Yeah. Could be. I was reading, a very little bit, about Koa. Seems there is another variety called Koai'a which is supposed to be noticably harder and more dense than Koa. Still, not owning a lathe or any of the tools it is not something I would tackle. But an interesting possibility nonetheless. I must say I love the look of spalted wood in a reel seat. Of course now this has entirely left the guitar realm…so uh, nice guitar.
Looking forward to hearing it played.