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Topic: Sonny Kamahele Jr.-Stringmaster |
Martin Curnan
From:
Lihue, Kauai
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Posted 25 May 2011 11:37 pm |
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I was fortunate today to acquire Sonny Kamahele's D8 stringmaster. In a previous post by Ron Whitfield (2007) the stringmaster was painted and it had the Fender logo printed in black ink on masking tape. Ron also mentioned that it was Mel Abe's. If anyone has any more info on the stringmaster I would appreciate it. It has found a home here on Kauai.
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 26 May 2011 8:40 am
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What a nice surprise to see this, Martin, congrats! Nice to know it's life will continue. I've wondered where his guitars went, I'd like to get my Magnatone 8 str. back, but wasn't about to ask him when he 'retired'.
Are there traces of the black paint? Look's like it's been heavily taken down, and was probably quite worn anyway, are you going to refin? |
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David Soreff
From:
North Las Vegas, NV
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 26 May 2011 1:50 pm
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Watched him play that one tons of times. He had a old Gibson non-cut that he also favored.
Look's like his stuff was left in storage and went to auction, kinda sucks, but at least some folks with appreciation may end up with them, as Martin has. |
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Don Kona Woods
From:
Hawaiian Kama'aina
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Posted 26 May 2011 9:23 pm
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Mary says,
| Quote: |
| I was fortunate today to acquire Sonny Kamahele's D8 stringmaster |
Nice going, Martin. 
You have a steel with a lot of history.
Any story behind your getting it that you want to share?
Aloha, 
Don |
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Martin Curnan
From:
Lihue, Kauai
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Posted 27 May 2011 12:23 am
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Aloha Don,
Last week I was on vacation in Montana. As usually I check EBAY and Craigslist Hawaii for lap steels. The stringmaster belonging to Sonny Kamahele just appeared. I immediately called to the gentleman who reides in Kaneohe and informed him I was interested but will not be back until tuesday the 24th. He said he would hold it for me so upon my return I met him at Kaneohe. He knows Sonny's wife and had purchased in an estate sale a few years back. He did not put it on ebay because he wanted the steel to stay in Hawaii. I was fortunate to purchase it for $750. |
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Martin Curnan
From:
Lihue, Kauai
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Posted 27 May 2011 12:47 am
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Ron,
The bottom is still painted black and the top painted yellow including the diamond plates. The are some places painted over in white however you can see a black felt pen letters bleeding through spelling FEDNER, Why FED NER I dont know. I can only speculate from Star Bullitin article by Ben Wood that Sonny "fractured" the English language. You may have a better insight on this. The case was also secured with twine and alot of tape. |
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Don Kona Woods
From:
Hawaiian Kama'aina
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Posted 27 May 2011 8:23 am
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| Quote: |
| He did not put it on ebay because he wanted the steel to stay in Hawaii. |
Martin, I am glad that you got the steel and that it will stay in Hawaii. It was meant to be. That steel will mean more to you than it would in the hands of someone that does not understand any of its history.
I want to hear you play it now. What about the next HSGA convention in Hawaii, 2012?
On another note: I work out in an health club here in Vancouver and ran into a cousin of Bobby Ingano. I talked to him about Bobby and he did not even realize that Bobby played the steel. I told him how to hear Bobby on the internet. He went to the internet and heard Bobby and was amazed. I proceeded to give him Bobby's telephone number and now I am waiting to hear about their encounter. I think it will be interesting - two long lost Hawaiian cousins getting together via a haole boy. haha
Aloha,
Don
Last edited by Don Kona Woods on 27 May 2011 8:46 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 27 May 2011 8:42 am
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FEDNER Now that's funny, and just like the yellow refin and befundled case, classic Sonny.
| Don Kona Woods wrote: |
| I talked to him about Bobby and he did not even realize that Bobby played the steel. |
Like Bobby sez, "I'm more famous for working at Tamashiro Market than for steel guitar". I'll swing by today and see if he's heard from cuz. |
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