From Waikiki to the Grand Ol' Opry, there's nothing finer than a
Hawaiian Guitar
© Frank Ford, 9/6/98 Photos by FF



Hawaiian guitar music was immensely popular in the 1920s and 1930s, and again shortly after World War II. It's been making a comeback lately as well.



Here's the classic Hawaiian guitar in action:

Notice that the hollow instrument body extends all the way to the peghead. In fact, this guitar would be impossible to play as a standard guitar because you couldn't reach around the neck even if you did lower the strings.


Here's the steel, which is used to slide along the strings to achieve the characteristic Hawaiian steel guitar sound:





Lots of resophonic guitars are played in Hawaiian style, and it was this style guitar that became a part of the Nashville country music scene.



This resophonic guitar is the mechanical predecessor to the electric Hawaiian steel guitar:

which, in turn is the predecessor to today's pedal steel.






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