Since 1883, when 27-year-old Friedrich Gretsch founded his little shop in Brooklyn, N.Y., making banjos, drums and tambourines, The Gretsch Company has grown to produce some of the world’s greatest drums and guitars over the span of four generations. With its emphasis on hand-craftsmanship and commitment to quality, Gretsch has pioneered new designs and manufacturing techniques, winning endorsements from some of the music industry’s most respected artists, including Chet Atkins, Bono, Charlie Watts, Neil Young and Phil Collins.

Dana “Moon” Kahele of Pure Hawaiian ancestry was born in Hawaii the second youngest of nine children from the late John & Lucille Kahele.  At an early age, family were strong music influences exposing him to various instruments, singing in Choirs or having fun “jamming” at family luaus.  His Dad had a large music collection of island and mainland artists that fueled his music desires.  As a child, the Hawaiian Slack Key guitar was introduced to him by Jonah Kipi.  Moon performs at the Annual  Master of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festivals in Hawaii.  The Ukulele, introduced by his Mom, was reinforced by Kumu-Ukulele Virtuoso, Herb Ohta San.

PUG meets the first Thursday of every month. Community members are encouraged to attend!

For more than half a century now, Takamine has proudly dedicated itself to the art of fine guitar craftsmanship. Its longstanding devotion to innovation and continual improvement has placed it among the world’s premier acoustic guitar makers, with truly fine instruments that are the first choice of performing guitarists worldwide. At Takamine, we’re artisans and craftspeople at heart. High-volume builders use production machinery to speed up their output, but speed isn’t the issue for us—it’s the quality of the instrument. We’re proud of the level of our craftsmanship, and we invite you to see it for yourself by taking a close look at our instruments, part by part.

Inouye, who has been playing ukulele for more than half a century, got his start by jamming with friends and neighbors on the porch of his family home.

“My life is about teaching people to play music,” says Inouye. Not only does he teach and play ukulele, he also builds them, and his custom-made instruments can be seen on display in the Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.