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Topic: A 'custom' Oahu? |
Steinar Gregertsen
From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
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Posted 4 Sep 2003 5:49 am |
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Could this be a 'custom' Oahu? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2555240882&category=621
I once had an Oahu Tonemaster from the '30s, and the headstock, fretboard, wooden pickup cover and sunburst finish reminds me very much of that guitar.
I found this 'custom' model to be very elegant and tasteful, could it be made by the same factory/company? |
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Karl Oberlander
From:
Austin, Texas, USA
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Posted 4 Sep 2003 5:55 am
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This looks like a Valco product. I have a 1952 Oahu Diana that was made for Oahu by Valco. This one looks a bit older though.
Kobe
------------------
Gibson D-8 Console Grande - Stringmaster T-8 - Alkire EHarp D-10
Fender Super Reverb
kobe@austin.rr.com
http://home.austin.rr.com/kobeco
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Ian McLatchie
From:
Sechelt, British Columbia
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Posted 4 Sep 2003 1:16 pm
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Steinar: It's certainly made by Kay, the makers of the early Oahus, and probably
had the Kay brand name. I've only seen a couple of these. This one looks to be in decent shape. Someone may get a good buy on this. |
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Steinar Gregertsen
From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
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Posted 4 Sep 2003 1:29 pm
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Mmmmmmm...... I kinda miss my old Oahu Tonemaster, it had a certain mellowness to it that my current Chandler RH2 certainly DON'T have. They would make a great couple.
Hmmmmm.......
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Bob Stone
From:
Gainesville, FL, USA
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Posted 4 Sep 2003 2:05 pm
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Ian is right. It's a 1940s Kay. Fresno, CA lap steel expert Mike Newton identified a similar guitar House of God steeler Henry Harrison posed with ca. mid-1940s as a Kay. See the booklet with Arhoolie CD450. It's the oldest photo I've run across of a player in that tradition--so far.
Ian, can you comment on the playability/tone of these old Kays? Good to see you up and posting!
Bob
[This message was edited by Bob Stone on 04 September 2003 at 03:11 PM.] |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 4 Sep 2003 7:34 pm
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| It looks very much like a KAY one of my students owns. Only hers has a MOTS finish. Same basic shape. |
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Ian McLatchie
From:
Sechelt, British Columbia
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Posted 6 Sep 2003 6:39 pm
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Thanks, Bob. I'm recovering nicely, and expect to go back to work in another week (sigh). Expect an email in another day or two.
I've owned only one early Oahu, but have played quite a few of these Kay-made instruments, and really like them. Not terribly versatile, for sure, but the long scale and rather primitive pickup give a very distinctive "springy" sound, great for blues or rock. Even if they were the worst sounding laps around, I'd love to own a Kay Fresno. What a wild looking instrument! My first exposure was the Henry Harrison photo. Since then, I've come across two of them, but both were pretty badly beaten up, nowhere near the condition of the one on eBay. |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 6 Sep 2003 9:01 pm
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| It is definitely a KAY guitar. |
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