Moore Bettah
ukuleles
CURRENTLY FOR SALE
TERMS: Prices are in $USD and include case, an extra set of strings and one year limited warranty but exclude shipping and sales tax if any.
All ukes are subject to current availability. Accepted forms of payment are Paypal, cashier's check, money order or bank draft.
My work is available throughout the Big Island at The Music Exchange in Kona, at Hilo Guitars and Ukuleles in Hilo, and at The Hulualoa Ukulele Gallery in Hulualoa. On the Mainland you can find my work at Schoenberg Guitars in Tiburon, California.
Of course if you live in Hawaii or plan on vacationing here, you are welcomed to visit my shop. Call ahead for directions and availability of instruments.
Shipping with insurance to the Mainland and Overseas is via USPS Express Mail and ranges from $55 to $85.
This page is constantly being updated. Come back often!
This page was last updated: November 2, 2008
New instruments currently available
Prices and Options
Base Price:
My ukuleles are built of solid Big Island Hawaiian quarter sawn koa with bookmatched tops, backs and sides. Honduran mahogany is generally used as neck material unless an all-koa ukulele is preferred in which case koa can be substituted. Fingerboards can be made of ebony, cocobolo, kiawe, or hala (pandanus). Nut and saddle material will either be micarta, corian, fossil ivory or bone. Rosettes are pearl or wood to match purflings if any. Bindings are either ebony, cocobolo, koa, kiawe, or faux tortoise shell. Inlays are composed of a variety of materials including several kinds of solid pearl shell (not laminates), composite stone, hardwood and ivories. Base price includes top, back and headstock binding of your choice, rosette, end graft, fret position markers on top and side of fretboard, grover tuners and hard shell case. Plus a Moore Bettah T-shirt! All custom ukes are finished with nitro-cellulose lacquer and buffed to a high gloss.
Styles;
Tenor.......................................................$1500
Double hole Tenor...............................$1600
Concert....................................................$1400
Concert Pineapple........................... .....$1400
5 String models add........................ ......$50
6 String models add..............................$100
Cutaway models add............................$100
Options:
Paua abalone top body purfling.........$250
Wood or rope top body purfling........$150
Headstock purfling (wood or shell)...$50-$100
Fretboard binding (wood or shell).....$100-$200
Radius fret board....................................$50
Inlays range from $100 to $1,000 plus.
Exceptionally figured or curly Master Grade AAAAA koa,
when available, can add an additional $100 to $300 to any model.
Spuce, Redwood and Cedar tops available at no extra charge.
All prices subject to change. A $500 deposit is requested on all custom ukuleles before building can begin.
 | ||||||
Here are some pictures of this year's People's Choice Award and Artisan's Choice Award winning ukulele presented at the 4th annual Big Island Guild Ukulele show in Kona, Hawaii on November 9, 2007
4-String Tenor Ukulele
"The Three Mermaids"
This all koa ukulele was challenging yet immensely satisfying to build. Living so close to nature in this beautiful Hawaiian environment was naturally very influential in my choice of whimsical designs depicting two mermaids frolicking in the sea and one dreamingly relaxing in a banana moon. I use AAA Big Island curly koa for the body and ebony elsewhere including the fretboard and headstock veneer. Paua abalone is use unashamedly throughout, adorning the entire front and back of the instrument. The seahorse on the end graft was an afterthought that occurred to me only after I sprayed the first couple of coats of lacquer. The mermaids are made up of composite stone and 10,000 year old fossil mammoth ivory. After the ukulele was finish sanded, I scrimshawed the details in the bodies, remembering the art form I was involved in years ago. Other inlay materials include gold mother of pearl, abalone shell and fossil walrus ivory.
This instrument is sold.
Click on any image to enlarge.
PLEASE NOTE: I am beginning to take orders for 2009. Feel free to contact me with your ukulele wishes. Please be aware that my building schedule fills up quickly and orders are considered on a first come-first served basis. Ukuleles that I build "for my own amusement" will continue to be posted on this page.
Haines Beefy Tees
Available in Small, Large, and XL
$18 includes shipping to anywhere in the USA
This page was last updated: November 2, 2008
| ||||
4 String tenor ukulele "Japanese White Eye"
AAAAA curly koa with ebony bindings, fret board, head stock veneer and bridge. Paua abalone purflings. Inlays of abalone shell, pink mussel & koa. Bound fret board and sound hole. Bone saddle. Grover tuners. These tiny birds are abundant in our gardens.
This ukulele is a real show-stopper, both visually and sonically.
Master grade curly spalted koa with curly maple bindings on top and back of body, head stock and fret board. Custom tri-color rope purflings. Cocobolo fret board, head stock veneer and bridge. Fast action neck and bound fret board has 18 fret total, 14 to the body. Open geared Grover tuners make this a nicely balanced ukulele. The "mermaid" inlay is scrimshawed fossil mastadon ivory (legal), gold MOP, and composition stone. Bone nut and saddle, low action. As usual with all my instruments, a deluxe hard shell case, T-shirt and extra strings are included.
Click on any image for greater detail
4 STRING TENOR "MERMAID"
The following three ukuleles will be available for sale at the Big Island Ukulele Guild exhibition and show in Holualoa, November 7 - 15. Call me for more details.
When four strings aren't enough, or even eight, you'll have your hands full with this double neck tenor ukulele fitted with both a 4 string and 8 string neck. The woods I used for this unusual instrument are spalted curly koa for the body, carbon reinforced Spanish cedar necks, and ebony for the fret board, head stock veneer and bindings. The bamboo inlays are of gold mother of pearl and cocobolo. I chose to use "Peghed" planetary geared tuners for their light weight and their classic, unobtrusive appearance. The dual side sound ports give the player immediate feedback and gives improved tonal balance and overall projection. The pick up I installed is a "Hilo Strings" brand passive under-soundboard transducer chosen for it's simplicity, durability and effectiveness. The case naturally is custom made and is redwood and mahogany. This ukulele is a joy to play and a real kick in the pants!
Double Neck Tenor Ukulele
