Thinking of bringing a Guitalele on a trip to Hawaii

sunvalleylaw

sunvalleylaw

Yep.
We are heading over to Oahu for a week for a visit with my Mom and my brothers and their families. Kinda like that Brady Bunch episode. We are going to do tourist things like tour the USS Arizona, and are even doing a luau. Maybe a bit touristy, but Mom wants to treat us to it.

I am thinking of picking up a Yamaha Guitalele to bring over with me.

You can tune it standard, though it will feel a little floppy, and tuned as designed it plays as a guitar with a capo at the 5th fret.



Since it is tuned similar to a guitar, I can keep working on stuff that Mark has us working on, and it is cheap, and will pack easy. Will be handy on camping trips and etc. at home too I am thinking.
 
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I can think of nothing better than sitting on a beach in Hawaii, with a ukulele in hand, drinking some tropical alcoholic beverage.
 
I figure $99.00 ordered via our Amazon Prime, and I can have it here in a couple days once I pull the trigger. I can return it if I don't like it, but hopefully it will do the job. Seems better to me than trying to get one of those expensive traveller guitars for what I am really likely to do with such a thing. Plus, I can mess around with some uke stuff. I understand you can play it like a uke if you focus on the upper strings and ukes have 4 rather than 6 strings, but other than the added 5th and 6th strings, this is tuned like a uke.
 
Modern Saint said:
Sigh...Tourists.....
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:wink: May as well be what we are I suppose. Any good hints for things to do on that part of the island? We will have strong swimming teens with us, and plan to rent some longboards/fun boards to surf shore break. Some have experience. (including me and my kids when we were in Oregon). Usually, when we have visited the islands, we have hiked and gotten out on the water and tried to avoid the worst tourist stuff, but this time the trip is about Mom.
 
Avoid surfing with one of these...
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brady-bunch-hawaii-greg-bobby-tiki-necklace.jpg

Watch out, Greg!
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sunvalleylaw said:
@Modern Saint , Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club. Turns out that is West of Honolulu a ways.
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Actually where you are at is out of the city but you have access to alot of things. I will give a list of places to visit and try a little later. Trying to find my document that I give people at work on what to do - as a tourist - while there.
 
Hike Diamond Head. Check out the Dole Plantation. There was a pretty cool little music store in Honolulu last I was there, "Island Guitars" maybe?
We went to a flea market that had a booth full of all different level and brands of Ukuleles. I kick myself for not buying one, as they were well-priced.
 
speakerjones said:
Hike Diamond Head. Check out the Dole Plantation. There was a pretty cool little music store in Honolulu last I was there, "Island Guitars" maybe?
We went to a flea market that had a booth full of all different level and brands of Ukuleles. I kick myself for not buying one, as they were well-priced.
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Those would be on the list I am posting later but I don't believe his mother will want to hike Diamond Head. Dole is a great place for them and it isn't very far from where they are staying.

However I can list all the guitar shops that I go too when I am there.

Guitar Magic/Hot Licks (Waimalu) - Say hi to Tom Hinson or Carlos that I sent ya. The owner is Zack Peterson.
*Majority of instruments are Fenders with some Gibsons, as well as some other brands - ie: Ibanez, ESP, etc. - some used but more new. Gear is beginner to medium with some top end stuff. This shop is a great accessory shop filled with spare guitar parts, pedals and other guitar items.

Island Guitar (Ward Warehouse on the 2nd floor) I know that Peter used to work there, uncertain now. Don't this shop very much.
*I don't visit here much as the Ward Warehouse is a major tourist spot. Mostly medium to high end gear but still friendly for the beginner or novice. They do have a great selection of Taylor Guitars and Gibson guitars. From what I recall, the carry Boogie Amps too.

Coconut Grove Music (Kailua) - Say hi to Frank, Rick and Mark (Owner)
* This is a friendly store with beginner to medium gear. The guys are great here and run the open mic jam at the end of the month in Kailua. I have gone to two of the jams and just had a great ole time. You'll find Fender's and Danelectro's in here plus ukes and acoustics as well.

Dan's Guitars (Moilili) - My friend Dan owns the store
*This is my second favorite shop. Mostly medium to high end gear but still friendly for the beginner or novice. They have a great assortment of ukulele's and acoustic guitars. For electrics LSL, Ernie Ball and other higher end instruments as well as some medium and beginner stuff. What I love is finding used gear here. I got my Danelectro and my Gibson Melody Maker used here. They also have a great selection of boutique pedals as well as the unusual stuff such as Wampler, Fuchs and Mooer.

Good Guys (Kapahulu) - Clay and Bryan own the store. Say hi to the Owners, Vernon & Dennis.
* This is my #1 shop. Really a local favorite as well and when mean favorite....a local for more of the discerning players who work in Hawaii. The store carries alot of used instruments (which I love) as well some new items. New items might be custom made by Bryan as well some oddities too. The shop is small and tight so walking room is limited but talk about stock piling gear into a small shop.

I have been told that there is another shop in Wahiawa but have never gone there. There are a few other music stores such as Harry's Music (Kaimuki) - not much stuff and Easy Music (Moilili and Pearl City) - Kind of the GC/Sam Ash of Hawaii that I don't care to go too unless I am absolutely bored or looking for some oddity I need for a jam.
 
Modern Saint said:
And if you are tired of playing slack key, play some blues slide.
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I took a slack key course from George Kahumoku to supplement my limited knowledge of open G and learn some runs to go with the slide. That was a hell of a lot of fun. It's not every day you are handed a sheet of double stops that his uncle worked out while in prison. I love how different tunings were handed down within families.
 
335clone said:
I took a slack key course from George Kahumoku to supplement my limited knowledge of open G and learn some runs to go with the slide. That was a hell of a lot of fun. It's not every day you are handed a sheet of double stops that his uncle worked out while in prison. I love how different tunings were handed down within families.
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I studied slack key along time ago when I was just a rookie learning the guitar. Learned taro patch (open G) tuning and wahine tuning while studying at the Bishop museum.

The wahine tuning was harder to play but was based on a players who sadly I forgot her name. Irony though was be Aude of this style I first learned of Hammer-ons, Pull-offs and slides.
 
Just ordered it along with a set of D'Addario EJ46 Pro-Arte Nylon Classical Guitar Strings, Hard Tension, and the soundtrack to the Sound City movie that I finished last night. :grin: The immediate download of the CD Amazon is sending is rawking my morning right now. The Guitalele should be here Tuesday.
 
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