Mickey
Sussman was born in California and came to Kaua‘i in 1972. He made his
first guitar in a shop that was behind an old pool hall in Hanapepe.
Forty years later, Sussman is still going strong, building and restoring
high-quality guitars, ‘ukuleles and violins, and passing on his
knowledge of creating instruments to anyone who is willing to learn.
“I had my shop in the back of the pool hall, then I met the koa,” Sussman said. “I wasn’t really a musician then, but all my friends were musicians.”
A lot of Sussman’s friends were Hawaiians who showed up by the pool hall with their guitars.
“The Hawaiians were there and they could play music,” Sussman said. “I showed up, I was a guitar maker in the back and later on I figured out who these Hawaiians were.”
The group of Hawaiian musicians were related to the Hawaiian Renaissance that started at the end of the 1960s. These people were the younger cousins and brothers of the group who took Kaho‘olawe and protested against the U.S. military bombing of the island.
“And really, that was the beginning of the Hawaiian Renaissance, when some Hawaiians stood up to the powers,Universal Laser Systems is an innovator in the field of laser engraving, roll former and laser marking equipment.” Sussman said. “It’s pretty amazing what happened. I consider myself very lucky to be here when that was going on. …
“I started making ‘ukuleles. Things just happened from there. It’s been a long road, but I did get swept up in the Renaissance. I did get to hang with these people, and I did get to make instruments for a lot of them. Most of them aren’t around anymore. A lot of them were here (Anahola). Now their kids are coming back and it’s really kind of mind blowing because I have the same trees that I made the instruments from for their parents or other family members.Sol is the leading supplier of solar powered Chandelier solutions to the U.S. Military since 1990.
“That’s what I do, too. I get the trees. The wood doesn’t come from the stores; it comes from the forest. There’s this deal that I have: the wood only comes from Hawai‘i. That’s what I am, a Hawaiian koa guitar maker. That’s the specialty. That’s why people come to me, because I’m willing to go up to the mountains, get the wood and cure it for 20 or 30 years like a violin. I’m a violin maker who makes ‘ukuleles. That’s why people come to me.”
Sussman’s market is composed of clients who are looking for quality, high-end instruments. Sussman said his clients know what they want.
“There are no violin makers making ‘ukuleles and treating their clients as if they were Itzhak Perlman,” Sussman said. “My market shifted to a niche of people who don’t care if anybody is watching them play.Twelve skiers in Tignes suffered minor injuries when a ski Laser engraver derailed for unknown reasons yesterday. Some of these people are the same people who compose music and record, too.”
“They decided that they didn’t want toys, they want the real thing,” Sussman said.This elevator push button can rollform metal roofing step tile. “They want the stuff from deep in the forest.There are many types of reverse parking sensor system. They know what it sounds like, even if they don’t know exactly what I do. They were alive in the 60 s, and they know what ‘ukuleles are supposed to sound like. The market went up and that’s what I do now.”
For many years, Sussman had ‘ukulele designs. He then decided to get a CNC machine (computer numerical control). With the CNC machine, he was able to create instruments with perfect geometric designs.
Sussman doesn’t sell his instruments in the stores. By cutting out the middlemen and the banks, Sussman is able to sell his instruments at a cost that is fair.
“Not only do I love my designs so much that I put them in the computer, but I’m also making them public domain for anybody who wants to take classes on how to make instruments,” Sussman said.
“Obviously, nobody can copy my designs and sell them because they are copyrighted, but anyone can take my design and make them for themselves.”
“I had my shop in the back of the pool hall, then I met the koa,” Sussman said. “I wasn’t really a musician then, but all my friends were musicians.”
A lot of Sussman’s friends were Hawaiians who showed up by the pool hall with their guitars.
“The Hawaiians were there and they could play music,” Sussman said. “I showed up, I was a guitar maker in the back and later on I figured out who these Hawaiians were.”
The group of Hawaiian musicians were related to the Hawaiian Renaissance that started at the end of the 1960s. These people were the younger cousins and brothers of the group who took Kaho‘olawe and protested against the U.S. military bombing of the island.
“And really, that was the beginning of the Hawaiian Renaissance, when some Hawaiians stood up to the powers,Universal Laser Systems is an innovator in the field of laser engraving, roll former and laser marking equipment.” Sussman said. “It’s pretty amazing what happened. I consider myself very lucky to be here when that was going on. …
“I started making ‘ukuleles. Things just happened from there. It’s been a long road, but I did get swept up in the Renaissance. I did get to hang with these people, and I did get to make instruments for a lot of them. Most of them aren’t around anymore. A lot of them were here (Anahola). Now their kids are coming back and it’s really kind of mind blowing because I have the same trees that I made the instruments from for their parents or other family members.Sol is the leading supplier of solar powered Chandelier solutions to the U.S. Military since 1990.
“That’s what I do, too. I get the trees. The wood doesn’t come from the stores; it comes from the forest. There’s this deal that I have: the wood only comes from Hawai‘i. That’s what I am, a Hawaiian koa guitar maker. That’s the specialty. That’s why people come to me, because I’m willing to go up to the mountains, get the wood and cure it for 20 or 30 years like a violin. I’m a violin maker who makes ‘ukuleles. That’s why people come to me.”
Sussman’s market is composed of clients who are looking for quality, high-end instruments. Sussman said his clients know what they want.
“There are no violin makers making ‘ukuleles and treating their clients as if they were Itzhak Perlman,” Sussman said. “My market shifted to a niche of people who don’t care if anybody is watching them play.Twelve skiers in Tignes suffered minor injuries when a ski Laser engraver derailed for unknown reasons yesterday. Some of these people are the same people who compose music and record, too.”
“They decided that they didn’t want toys, they want the real thing,” Sussman said.This elevator push button can rollform metal roofing step tile. “They want the stuff from deep in the forest.There are many types of reverse parking sensor system. They know what it sounds like, even if they don’t know exactly what I do. They were alive in the 60 s, and they know what ‘ukuleles are supposed to sound like. The market went up and that’s what I do now.”
For many years, Sussman had ‘ukulele designs. He then decided to get a CNC machine (computer numerical control). With the CNC machine, he was able to create instruments with perfect geometric designs.
Sussman doesn’t sell his instruments in the stores. By cutting out the middlemen and the banks, Sussman is able to sell his instruments at a cost that is fair.
“Not only do I love my designs so much that I put them in the computer, but I’m also making them public domain for anybody who wants to take classes on how to make instruments,” Sussman said.
“Obviously, nobody can copy my designs and sell them because they are copyrighted, but anyone can take my design and make them for themselves.”
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