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Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
 Posted - 07/19/2006 : 6:07:32 PM
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Two weeks ago, I joined Darin and friends for a tour of the KoAloha factory. It was a pleasure meeting the Okami `ohana and getting to see how they build their instruments from wood to bodies to necks to frets to finished `ukulele. I can truly say that their building process is a unique combination of aloha, feel, science and ingenuity. If you're on O`ahu, email the Okami's to see if you can stop in for a tour.
Darin posted photos of the tour at his website www.hawaiiguitar.com. Navigate to the photos page. You can also see what KoAloha (Paul) looks like.
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Andy |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2006 : 11:44:15 PM
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The photo tour of KoAloha has been upgraded to 37 photos!
What a fun day we had. |
Andy |
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 07/24/2006 : 3:55:16 PM
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| I would hertily recommend this their tour to any Honolulu visitor. The factory is near the UH campus and COSTCO but can be hard to find. The Okami Ohana shares their aloha to all visitors. |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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a35asako
Aloha
Japan
32 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2006 : 8:16:41 PM
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Aloha Kakou!
My friend and I visited koaloha factory in this April, too.
Okami family are very kind for us!
It was first time that we go to uke factory, very interesting.
Mahalo nui loa for Okami family!
Aloha,
asako |
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Reid
Ha`aha`a
Andorra
1526 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2006 : 04:14:05 AM
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Thanks for the tour Darin and Andy. Having watched a lot of guitar luthiers, this was really interesting because it is so different in lots of ways.
The bending and fret slotting operations were a real surprise.
For some reason, even after watching Dennis Lake's students build at AMC, and having a tenor myself, it never penetrated my brain that `uke bodies were bent in one piece. That is one tight radius. Every guitar luthier I know bends sides individually and joins them at the tail block and neck block. Most bend over a warmed insulated metal mold by weighting the ends of the sides so that the sides take shape very slowly and semi-automatically. However, Mark Blanchard, and a very few others, bend totally by hand over a heated pipe. (Of course, all presoak the sides.) The Okami method is very interesting, if labor intensive.
Very few guitar luthiers slot fretboards themselves. (I suppose the big factories like Martin and Taylor do their own - but I am talking about "small shop" and one-person operations.) There are a few suppliers that provide preslotted fretboards to most of the luthier community. When you have lots of scale lengths and make 12 to 36 instruments a year, it doesn't pay to do it yourself or make a machine like the very interesting one the Okamis have. Again, I am surprised that, with the large volume of `ukes produced in the world, that some big outfit like Stew-Mac isn't a reliable source.
Fascinating look at a very clever operation.
(BTW, I also loved the koa lumberyard - almost as big as Goodall's :-)
...Reid |
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2007 : 09:01:50 AM
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Aloha Kakou,
I just spent several days helping out at the KoAloha Factory. Lots of news to pass on. KoAloha has leased out more space in their factory and are underoing a huge renovation project. They have expanded their showroom and will be adding various items to their "store". In a few weeks the Waikiki Trolley will begin making daily stops at the factory. Also, in July, Pops will reveal his next masterpiece ukulele. It is a top secret project that has been in the works for a long time. I was sworn to secrecy after I saw it. All I can say is that the code name is "SCEPTRE" and it will be a knockout. They are up to producing 60 ukuleles a week (this does not include their entry level KoAlana line that is made for them overseas.
If you are thinking about buying a Pineapple Sunday you better pick it up now because they are stopping production.
Actually it is not to hard to find the factory if you are near the Honolulu COSTCO/Home Depot, mauka of Dillingham, next to the canal. The "headstock" sign will guide you in to the factory in the back of the industrial buildings.. |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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