Hawaiian Koa 000 — 12 Fret
A 12-fret 000 voiced for fingerstyle. Forward-shifted bracing and a bridge sitting closer to the lower bout center — both pointing at the same target: maximum lower-bout vibration.
Specifications
- Body
- 000
- Top
- Adirondack spruce
- Back & sides
- Hawaiian koa, ribbon figure
- Neck
- Spanish cedar with carbon fiber tube
- Fretboard
- Ebony
- Bridge
- Relieved ebony pyramid
- Bracing
- Forward shifted scalloped X (Adirondack)
- Scale length
- 25.4" (Martin long scale)
- Frets to body
- 12
- Nut width
- 1 3/4"
- Strings
- Light phosphor bronze 12–53
- Glue
- Hide glue at brace-to-soundboard, Titebond elsewhere
- Construction
- Spanish heel
- Year
- 2026
Why 12 fret
Moving the body join from 14 to 12 frets shifts the bridge closer to the center of the lower bout. The top is driven at its most compliant zone — fuller bass, more complex bloom, vibrating area more evenly distributed both sides of the bridge. The forward-shifted X bracing points at the same target. Two choices, one acoustic intention.
Tonewood pairing
Koa is sweet, complex, warm, and immediately musical — a slightly soft attack, notes that develop after pick contact, bass that is round rather than extended, treble that chimes rather than cuts. Ribbon-grain heartwood performs closer to theoretical best than heavily figured pieces. Adirondack spruce on top adds the articulation and headroom koa benefits from. The 000 body lets the full voice develop while keeping the koa midrange in focus.
Construction notes
Cross-grained Adirondack bridge plate, 2.5mm thick, CA-hardened pin holes, edges beveled to soften the stiffness discontinuity at the perimeter. Hide glue at every brace-to-soundboard joint, fillets left in place at the brace feet — the gradual stiffness transition outperforms the cleaned-up sharp junction. Bone saddle compensated for the 25.4" scale. Bone nut cut for light phosphor bronze.