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Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1579 Posts |
 Posted - 06/28/2002 : 5:39:40 PM
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After the dash around the ukulele builders on O`ahu I promised myself I wouldn't do the same thing on the Big Island - just visit neighborhoods (and National Parks and friends, Lynn works for the NPS) and hang out on beaches. I almost kept my promise, too, but ...
The Ukulele House has a store on the Big Island, at the Kings Shops in Waikoloa, and the Roy's restaurant there is Lynn's favorite, so since we were in the neighborhood ... They were giving ukulele lessons out front, and had a nice stock of ukes in all price ranges and sizes from several different makers. The gentleman behind the counter was very enthusiastic about talking ukulele. He's a fan of G-String and likes Ko`olau as well. His favorite builder among the Big Island guys is "Andy - you just have to go visit Andy." He brought out his custom 5 string tenor - very dramatic "shark" soundholes and a doubled G so he has both the high and low G sound going on. It's quite heavy because of the pheasant wood back and sides and the electronics, but it sounds quick and hot and plays like a dream.
Back at the hotel that evening I just idly check out the Big Island luthiers, and find that Andy is O Kona Ukuleles and Guitars, and his web site has some gorgeous stuff indeed. Hmmmmmmm. On the way back from snorkeling the next day we're in the neighborhood, so perhaps we could stop in?? As we pull up to the house one of Andy's luthiery students is leaving, and stops to show us his creation - a gorgeous koa and spruce soprano. Andy is another very pleasant guy, with stacks of logs drying all around and shop full of beautiful ukes in various stages. One of his trademarks is a honu (sea turtle) inlayed around the puka (soundhole) or overlayed as a pick guard. This really captures Lynn's attention, and the next thing we know we're going through the price list and she's checking EVERYTHING <g>. She's giggling because she's going to have a uke that's fancier than any of my guitars - she gets a koa back, spruce top, pau ferro bridge and fretboard, with gold tuners, honu soundhole, maple binding, and (tada!) abalone purfling all around the top and soundhole. Andy says we'll have our uke in about 4 months - she has a lot of practicing to do to be worthy of this little beaty.
Here's a link to O Kona, the custom ukes page:
http://ukulelesofkona.com/custom_ukuleles.htm
Since we obviously can't visit an ukulele maker without buying a uke, we carefully avoided the rest of the folks on the Big Island, but when we visited an old Park Service buddy at the Volcano, we discovered that he has taken up the uke, owns a Kamaka concert and has odered a TT concert to go with it. It's a plague on the land, I tell ya.
Fran
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marzullo
`Olu`olu
USA
923 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2002 : 9:00:25 PM
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aloha e fran,
i'm sorry, you're having too much fun. it's time to come home and go back to work like the rest of us here, mutter...
andy's ukes are beautiful, and that pair of gibson's are pretty amazing. i think that they're the opposite of what braddah el jefe is thinking of (how do you say "the chief" in hawaiian? ka lani?) they would be show stoppers.
aloha,
keith
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mistercoffee1
Aloha
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2002 : 9:40:00 PM
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I was just on the Big Island 3 weeks ago, and visited the same shop.
Nice guy running that place (the guy with the long hair?).
I ended up picking up a Martin S-O from a place at the Ali'i Marketplace.
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Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1579 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2002 : 10:36:10 PM
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quote:
i'm sorry, you're having too much fun. it's time to come home and go back to work like the rest of us here, mutter...
I should have started my story off by saying that we're back home, and will have to head back to the job on Monday.
Fran
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Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1579 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2002 : 10:38:36 PM
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quote:
I ended up picking up a Martin S-O from a place at the Ali'i Marketplace.
How do you like it? Are you an old hand at ukes or just getting going?
Fran
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Julie H
Ha`aha`a
USA
1206 Posts |
Posted - 07/18/2002 : 02:02:18 AM
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The Big Island now also has Dennis Lake (from Michigan) as it's newest resident luthier. He lives close to South Point, and he makes wonderful ukes. My husband and I have bought two so far. Mine had a low G on it which I really liked, but it sustained far too long and overpowered the others during any nice soft Hawaiian tune. Will see how I like the high G.
I have seen Dennis' guitar and banjo: gorgeous instruments and what sound! His address is dplake @ yahoo.com
Happy strumming, Julie
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