Arm Bevel - Side Port - Limited Edition Custom Design!
On our last trip to the Pono factory in Java, John and Noa from Ko'olau designed this limited run called the Master Series. These instruments would have the elegance of a custom with a clean design and natural beauty. They started with an ebony wood rosette instead of abalone, and a new simple, but distinct wood logo inlay on the slotted headstock. The radius ebony fretboard would be nice and clean without fret dots, though it still has side dots so you know where you're at. Add in classy and useful features like the beveled arm rest and side sound port and now we're cookin'!
Noa then hand selected the 16 western red cedar tops for this model, going through piles of instrument grade sets, feeling for stiffness, weight, and resonance (tap tone). You can see some of this in the video I shot earlier this year at the bottom of the page. I'm sure we'll do custom runs in the future but this limited edition master series will always be special. So smooth and stylish, and such a great feel and tone.
Kalei gives us a little review and raw sound sample. this one has the stock high G Ko'olau Alohi set but we show it with the low G set too in the second video.
Cedar has a sweetness in sound that makes it a top choice for a soundboard. The Honduran mahogany Pono uses has a clear and resonant projection, very musical. With this hand selected cedar top you get a wonderful balance across the tona; spectrum. The custom styled slotted headstock and perfect lacquer gloss finish show an elegant beauty to go with the deep rich tone. Kalei samples this model now with the Ko'olau Alohi Low G set.
So if you like that tone then you can request the Ko'olau Aho Low G set in the special instructions.
A feature you won't see in the pictures is the dual-action adjustable truss rod. This is used to stabilize and adjust the lengthwise forward curvature (also called relief), of the neck. It can be adjusted from right inside the sound hole with an Allen wrench provided. This is something you will probably not need to adjust. But over time and with humidity changes, it is a very useful option to have, and a very easy thing to adjust with little room for error.
The Pono Pro Classic line has really gotten to a top notch quality. This Master Series is a new flagship to the line and only available this once in a limited run. Because we bought the entire run we are able to lower the sale price more than "MAP" would normally allow us. We are always interested in offering you the best value, even with a special limited run like this.
From about 3minutes into this video you can see some clips of this line being designed and the tops being selected.
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