Oahu Jolana Double Six

Austin Gus · Post by **Austin Gus** » 29 Feb 2000 8:49 am

Hello 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

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 29 Feb 2000 10:05 am

It'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.

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Brad's Page of Steel:
www.well.com/~wellvis/steel.html
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Pete Grant · Post by **Pete Grant** » 29 Feb 2000 12:26 pm

Brad, does that book have info on Oahu acoustics?

Ian McLatchie · Post by **Ian McLatchie** » 29 Feb 2000 2:22 pm

Great 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!

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 29 Feb 2000 2:26 pm

No. 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

Austin Gus · Post by **Austin Gus** » 29 Feb 2000 3:23 pm

Wow,

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 · Post by **Ian McLatchie** » 1 Mar 2000 3:20 am

Gus: V30390 = 1950.

Austin Gus · Post by **Austin Gus** » 1 Mar 2000 6:02 am

Sorry everyone,

Of course I got home and realized I was wrong...the serial number is actually v30930.

Thanks,

Gus

Ian McLatchie · Post by **Ian McLatchie** » 1 Mar 2000 1:11 pm

Gus: Still 1950.

Austin Gus · Post by **Austin Gus** » 1 Mar 2000 1:18 pm

Thank 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 · Post by **John Borchard** » 3 Mar 2000 10:10 pm

Gus, 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 · Post by **David Stehman** » 23 Jul 2000 12:49 pm

I'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