Skottoman
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2009
- Messages
- 458
- Reaction score
- 3
Hi,
I just got back from a week in Kauai, where I was to see a friend get married, and possibly play ukulele before the wedding...
First priority was to find a uke to buy, and search I did. I looked at Kamaka, G-String among others. Was looking for a soprano that called my name. Finally found a brand I was not familiar with. Island Ukulele by Raymond Rapozo, a Kauai local luthier.
Fell in love with this one. Soprano, with sound hole inlay, and "ancient koa" fretboard. The logo on the headstock is inlaid in the shape of Kauai. It has a bowed back, Grover tuners, curly koa front, and one piece mohagany side and back. Workmanship and sound is superb. I am so impressed with the workmanship, I'm going to send Raymond a personal thank you mail for his work.
Finally, I went to the wedding this Sat. The officiant (can't remember her name) was a wonderful Hawaiian woman, who invited me to play the Hawaiian wedding song with her as my friend walked across the sand to meet her fiance to be married. The officiant played a vintage 8 string Kamaka (which she let me try too!) and I followed her lead and played my Kauai built uke with her as she sang. Perhaps someone knows who she is. She definately made me feel the "Aloha" of the islands. What a sweet woman.
So some pix of the uke, and a not so attractive pic of me playing along with her.
Playing a local built uke, next to a local hawaiian, on a kauai beach at my friends wedding. It was mindblowing. More than I could ask for.
Cheers,
Skottoman
I just got back from a week in Kauai, where I was to see a friend get married, and possibly play ukulele before the wedding...
First priority was to find a uke to buy, and search I did. I looked at Kamaka, G-String among others. Was looking for a soprano that called my name. Finally found a brand I was not familiar with. Island Ukulele by Raymond Rapozo, a Kauai local luthier.
Fell in love with this one. Soprano, with sound hole inlay, and "ancient koa" fretboard. The logo on the headstock is inlaid in the shape of Kauai. It has a bowed back, Grover tuners, curly koa front, and one piece mohagany side and back. Workmanship and sound is superb. I am so impressed with the workmanship, I'm going to send Raymond a personal thank you mail for his work.
Finally, I went to the wedding this Sat. The officiant (can't remember her name) was a wonderful Hawaiian woman, who invited me to play the Hawaiian wedding song with her as my friend walked across the sand to meet her fiance to be married. The officiant played a vintage 8 string Kamaka (which she let me try too!) and I followed her lead and played my Kauai built uke with her as she sang. Perhaps someone knows who she is. She definately made me feel the "Aloha" of the islands. What a sweet woman.
So some pix of the uke, and a not so attractive pic of me playing along with her.
Playing a local built uke, next to a local hawaiian, on a kauai beach at my friends wedding. It was mindblowing. More than I could ask for.
Cheers,
Skottoman