2014 Kamaka Pineapple Deluxe Soprano Ukulele

After a long day of random walk-in setups, phone calls, fret level/dresses, and parts-ordering, I was pleased to spend about twenty minutes right at the end getting this brand new (basically) Kamaka dialed-in setup-wise for its owner. It's a 2014 "pineapple deluxe" model which specifies the pretty "rope" purfling and wood binding (in this case rosewood which I like a lot better than their other "deluxe" binding -- maple). The board and bridge are ebony and the body and neck are entirely made from super-figured Hawaiian koa.

It's no secret that I adore Hawaiian-made Kamaka ukes just about as much as I adore Sam Chang ukes (a lot). Kamakas from any time sound really great and these new ones are just spectacular. Build, fit, and finish are just perfect.

The pineapple shape (and sound) has always appealed to me. They've got that blooming bottom-mids thing going for them that's pretty sublime.

Pearl "KK" and Gotoh 4:1 tuners are nice upgrades.

Yessir, we like-a dee trim.

The back is just as outrageous...

...and how do you like the "crimsonburst" natural color to the flamed koa on the sides?