Just got back from the 2nd Annual Steel Guitar Festival at Beachwalk in Waikiki. Performers this year were Alan Akaka, Casey Olsen, Greg Sardinha and Bobby Ingano. PLUS three young steelers from Alan's school....great night of steel guitar. This year, Alan put together a showing of different steel guitars from his collection, Derrick Mau's, two from mine and two from Addison Ching and a few others from some local steelers whose names escape me. I took some pics and thought you all might like to see. Enjoy!
-First up is the infamous Jules Ah See Magnatone D8 and a JB Rick…both owned by Alan Akaka:
-Next are two Canopus steels from Alan, a S8, a D8 and a beautiful Fender D6 from Derrick Mau:
-2 frypans from Alan...a JB Excel 8 and a Rick 8:
-A nice big Canopus T8 from Alan:
-Two Rick Electros, one from Addison Ching and one of mine. Mine is a "run of the mill" panda from the 40's and Addison's is a string through body pre-war with the sweet 1 1/2 inch pickup:
-A beautiful Fender T8 Stringmaster from Derrick Mau and a Supro Comet Console from yours truly...I love my Supros:
For the actual performances, Alan Akaka played a Canopus D8, Bobby Ingano was playing a Rick frypan 7 string, Greg Sardinha had an Asher 6 string and Casey Olsen played, what was for me the highlight of the night, a Rick frypan 6 that was originally Billy Hew Len's (who was his grandfather) and has been redone from gold to white. Everyone sounded great, and on a side note, Hiram Olsen played THE best rhythm guitar I have heard in years. All in all, a KILLER night of steel in Waikiki. Coming up on each Saturday this month is a different steel guitarist. This is the schedule:
July 10-Henry Kaleialoha Allen (5 to 6 p.m.)
July 17-Eddie Palama (5 to 6 p.m.)
July 24-Greg Sardinha (5 to 6 p.m.)
July 31- Na Keiki Kika Kila (5 to 6 p.m.) – The combined schools of steel guitar masters Alan Akaka and Greg Sardinha.
