Pono Guitars & 'Ukuleles

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Pono Production Updates

Note: A limited stock of factory cosmetic seconds are available, only at our facility in Wahiawa. Please call or email for an appointment.

NEW: Pono P-5 Chromatic Clip-On Tuner (actually a revision of our original Intelli tuner). There are many clip-on tuners now available, but we feel the Korean made Intelli is the best. Accurate, well built, and easy to use. And now re-designed to our specs to elimate the vibration rattle, common to Intelli tuners. So we can rightly name it "Pono." See more info on our "merchandise" page.

Mahogany Delux Series:
This is our original Pono line of instruments, solid Mahogany top, back, and sides, with ebony binding. Throughout history some of the finest quality and sweetest sounding guitars and ‘ukuleles have been made of Mahogany. Many “old’school” purists still prefer the clean and warm tone of solid Mahogany. Current stock includes Tenor 4-String, 6-String, 8-String, and Baritone. Tenor 6-String and 8-String will be discontinued. A limited production with solid Mahogany back and sides and solid Spruce top are available. The Mahogany Delux Series is available in Gloss Finish only.

Beginning 2009 the Mahogany Delux Series will be redesigned. All models, including Concert, Tenor, and Baritone size will have mahogany back and sides, and a cedar top.
PT (no pickup) out of stock. Estimated availability Nov 08

New – Exotic Island Series:
Future Exotic Island Series will include "Ebony Delux Series" and "Koa Delux Series" only. Available late 2008

#1 Mango Delux Series:
Solid curly and spalted Mango back and sides, solid Spruce top. Ebony fingerboard and bridge, bone nut and saddle. Ebony top and back binding. Abalone rosette. PTMS has top abalone purfling, no cutaway. . PTMS-CE and PBMS-CE are cutaway models, with rope purfling, and factory installed Pono pickup. Grover mini-rotomatic tuners with ebony buttons. Includes a Ko’olau Hardshell Case. This Model will be discontinued. Very limited current stock.

#2 Rosewood Delux Series:
Solid Rosewood back and sides, solid Cedar top. Cutaway body. Curly maple top and back binding, rope purfling, abalone rosette, ebony fingerboard and bridge, bone nut and saddle, and Grover mini-rotomatic tuners with ebony buttons. Includes a Pono Pickup and Ko’olau Hardshell Case. This Model will be discontinued. Very limited current stock.

#3 Ebony Delux Series:
Solid Macassar Ebony back and sides, solid Spruce top. Cutaway body. Curly maple top and back binding, rope purfling, abalone rosette, ebony fingerboard and bridge, bone nut and saddle, and Grover mini-rotomatic tuners with ebony buttons. Includes a Pono Pickup and Ko’olau Hardshell Case. Out of stock until November 2008

#4 Koa Delux Series: The Koa Delux Series will include our very limited stock of premium curly Koa, with extensive shell top and back purfling. This will be the Model PK-5. Available late 2008

A very limited quantity of Model PKC-500 with Pikake (Jasmine) flower and vine faceplate and fingerboard shell inlay is still available, to be replaced by the PK-5.

Limited inventory of PKC-500 only.

Hawaiian Koa Series:
Our Hawaiian Koa line has become very popular. We will continue this series, however due to production costs and availability of Hawaiian Koa this Series will be very limited. Current stock includes Soprano, Concert, Tenor, and Baritone, in both Style #1 (select, light figure Koa) and Style #2 (curly figured Koa, with ebony binding). Future production will include Style #1, and a very limited qualtity of Style #2. The fancier, premium grade Koa style #2 will be available as our Koa Delux Series (under Exotic Island Series).All Koa instruments are gloss finish only.

Mango Series:

. This line is slightly different than the PTMS, PTMS-CE and PBMSCE, Mango Delux models. The Mango Series will have beautiful Mango wood, select grade (not as curly), and to be more affordable, there will be no top and back binding, only a simple "rope" rosette inlay. We have had a large demand for solid Mango, due to its unique "artistic" color and grain patterns, and also a tone similar to both Koa and Mahogany.

Limited inventory of Tenor size only.

Hawaiian Stencil Art Series:
Beginning 2008 we are happy to introduce a new limited edition series of ‘ukuleles with a beautiful Hawaiian tropical island scene stencil painted on top. Retro of the 1930’s using original stenciling techniques along with high quality solid woods and professional craftsmanship. Designs are similar to early Hawaiian and Tahitian wood cuts, and incorporate the artistic designs of Susan Kitakis and graphic computer art talents of Ajita White.

Four models will be available for 2008. The first in our series is a young man on a beach, leaning against a palm tree, playing 'ukulele with the beauty of the setting sun, named "'ukulele mele" the second is named "hoe wa'a" (paddler) depicting a canoe paddler on a moonlit evening. The third is named "lawai'a" (fisherman). And the fourth is simply "i'a" (fish) from a beautiful woodcut painting of fish from the South Pacific oceans. Currently, all will be available in a Soprano size 'ukulele, and possibly other sizes in the future. Solid mahogany back and sides, solid spruce top, bone nut and saddle, and Grover tuners. Satin finish.
Available late 2008

**Note on Amplification: All Pono 'ukuleles are available with a custom "Pono" brand passive piezo saddle transducer. Sounding great alone, an enhanced tone and volume is possible by the use of what is termed an "outboard preamp" which is a relatively inexpensive device, a smal lmetal box, with volume, bass, and treble controls. The instrument is plugged into the box, and the bo xis then plugged into the amplifier. This outboard preamp, powered by a 9 volt battery, boosts the signal, and produces the same effect as having a guitar or 'ukulele with the "active" electronics that are often installed inside the instrument. Currently all Pono 'ukuleles have the optional "passive" system for two reasons, number one, it actually does sound good in its passive mode.... and number two, it's less expensive, and thus we can still provide an amplified 'ukulele at a reasonable price. And again, if an "active" system is desired or required for performance purposes, an outboard preamp is simple and inexpensive.

We have experimented with several brands of Outboard Preamps, some good, some not so good. A new "Pono" Outboard Preamp is in the final stages of development, and specifically designed to be compatible with our Pono pickup (but also useful for any acoustic piezo pickup). Our Pono Outboard Preamp will be available by early summer.

Pono Guitars

With the scarcity and difficulty in acquiring Hawaiian Koa wood, we are redesigning our line of Pono guitars. Future production will include one acoustic steel string guitar, a 15" concert size, cutaway guitar made of Macassar Ebony back and sides, and a cedar top.

Our other model is a Thinline, semi-hollow body acoustic/electric cutaway, patterned after our Ko'olau I'O (pronounced ee'oh, with the accent on the ee). Available in both a natural finished mahogany/cedar top, and another model is mahogany/spruce with a black finish.

Available late 2008

Please feel free to contact me for any suggestions or clarifications.

Aloha, John Kitakis

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