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Sid_from_Maui
Aloha
USA
4 Posts |
 Posted - 10/09/2007 : 05:10:00 AM
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Hi all,
I'm from Maui and have been playing guitar for a long, long time. Mostly blues and rock, and recently a lot of jazz. I play with an 18 piece band, and we just played at Tula's in Belltown a few weeks ago.
But slack key has always been an interest. My sister picked up the first Keola Beamer album in the seventies, and I learned one tune from that, which I've played over the years.
In the past ten or so years, I've become more interested in slack key. Recently I learned a few new tunes from Keola's Mohala Hou album. That album really gave me a boost because Keola tells what tunings he uses. I am now fairly fluent with Keola's C Wahine because the top four strings are the same as regular tuning. I also like the tuning he uses on "Kuu Home O Kahaluu".
I love that album so much that almost four years ago I ordered a second guitar from Steve Grimes of Maui. I have now met him several times to order the guitars, and because he lives just up the road from my sister and brother-in-law. Grimes didn't know them when I ordered the first guitar, but told him he would probably like my brother-in-law Milt. Milt went up to him after a concert and they started talking. Now Steve and Milt and my sister are all good friends. Last year, I went up to Steve's house for New Year's Eve with Milt--another guest with Steve was David Gurian. Gurian is the godfather of all current luthiers. Anyway, he and Steve are good friends, and Gurian was staying with Steve.
So the new guitar arrived last June, after a three and a half year wait. It is gorgeous in looks and tone. It is a nylon string "Hapa" model (like Keola's, except with a cutaway). It has a redwood top; the wood was harvested sixty years odd years ago, according to Steve. The back and sides are blondish koa. It sounds gorgeous with a rich tone. Steve said it will take a year or so before it opens up, and it has already started to bloom. If you are interested in pictures, someone tell me how to post them, and I will.
That is my second Grimes guitar. I ordered the first twelve years ago, and it's also a Hapa model, but a steel string instrument. The back and sides are made from "spectacular" grade koa. Steve said it was his best, and couldn't get such wood again. It is gorgeous with three dimensional flame waves visible. The top is Adirondack spruce (or red spruce), which was not well-known at the time I ordered it. Steve told me that Martin used to use it on all their guitars, but stopped doing so sometime back in the fifties or sixties because they couldn't get it in the same quantities. But now every famous maker uses it as on the highest grade guitars. That Grimes is chimier than anything else. It rings like a bell on harmonics.
So anyway I am interested in jamming with others. Hope to meet some of you soon.
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Momi
Lokahi
402 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2007 : 05:39:40 AM
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| Eh, Sid, welcome to da 'Patch! Another uchinanchuu - right on. There are many opportunities in the Puget Sound region to jam. Check da kanikapila section, especially "Seattle area experiment" for the latest. Hope to meet you soon. |
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MahinaM
Lokahi
USA
389 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2007 : 06:06:24 AM
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E Komo Mai, Sid! You are so in luck living up in Washington. You have lots of incredible players up there who you could jam with on a regular basis. Definitely hook up with the other Taropatchers that have their kanikapilas every month. I wish I didn't live so far sometimes, or I'd be there too. If you ever venture down to Eugene, OR, please come and jam with us anytime!
Loved your story about your guitar, too. It must be a beauty! We'd all probably would love to see pictures of it.
A hui hou,
Maggie |
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2007 : 07:44:35 AM
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Hey Sid -
Hope to meet ya some time when I'm up your way. And give a shout if you come down to Ashland, OR to see some plays.
Saw you have a Guild F30--- is it rosewood by any chance? I had an F30R maybe 30 years ago -- one sweet little guitar. Always been sad I let that one go... but hey, life is just one guitar after another, ain't it?
Actually, life is one drummer after another, but that's a story for another time.
cheers,
Mark |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2007 : 08:25:31 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Sid_from_Maui
recently a lot of jazz. I play with an 18 piece band, and we just played at Tula's in Belltown a few weeks ago.
Sid - are you with The Jazz Police now? (That's the only 18-piece jazz group I know that plays regularly at Tula's.) Momi & I will have to connect up with you there some time. |
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2007 : 09:43:14 AM
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Glad to know you are here. Hope we meet up sometime. I like jazz but don't play it much still fool around with it sometimes when I can. I used to have a double hole made at the Guitar and Lute Workshop where Keola first started teaching guitar. I had it made and it only cost 750.00 Its gone now and i don't know where it is. It was in a locker and I ran into some problems and the locker got auctioned off. It was a three piece back redwood front koa laminated neck classical style guitar. When the bass was fingered you could feel the vibrations on your stomach. As Mark says "one guitar after another" . |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
Edited by - noeau on 10/09/2007 09:44:00 AM |
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hawaiianmusiclover06
`Olu`olu
USA
562 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2007 : 1:38:32 PM
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Aloha mai e Sid, e komo mai to the patch! Glad to have to see you and have you on here.
Alana :) |
Aloha Kakou, maluhia a me aloha mau loa (Hello everyone, peace and love forever) |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2007 : 4:50:06 PM
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Aloha, Sid, and welcome to Taro Patch. You live in a good area for Hawaiian music and I am sure you can hook up with the lovely folks from our Taro Patch `ohana.
You men and your guitars!
All teasing aside, there are great folks on Taro Patch with much knowledge and wisdom and talent and a wonderful willingness to share their mana`o. Licky Andy made this forum for us.
E komo mai from Cleveland, Ohio. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2007 : 9:25:18 PM
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| So many guitars not enough time. |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
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Sid_from_Maui
Aloha
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2007 : 02:41:45 AM
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Thanks for the welcome everybody. I'll answer a couple of questions:
1. Don't have a F30R. My F30NT (Natural Top) has mahogany back and sides with a spruce top. It's my first guitar that my brother brought back from the beach. He bought it off someone. It's a small guitar, but it still sounds good. It has lots of divots in the first four frets, especially under the top strings. I'm thinking of getting it worked on my Mike Lull.
2. I'm not in the Jazz Police. My band is called "Critical Mass", and we've played at Tulas three times now. However we just lost our great drummer and piano player. So even though we had a date at Tula's for November, we probably won't do it unless we can fill the drum and piano chair.
Thanks again, everyone. I'll watch the Kanakapila forum for jams.
Sid |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2007 : 06:59:59 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Sid_from_Maui
2. I'm not in the Jazz Police. My band is called "Critical Mass", and we've played at Tulas three times now. However we just lost our great drummer and piano player. So even though we had a date at Tula's for November, we probably won't do it unless we can fill the drum and piano chair.
Cool - the more big bands, the better!
Drop me an e-mail, would you? I'd like to be kept informed as to when you folks have other gigs (once you fill those empty chairs, that is.) Click on my name to the left of this posting, which will take you to my profile, and you can send e-mail from there. |
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alika207
Ha`aha`a
USA
1260 Posts |
Posted - 10/13/2007 : 1:45:40 PM
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Just wanted to welcome you to the patch!
Malama pono! |
He kehau ho'oma'ema'e ke aloha.
'Alika / Polinahe |
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