The Wand Chooses The Wizard: How A Custom Millar Ukulele Chose Me

Ollivander says the wand chooses the wizard. Last week, an ukulele chose me!

I met Eric of Millar Ukulele - the Ollivander of ukulele. He was originally going to build me a particular custom ukulele, but it got delayed due to material availability. He asked if there was another ukulele I’d be interested in. I told him I’d been thinking about a long neck soprano, and I let him decide the materials to make me something special.

What he came up with ended up being more special (and dare I say, magical) than even he could have expected. Apart from the size, everything else was a surprise to me until I picked it up.

Size: Soprano body with a concert scale. I love the sound of a soprano, but my hands are large enough that I appreciate a concert scale.

Spruce Top: My favorite for its projection.

Hawaiian Koa Rosette: Hawaii is where I fell in love with ukulele and learned to play.

Mango Purfling: My favorite fruit since childhood.

White Oak Body: A unique choice. This wood is prized for whiskey barrels, shipbuilding, and furniture.

This is where things get magical: when white oak is cut the right way, you can see streaks across the grain that glimmer and give it a beautiful 3D look. Those streaks are called medullary rays — or you can say the wood has Ray fleck.

My name is Ray. Eric had no idea about that coincidence.

I’m sure you’re wondering about the sound: I haven’t been able to put it down. The notes ring clear and distinct. It’s not “easy” to play, because mistakes are amplified. I especially love how it sounds fingerpicking higher up the neck, and I believe this ukulele will force me to become a more precise player who uses the whole fretboard. Jake Shimabukuro said he only plays one ukulele because he believes in bonding with a single instrument. I have a bit too much UAS to go that far… but I do see this becoming a go-to ukulele for me.

I think this is the closest thing a ukulele player could experience to having a wand choose you.

In case you want to see what ukulele would choose you (without going as far as letting a master builder surprise you), I made a fun little free quiz that builds an ukulele based on what fits you:
https://raysukulele.com/rays-ukulele-wizard/