Hawaiian Koa: Thalia's New Mission

February 25, 2019 2 min read

Hawaiian Koa:  Thalia's New Mission


Thalia Capos was founded when Thalia dreamed of making a capo that would complement the Hawaiian Koa in the Taylor Guitar held by Taylor Swift on the cover of Rolling Stone. 


Not only that but Hawaiian Koa has always "secretly" been my favorite tonewood.  It is a very diverse wood that can range from golden yellow to dark chocolate in color.  It can also get so figured, curly and beautiful that it can force you to drop your jaw to the floor.   I fell in love with Koa the first time I went to Hawaii and have been obsessed with it ever since.

Now what I also really love about Hawaiian Koa is that it can be sustainably grown and there are a multitude of projects well underway in Hawaii to reforest the islands with the this amazing tonewood. 

We have recently embarked on an exciting new plan that we will be explaining in more detail over the coming months. But here is what I can tell you now about what we have planned...

We have decided to take on a new mission as it relates to Hawaiian Koa and sustainability.  Our mission is to play a meaningful role in the reforestation of Koa in Hawaii over the coming decade while also promoting the use of sustainably grown Hawaiian Koa from 2nd & 3rd growth forests.

We plan to do this through a number of initiatives that we will reveal over the coming months!  To kickoff this effort, we are doing a promotion using some absolutely amazing Hawaiian Koa that we have recently acquired from the Big Island.  This wood is super curly and has just unbelievable figuring. 
We are currently offering this super premium wood at a discounted price to celebrate the launch of our new mission.  We are also making a commitment as it relates to all Hawaiian Koa products made by Thalia going forward. 

All Hawaiian Koa products made by Thalia now come with our Hawaiian Koa Reforestation Commitment.  $5 from the sale of each Capo or Phone Case goes directly towards planting and maintaining new Koa trees in Hawaii.

While all of the woods and shell on our site are sourced from ethical vendors who have sustainability policies in place, with Hawaiian Koa we are going a step further.   For Hawaiian Koa we will directly source our wood in Hawaii, ensuring chain of custody of the salvaged logs.  These logs will then be sliced into veneer per our specifications.  Next, we will be actively involved in the planting and maintaining of new royal koa trees in Hawaii on the same islands where our wood originates.  

Here is the new AAA Curly Hawaiian Koa in our new products.

  

We are asking for your support going forward by purchasing our Hawaiian Koa products and supporting us in our mission as we unfold elements of our plans over the coming months.



Also in Fingerboard Stories

Picking Through History
Picking Through History

September 06, 2024 4 min read

From being found in the wash to being left on counters and desks to being counted with change out of a guitarist’s pocket, guitar picks are the definitive proof that the holder undoubtedly plays the instrument.


But as omnipresent as they are, how many guitarists have pondered the history of the pick itself? Who are they? What were they doing?

How Jazz and Banjos Gave Us Heavy Metal
How Jazz and Banjos Gave Us Heavy Metal

August 16, 2024 3 min read

The origins of Heavy Metal can be traced back to a couple of bands. The most average ones that get name-dropped include Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Blue Cheer and many other contemporaries. 

Dear reader, in this writer’s opinion, the only band that can be defined as ground zero for Heavy Metal, as far as sound and style are concerned, was Black Sabbath, a band from Birmingham, England.

When the Waters Got Muddy
When the Waters Got Muddy

August 02, 2024 4 min read

Like every artist, Muddy had to have some sort of start. He started playing harmonica in his early teens and later purchased his first guitar at 17 from the proceeds of a horse sale. Arguably, his most significant push into pursuing music beyond the borders of Stovall, Mississippi, arrived at his front door in August of 1941, in his 28th year.