There are big box guitar stores and there are little mom and pop guitar stores, but Guitar Tree is unto itself. Searching for the perfect 6-string guitar is serious business. But sometimes, well sometimes the ukulele is just the thing. The uke I chose is a Kala, solid Acacia – kinda fun. This isn’t the only ukulele shop in Honolulu, but it has to be one of the best. Since I was there, Ukulele PUAPUA has relocated to the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel. Definitely worth a little vacation time to check them out.
They have a nice selection of vintage Hawaiian and rare historic instruments as well. Of course Fender and Martin are represented, along with many new-to-me brands. Or travel ukes, 8-string ukes, or that ukes had cutaways … I admit, I did not know that there are solid body electric ukes, or electric bass ukes, or resonator ukuleles …
#Are eastman acoustic guitars any good free#
Practically on the sand of Waikiki Beach, I stumbled on Ukulele PUAPUA, a fine shop.ĭid I mention that the sign out front says Free Ukulele Lessons every day?! Of course, when traveling to Hawaii, that translates to ‘look for ukuleles’ along the way. When I travel, it’s my habit to seek out guitar shops along the way. It was a long time client calling me to schedule a job. How did that happen? Since I’ve been away for a while, I’ll rewind a bit and start from the beginning … Of all the guitars I’ve had the pleasure to try, Lowdens are to my ears, the very best … so far. I think Gary Lightbody might be onto something. Then we recorded with some pretty fantastic artists, Thomas Leeb, Alex De Grassi and Stephen Inglis, at the Lowden booth.ĭay 2: Next, some Lowden dealers had a little fun with the origins of the ‘Wee Lowden’ and we listened to the Global Guitar Greats, with Shawn Jones.įinally on Day 3, we interviewed Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol fame … On Day 1, we met George and some of his family. Finding all the most desirable features in each instrument - unique voice, beautiful wood, attention to detail, commitment to quality, craftsmanship - made a lasting impression. This was also my first time attending NAMM and it is no exaggeration to say that I was blown away by the whole experience. To experience the sound of so many Lowden models played by such great musicians was an incredible joy. We produced a few “Daily Recap” videos that Lowden Guitars posted to their social media during the show.
The first time I had the good fortune to meet George, was when we worked for Lowden Guitars during NAMM 2015 in Anaheim, CA. Here a short sample from his two-hour talk. He shared his thoughts on guitar making, his early years and some of what makes his guitars unique. Of course, while he was here he stopped in to see Jeff Looker at Acoustic Vibes Music in Tempe. George Lowden came to visit our Grand Canyon.