Concept Construction
The Koa is from Kauai’s primal rain-forest, is no longer harvested, and can not be purchased*; it is Hawaii’s most ancient and is extremely rare and valuable. The timbers are air-dried at least 10 years then dehumidified down to about 5% moisture content in a climate controlled, 50% relative humidity shop.  Drawing upon many years of violin making and bass restoration, as well as guitar making, these instruments have several unusual design features contributing to their unique sound.  The tops and backs are domed with all interior bracing shaped to match this arc.  The sides are also contoured to match the dome of the top.  This doming of the top and back builds more air space into the guitar, under the bridge, while at the same time adding structural strength to the soundbox.  This in turn allows the guitar to substantially benefit from the delicate graduation of the top and back plates.  The direct result of such thinning and tuning giving the instrument an open, responsive sound, rarely heard in a new instrument.  This technique also gives the instrument a big voice when played softly and a clear sound that doesn’t break up when played hard.  The neck is made of Koa with laminations of mahogany on both sides, reducing the weight an all Koa neck has, while adding stability from the glued laminations to help guard against accidents.  The neck is set back from a standard angle to accommodate the arc of the top and retain a fine playing action, a truss rod adjusts for back bow as well as relief, and the entire design produces an extremely comfortable guitar to play, especially considering its size, for any age or size player, man or woman.

*The Koa that is on the market today has been planted, re-grown, and then harvested. It's quality holds no comparison to the ancient Hawaiian Koa that Michael uses in his instruments.

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