Shastastan
Well-known member
We just got back from a 10 day trip to Kauai. What a wonderful place! I had few thoughts on buying a new uke there after reading some posts here. I visited a couple of shops and a very nice and knowledgeable lady at Scotty's, in Kalaheo, talked me into buying an imua soprano, made in Honolulu. The ukes that I had tried just didn't reach out and grab me, but the imua, with it's beautiful tone and resonance made me an offer I couldn't refuse. It came with a case and tuner and the price was very reasonable for a koa uke, IMO. I have no regrets with this purchase and I'm really enjoying playing it. Scotty's is a great place to buy a uke from. They are moving to Lihue in the near future.
I read the somewhat lengthy posts regarding the comparison of Kamaka to Imua after I had already made my purchase. Thanks to everybody who contributed to that thread because it was very informative to me. I've never tried a Kamaka but everyone I've talked to really likes them. I'm in no way qualified to talk about this comparison except to say that I probably could not afford a Kamaka. The Imua I bought is a real pleasure to play for me. I really like those Orca strings and the setup, too.
Thanks to Wicked Wahine and all of you who posted about Kauai. We stayed at the Kauai Beach Resort as part of our package deal with Pleasant Holidays. The resort was really first class with free entertainment and mai tais twice in a week We ate at Mark's Place and tried some malasadas from the stand at Kmart. Both are delicious. Another place we like is the Tip Top Cafe in Lihue. It's a favorite locals' place and the food is very good. If you like fish tacos, there are many places to get them on Kauai. The Shrimp Station, in Kapaa'a, has good coconut shimp. Monico's, also in Kapaa'a, has good mexican food with many seafood choices. The Smith Luau is really nicely done with very good entertainment. We did hear a lot of Hawaiian music sung in Hawaiian. I didn't understand the words but they fit nicely with the music. We only saw a few ukes being played since guitars seemed to be the main instruments--mostly acoustic guitars with pickups. The electrics were used for the bass line most of the time. We took a chopper ride with Safari Helicopters and also a catamaran trip with Capt. Andy's. These are both excellent excursions. Now I'm in the process of learning the song, "Beautiful Kauai" since it truly is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.
I read the somewhat lengthy posts regarding the comparison of Kamaka to Imua after I had already made my purchase. Thanks to everybody who contributed to that thread because it was very informative to me. I've never tried a Kamaka but everyone I've talked to really likes them. I'm in no way qualified to talk about this comparison except to say that I probably could not afford a Kamaka. The Imua I bought is a real pleasure to play for me. I really like those Orca strings and the setup, too.
Thanks to Wicked Wahine and all of you who posted about Kauai. We stayed at the Kauai Beach Resort as part of our package deal with Pleasant Holidays. The resort was really first class with free entertainment and mai tais twice in a week We ate at Mark's Place and tried some malasadas from the stand at Kmart. Both are delicious. Another place we like is the Tip Top Cafe in Lihue. It's a favorite locals' place and the food is very good. If you like fish tacos, there are many places to get them on Kauai. The Shrimp Station, in Kapaa'a, has good coconut shimp. Monico's, also in Kapaa'a, has good mexican food with many seafood choices. The Smith Luau is really nicely done with very good entertainment. We did hear a lot of Hawaiian music sung in Hawaiian. I didn't understand the words but they fit nicely with the music. We only saw a few ukes being played since guitars seemed to be the main instruments--mostly acoustic guitars with pickups. The electrics were used for the bass line most of the time. We took a chopper ride with Safari Helicopters and also a catamaran trip with Capt. Andy's. These are both excellent excursions. Now I'm in the process of learning the song, "Beautiful Kauai" since it truly is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.
