Mickey Sussman heard me say on KPFA that I was coming to Kauai, so he sent me an email inviting me to visit him in his shop, Anahola Stringed Instruments.
I called for directions, and he advised me that he was deep in “Jurassic Park” country. The last half mile was quite a ride! A steep trip down a very rocky road – but it was worth it! There’s a river about a hundred feet below the houses, and jungle all around. Much splendor!
And then the guitars! I stopped taking pictures pretty quickly after Mickey sat me down in an open room next to the workshop and started handing me guitars to play. I tried out about eight instruments, each wonderful in its own way. I felt as though, with just a little concentration, I could have written a song right then and there. And I really wish I had had a recording device with me.
Mickey kindly invited me to come back another day with my digital recorder. I immediately got a brainstorm to record a few songs there and then sell ’em online to raise the several thousand dollars I’d need to buy one of these delightful guitars.
If you record them, they will buy. (Sorry, I went a little “Field of Dreams” there!!)