He Ali'i 'O La'a Kea
(the chiefess that holds the sacred light)
Roland Cazimero gave this name to his custom
build double-neck 24-string guitar. Roland says, "When you
carry something precious in your arms for any length of time, whether
a child or guitar, it should be honored with a benefiting title."
Roland also has a godchild who shares this name.
This guitar features 2, 12-string necks
that give the musician/composer the ability to play and compose in two
unique tunings, or keys, in one song performance. John de Mello,
president and CEO of The Mountain Apple Co., is credited for designing
the shape of the sound-hole, the bridge, and the fingerboard, which are
fashioned from Ebony and Kiawe. The back and sides of this unique instrument
are Hawaiian Koa and the top is Spruce. Two LR Baggs pickups in each bridge
coupled by an internal microphone with a mixing amplifier and an equalizer
give this instrument quite the dynamic range, a golden rich tone, and
a powerful bite. The Brothers Cazimero have performed at Carnegie
Hall and continue to play for audiences worldwide with this instrument.
Taj Mahal Custom
This image shows Taj
Mahal truly in paradise playing a Michael Sussman Custom Guitar. The guitar
is a small body or "OM" model guitar with a narrow waist and
deeper, dreadnought depth. The scale is 25.5, which makes for a
very powerful, punchy, little, sweet instrument suited especially well
for jazz and blues.
The back and sides of this instrument
are Rosewood, the top is Spruce, the fingerboard is Ebony, and the bridge
is Kiawe. This instrument is also available with Koa for the sides,
back, and/or top. The guitar displayed is lavishly inlayed with
an Abalone Rosette around the sound-hole, it is bound in Ebony with Abalone
and Herringbone purfling.
The Slack Key Master
The expression says
it all. World famous Hawaiian slack key artist Ray Kane simply loves
the instrument crafted for him by Michael Sussman. This image was
taken 2 weeks before he was given Living Treasure status by the National
Endowment for the Arts and flow to play for congress with Mickey's Guitars.
(Quite an honor for both of them!)
This Anahola instrument is a full bodied
guitar with Koa sides, a Koa back, a Spruce top, and a Kiawe bridge. It
is bound in Ebony and the sound-hole and top are inlayed with Herringbone
purfling. This treasure sounds especially beautiful tuned down to
D or even C.
"...words can never express. Thank you, Ray."