Steel Guitar and Cultural Exhibits

The hotel's cultural center was the location of an exhibit of vintage and hand-crafted steel guitars. A "Hawaiian Cultural Experience" featuring demonstrations on lauhala weaving, feather lei making, coconut basket weaving, and similar disciplines was also presented to festival and hotel guests by the Mauna Lani.

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• This vintage Kay bass, once owned by Alan Akaka, is on display at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel's cultural center and was used throughout the festival by Adam Asing.
• Canoe paddles on display in the cultural center.
• The cultural center's curator/docent is Danny Akaka. The center is his office.
• This steel guitar was crafted by luthier Chris Stewart and is based on early Gibson EH designs.
• This koa steel guitar was crafted by Konabob Stoffer, and is based on a baritone 'ukulele body design. Konanbob also played this guitar at the Sunday Brunch Kanikapila.
• A 1937 Rickenbacher Model 100 Silver Hawaiian with a metallic hollow body. Rickenbacher metal body steel guitars were stuffed with newspaper to dampen the brilliant tone characteristic of metal body steel guitars.
• A vintage Rickenbacher 6-string frypan steel guitar.
• This solid koa ''Soul Boat'' acoustic resonator steel guitar, built by luthier ''Spike'' Blaine, is based on a design by master luthier Stephen O. Smith.
• A collection of vintage and contemporary picks and bars on display.
• On display at the cultural center were hats and baskets made of woven coconut and lauhala leaves.
• A ''Hawaiian Cultural Experience'' including demonstrations on lauhala weaving, feather lei making, and coconut basket weaving and similar disciplines by craft masters, was presented by the hotel during the festival.This is an example of coconut weaving.
• Alii Sir Ron Dela Cruz of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I Moku o Kohala shows off a necklace made from dogs' teeth.
• A royal headress crafted from bird feathers. Demonstrations of pheasant lei making were also presented.
• Kōnane is a two-player Hawaiian stragegy game similar to checkers. This was on display in the cultural center.

Back to Gallery: 2017 Festival

Photography by Don Touchi ©2017 by Don Touchi Photos and HIMELE.