As I mentioned in an earlier thread, during my Great Ukulele Shopping Adventure on Oahu and Kaua'i, I took the Kamaka factory tour. Here are some photos.
Tour Part 1
This is the fiirst thing I saw when I went into the Kamaka storefront. Kamaka models are on the wall (left to right, deluxe concert, deluxe soprano, pineapple, soprano, concert, tenor, 6-string tenor, 8-string tenor, baritone). The counter in the foreground is the top of a display case that houses some vintage Kamaka ukuleles, including one of the first pineapples.
There were two of us on the tour. Coincidentally, my tourmate (I didn't get a photo of him) was from San Jose, CA, just down the peninsula from San Francisco. We were greeted by Fred Kamaka (one of Sam Kamaka's sons), who showed us some of the vintage ukuleles while giving us a comprehensive history of Kamaka and the Kamaka family, including some great stories about Sam Sr.
Fred displays a very pretty block of koa while talking about the properties of koa wood.
Fred enjoyed showing us this photo of the original Kamaka factory. I think he said the photo was taken in the late 1920s. On the far right in the photo is Sam Sr. That's Fred standing next to his dad holding an ukulele.
Tour Part 1
This is the fiirst thing I saw when I went into the Kamaka storefront. Kamaka models are on the wall (left to right, deluxe concert, deluxe soprano, pineapple, soprano, concert, tenor, 6-string tenor, 8-string tenor, baritone). The counter in the foreground is the top of a display case that houses some vintage Kamaka ukuleles, including one of the first pineapples.
There were two of us on the tour. Coincidentally, my tourmate (I didn't get a photo of him) was from San Jose, CA, just down the peninsula from San Francisco. We were greeted by Fred Kamaka (one of Sam Kamaka's sons), who showed us some of the vintage ukuleles while giving us a comprehensive history of Kamaka and the Kamaka family, including some great stories about Sam Sr.
Fred displays a very pretty block of koa while talking about the properties of koa wood.
Fred enjoyed showing us this photo of the original Kamaka factory. I think he said the photo was taken in the late 1920s. On the far right in the photo is Sam Sr. That's Fred standing next to his dad holding an ukulele.
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