| Author | Topic: Oahu Jolana Double Six |
Austin Gus
New Member From: Austin, Texas | posted 29 February 2000 08:49 AM profilesend emaileditHello everyone, I was just blessed with the gift of this lap steel by some friends for my birthday, and was wondering if anyone might know any information about it. Or perhaps somewhere I might be able to look up the date of manufacture, etc. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Gus |
Brad Bechtel
Moderator From: San Francisco, CA | posted 29 February 2000 10:05 AM profilesend emaileditIt's actually the Oahu Iolana (the 'I' is in script,which makes it look like a 'J'). According to The Hawaiian Steel Guitar and Its Great Hawaiian Musicians edited by Lorene Ruymar, the word 'Iolana' is Hawaiian for 'to soar' or 'the hawk'. This book has just about all the information I've ever seen on Oahu Publishing Company and their lap steels. I would guess that this lap steel was made by Harmony or Valco. ------------------
Brad's Page of Steel:
www.well.com/~wellvis/steel.html
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
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Pete Grant
Member From: Auburn, CA, USA | posted 29 February 2000 12:26 PM profilesend emaileditBrad, does that book have info on Oahu acoustics? |
Ian McLatchie
Member From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada | posted 29 February 2000 02:22 PM profilesend emaileditGreat gift! The Iolanas were one of a number of double-sixes made by Valco. There should be a serial number on a metal plate on the back of the neck. Post it and someone can tell you the date of manufacture.
The Lorene Ruymer book is an enormously important contribution to the history of Hawaiian music. It includes an impressive collection of lap steel photos. Unfortunately, the captions accompanying them are not always very helpful. There are MANY
errors!
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Brad Bechtel
Moderator From: San Francisco, CA | posted 29 February 2000 02:26 PM profilesend emaileditNo. It has almost nothing on the various Oahu acoustic lap steels, and only a little more on the Oahu electric lap steels. Perhaps some day Vintage Guitar magazine will run an article on Oahu lap steels. ------------------
Brad's Page of Steel:
www.well.com/~wellvis/steel.html
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
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Austin Gus
New Member From: Austin, Texas | posted 29 February 2000 03:23 PM profilesend emaileditWow, Thanks for the informative response. If my memory serves me correct (I don't have the lap steel nearby) the serial number is V30390. I'll double check tonight when I get home. Thank Again, Gus Montonati |
Ian McLatchie
Member From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada | posted 01 March 2000 03:20 AM profilesend emaileditGus: V30390 = 1950. |
Austin Gus
New Member From: Austin, Texas | posted 01 March 2000 06:02 AM profilesend emaileditSorry everyone, Of course I got home and realized I was wrong...the serial number is actually v30930. Thanks, Gus |
Ian McLatchie
Member From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada | posted 01 March 2000 01:11 PM profilesend emaileditGus: Still 1950. |
Austin Gus
New Member From: Austin, Texas | posted 01 March 2000 01:18 PM profilesend emaileditThank you very much everyone. I got a chance to tinker around last night and I had a blast on the lap steel. I'm sure you will all be hearing further questions from me as I progress on it. Thank you for your help. Gus Montonati |
John Borchard
Member From: Athens, OH 45701 | posted 03 March 2000 10:10 PM profilesend emaileditGus, I have one myself, serial # V29010 which was made in 1950. I understand that the Valco serial numbers are available in George Gruhn's book. I absolutely love mine. By the way, say hello to Herb Steiner and Marty Muse if you know them. I lived in Austin in '76-'88. Also, thanks, Brad for the Hawaiian translation. I've wondered what 'Iolana' meant for the last 10 years. I feel like I've just had one of the secrets of the universe revealed! |
David Stehman
Member From: Port Orchard, WA, USA | posted 23 July 2000 01:49 PM profilesend emaileditI'd sure appreciate any help or info on the Oahu 6 I just purchased. Ser # X61414. It's guitar shaped, lt brown/chestnut colored wood with clear finish. Black fret board with clear plastic layer(like acrylic) over it. 'Frets' in gold appear to be painted or gold leafed on surface of neck. On peghead is 'Oahu Diana' in Art Deco-style letters of gold color. Chrome pickup cover with black treble clef bas-reliefed and painted black. Two black topped hold down screws with knob-like tops. Volume and Tone controls with brown plastic knobs with single white dots to show position. Under pickup cover is another cast metal plate covers pickups, but with exposed screw heads (for adjusting pickup pole height?) Chrome baqse plate under chrome bridge. Seem like Kluson tuners, but not marked with a name.
Saw a similar one with identical looking tuners, which were marked Kluson.
I love this guitar. Strung it with D'Addario Chromes in E major with one octave range to be on the safe side tension-wise. My friend has same strings (.56-.13) tuned in C6, but that seemed high tension for the bigger strings. Is that a safe tuning? The instruments in great shape and has a big fat tone. playing through a new SWR California Blonde acoustic amp. Sometimes through POD for Lindley sounds, often straight for BG, etc. Should I be playing this out, given its age or collector value? Thanks for any help you could offer.
Dave Stehman
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