all orders that qualify for free domestic shipping will be sent using FedEx. UPS and DHL can also be chosen as alternative options upon checkout, USPS is only used for smaller accessory orders. 

As soon as the shipping label is created you will be automatically notified via email with tracking information. All packages will be shipped with a signature requirement by default. If you do not wish to have a signature requirement you will need to notify us, either by leaving a note in the “special instructions” when adding the item(s) to your shopping cart or by emailing our shipping department directly. Any shipping related requests (hold/delay/address change) should also be directed to our shipping department ( [email protected]). 

NOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS: You may also be required to pay import duties/taxes, this will vary depending on your location and the value of the item(s). To estimate these taxes, you can contact your local customs office. Fedex also offers a helpful estimation tool: https://www.fedex.com/en-us/shipping/international.html

UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE PERMIT: If your ukulele contains any amount of shell inlay (abalone or pearl) it will require a permit to be shipped internationally. The cost of this permit is $93.00 USD. We will handle the paperwork and file the permit for you, but the cost of all duties and fees are the responsibility of the customer.

SHIPPING COST will vary depending on the size dimensions and weight of the package as well as the destination. To get a quote, use the “Calculate Shipping Cost” link located next to the “Add to Cart button” on each listing.

This is made even easier when you are already logged in to your customer account. Follow this link to create an account if you don’t already have one go HERE.

FREE SHIPPING: All orders within the USA with a total over $500 will qualify for free FedEx 2-day air shipping.

SHIPMENT AND TRACKING NOTIFICATIONS are sent automatically via email as soon as the shipping label is created so please make sure your email address is accurate when placing the order. Outgoing shipments are picked up by our shipping carriers Monday through Friday. 

ACCESSORY AND CASE ORDERS: While non-instrument orders for cases and accessories do not require the same processing time needed for instruments, they do require time for processing and packing. The typical processing time for accessory/case orders is (1-4 business days) depending on current order volume. 

CURRENT SETUP PROCESSING TIMES AND DETAILS ARE LOCATED UNDER THE “SETUP OPTIONS” TAB.* 

*If you would like to receive your instrument as soon as possible you can forego the full setup process by selecting the “Basic QC Only” option or by selecting the “Full Setup RUSH” option when adding instruments to your shopping cart. More details are available under the “Setup Options” tab.

Setup Options

 

Current Turnaround Time: Amount of time it takes before shipment-

Full Setup: 10-14 Business Days

Basic Quality Control: 2-3 Days

BASIC QUALITY CONTROL covers inspecting the instrument for any major defects that would have been missed by the factory and any faults in construction that could potentially damage or limit the functionality of the instrument over time. Any defective instruments are rejected and replaced.  We make sure that each Ukulele meets the basic standard for a brand new instrument and will be ready to play once you receive it. A final cleanup is also included after inspection before packing and shipment.

Full Setup - FREE for all Ukuleles $399 and over / $20.00 for Ukuleles from $300-399 / $30.00 for Ukuleles Under $300


Includes:


-Overall QC evaluation: To find defects in construction as well as to get an overall view of the instrument and note the areas that need extra attention and adjustment during the setup.

-Saddle Adjustment: The height of the saddle is lowered to reduce the distance between the strings and the fretboard, making it easier to play than the factory setup, especially higher up the fretboard.

-Nut Slot Adjustment: The depth, width, and angle of the nut slots are adjusted to create a more comfortable playing experience especially on the lower frets.

-Fret Dressing: After adjusting the nut and saddle heights, high spots in the fretboard or uneven frets will potentially cause fret buzz, dead spots, or other unwanted problems. The frets are filed to create a more consistent level across the fretboard. We then crown the frets to return their rounded curvature back to the top of each fret creating a clear contact point for each string. We then smooth and polish the frets and condition the fingerboard to bring them back to new condition.

-Final Cleanup: We always do a final overall cleanup of the instrument to make sure it is in new condition and ready to play before it is prepared for shipment.

Rush Setup & Delivery - Additional $50.00
The RUSH SETUP AND DELIVERY service is for customers who would still like to receive everything included in the full setup but on a shorter time frame. One of our setup technicians will work overtime outside of normal business hours to complete the setup within 2-3 days of the order being placed and immediately hand it over to the shipping department for packing and shipment. The $50.00 rush charge is in addition to the cost of the full setup. 

Additional services (see individual product listings to add these services to your order)
Re-stringing: We will replace the factory installed stock string set with a new set of your choosing. Select the “replace stock strings” option when adding your desired string set to the shopping cart.

Strap Button Installation: 1-2 buttons are installed to allow the use of a strap. Color options available. 

Pickup installation: for players who would like the option to play or record with amplification.

Friction Tuner Upgrade (friction tuners only): We offer upgrade options for select instruments with friction tuners to be retrofitted with new geared tuners for better precision and comfort when tuning.

Left-handed Setup: Left-handed setups are also available upon request. Occasionally an additional charge may be added for compensated saddles on select models. 

 

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