The Steel Guitar Forum

I've had a oahu doubleneck "Johana" steel brought in to my music store to have the key buttons replaced. It is a beautiful steel and I was hoping someone could tell me a little about it. Also the requested that the necks be strung and tuned. on in AM7 the other in C#m7. what gauges should I use and what are the notes in the tunings? Thanks in advance.

ED

Ed: the instrument is actually called Iolana (the confusion is a common one, as the stylized script on the peghead's a little hard to decipher). Like other Oahus of this era, it's made by Valco, the manufacturers of National and Supro instruments. The pickups and hardware are Supro. What really distinguishes some Iolanas are the unusual tuners, with shafts more than 3" long. A very attractive and playable guitar.
The most common C#m7 tuning, with suggested gauges, is: E(.015)-C#(.017)-G#(.023)-E(.030)-B(.039)-E(.057).
Two common A7 tunings are (top to bottom): E-C#-A-G-E-A and E-C#-A-E-C#-G. Any idea which the owner wants?

Ed,Ami7 is the relitave minor of C6,I feel he wants one neck tuned to C6th.The notes for C6th are (from top to bottom are E-C-A-G-E-C-) I am assuming this is a 6 string guitar he has.

Ed,

A friend of mine has one of these steels and the old-fashioned chrome steel stand to go with it. Really is is quite a compact guitar compared to some of the other doublenecks of that time. It has the Supro pickups and tone up the Kazoola. Like your customer's steel, this one also had to have the tuning key buttons replaced. It has the brass long-shaft tuners Ian has described. The necks on this steel are tuned in the standard C6th and C#minor tunings. Incidently, this guy's playing ability has never progressed beyond his beginner's level Oahu course lessons of the very early 1950's. Too bad because these are a nice-sounding guitar.

Tim R.

This steel belongs to one of the communities Oahu instructors. She to has the chrome stand as well as having the combonation band stand-amp. This one is inbeautiful shape the gold plating is in immaculate condition as is the Mother of Toilet seat covering. What do you suppose something like this would fetch? Almost forgot, NO scuffs on the case and includes the volume pedal

ED

I don't know what it is worth today, but according to my 1955 Oahu catalog it sold at that time for $185. The "Deluxe Case" was an extra $39.50.

Steve

Hi Ed, I own one of the Oahu double sixs your speaking of, s/n x25410, and have the same problems with the tuning machines, although mine are intact their very discolored.
I am missing the black metal cover or hand rest that fits over the pick up for the lower neck and a previous owner butchered the lower pick up cavity trying to install a modern pickup.
The plastic covering on mine is cracked in one place and has several cigarette burns
around the tuners.
Do you know any way to repair the covering and do you have any idea where I could find a pickup cover?.
Any help would certainly be appreciated
and does any one have a suggestion for new pickups. The upper neck is still origional.
Thanks in advance for any advice or help.
Frank.
ps. I paid $ 225.00 for mine about 2 years ago <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Frank on 02 October 2001 at 12:58 AM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Frank on 02 October 2001 at 01:07 AM.]</p></FONT>

Frank on the covering I am not sure. I know it was a sheet material that was heated and streched over the instruments. I wish I could find the stuff. I've got a couple of 1950s toilet seat I dying to restore .
The covers can be made but I've never tried it. The existing good one would be removed, coated in some type of lubricate and a plaster of Paris or some other type of molding compound would be used to make a mould. A sheet of plexiglass or lucite would then be heated in a hot water bath until it was pliable and then forced betweem the Dies untill it cooled. Then an artist could create a stencil of the treble clef logo and paint the underside of it black. you would also have to cut out the openings polish the acrylic cover and trim it to fit...

Moral of the story..a lot of Work!!! Is there and one out there with plastics experience that know an easier way?
Ed

Hi Ed, I was thinking of removing the MOTS,and building a vacuum box and pulling a vacuum on a heated piece of thin plexiglass or lexon. I`ve done this before for small antique aircraft parts that were no longer available, However I`m not sure If I could get a complete wrap in one application
using this method.

Any one got any ideas?

I think what I would try is to make the cover plate that way a skilled artist MIGHT be able to hand paint the cigarrette burns to match the area and then brush a clear coat over them to keep them protected. This might be some thing Jody Carver could answer since he worked at Fender....Jody are you out there? was this some thing you might hace seen them do?
Ed

I heard that the MOTS used real fish scales as one of the ingredients in the mix, and there were some other very toxic things in there as well. I don't know any more about it, but I sure like my MOTS Oahu!
T. Sage Harmos

Hello Ed, While we ponder the M.O.T.S. fix, do you have any suggestions on pickups?I`m not at all versed in that area.
I would like to have a "town" and "country"
setup on the necks, and I figure a lot depends on tuning but how much of the sound character is governed by the pickups? and also is there any literature on the subject of pickups that you can recommend.

I think you may be right on the cig. burns, I believe a good apoxy paint mixed to match and some 400 or 600 grit paper may do the trick in that area.

Incidently, my guitar has what appears to be a fiber board covering on the back,does
yours? <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Frank on 03 October 2001 at 03:25 PM.]</p></FONT>

Frank I really like the sound of the original Supro pickups.I would think that a Town and country set up would be more of a funtion of Tuning and Amp settings. The back on this one is flocked, like those cheap plastic piggy banks you come time see that look like Animals.
Ed

Howdy All,
I recently purchased a dbl 6 Iolana, yellow, MOTS and am wondering about the attachments on the underside, which I assume are for some kind of stand. It almost looks like furniture legs could screw into the bottom pieces. Is this original? Any chance of finding a stand.
Patti Maxine

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Patti, Welcome to the forum the source of all knowledge when it come to steel. The Iolana that I restored did not have leg sockets on it.If yours had them I would guess that they had been added later. I've seen a fair number of Oahus and I can't recall seeing one with leg sockets....I could be wrong If I am I figure We'll all know shortly. I had though that Oahu steels were made for use with stands. In lieu of finding one go to a music store and price a portable keyboard stand. It may or may not work depending on the height that you want it set at. Also post a thread on the buy and sell portion-Check with Bob Knight. There isn't a whole lot that he can't find.
Ed
Almost forgot, Ed Naylor,Bobbe Seymoure and Many of the other forum vendors should be able to set you up with legs for it. believe it or not,basically, there microphone stands <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ed Miller Jr on 04 October 2001 at 07:48 PM.]</p></FONT>

Patti, Welcome to the forum the source of all knowledge when it come to steel. The Iolana that I restored did not have leg sockets on it.If yours had them I would guess that they had been added later. I've seen a fair number of Oahus and I can't recall seeing one with leg sockets....I could be wrong If I am I figure We'll all know shortly. I had though that Oahu steels were made for use with stands. In lieu of finding one go to a music store and price a portable keyboard stand. It may or may not work depending on the height that you want it set at. Also post a thread on the buy and sell portion Check with Bob Knight. There isn't a whole lot that he can't find.
Ed

Hi Ed, As everyone on the thread seems to like the Supro sound, I`ll leave the top neck origional and concentrate on repairing the lower cavity.
I`m still looking for the metel cover that goes over the pickup, any suggestions on where to begine? BTW, what type knobs did you use for replacments and where can I find them.
Thanks a lot for the help Ed.

Frank,
Sorry it took so long to get back to this. The tuning Machine buttons came from stewart MacDonald www.Stewmac.com in Athens OH. There is an instruction sheet availible that explains how to put them on. Those were the only know that I had to replace.
If it is the metal top for the supro pickup that you need See if someone who has said pickup would be willing to trace one and made a detailed diagram on the thickness, hole diameters,etc.Good Luck!
ED

Thanks for the help on the knobs Ed, I have one pick up cover,I was trying to find a second for the other neck.
Thanks again.