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Meet the Family!
Select a name to view a profile on any member of the famed Island
Guitars staff.
senior partner, administration, sales
Jim started Island Guitars back in 1984. A
consummate collector, Jim previously enjoyed success dealing in collectable coins.
His love of guitars led him to start collecting and trading vintage instruments
in 1972. By the mid 70's Jim had established himself as an expert in vintage
guitars and repairs. He handled all of the vintage guitar sales and acoustic
instrument repairs at the Solder Joint, one of the most well known shops
in Honolulu from 1979 to 1980. He was then retained by a major music store
in Honolulu, which led to greater success and the opening of his own business,
Jim's Guitar Corner, in late 1980. By 1984, the business had flourished
and Island Guitars opened it's doors at 76 North King Street. It's been
growing ever since. Island Guitars opened it's doors
inside the Ward Warehouse in May of 1996, establishing itself as the largest
guitar store in the state of Hawaii.
Neil
Shimabukuro senior partner, administration, sales
Neil's love of music began in the 70's.
He started playing
guitar in 1978 and was hooked. Neil was a fixture at Island Guitars from
the beginning, and by 1987, Neil had signed on as co-owner. With Neil's
addition to the helm, the store's momentum towards success began. Neil
brought with him a vast knowledge of electric instruments and amplifiers
which meshed perfectly with Jim's expertise of acoustic instruments. Under this newly formed partnership, a foundation
was set and a vision of what a music store should be evolved. These days, Neil's responsibilities account for
the major portion of the administrative duties, but Neil can still be found
out on the floor sharing his extensive knowledge with customers.
Peter
Bond repair manager, sales
Peter joined Island Guitars in
1993 as a highly respected repair technician. His love of music started
early, playing
guitar at 13, beginning a lifelong passion for the instrument. After attending the Guitar Research and Development Academy in Vermont,
where he learned the ins and outs of guitar craftsmanship and built his
first instruments,
Peter became a major figure in the local band scene. Playing in such
popular bands Hat Makes The Man, Spiny Norman, and Oriental
Love Ring he dominated the local rock music scene in the '80s and '90s.
He also brings with him years
of retail experience as manager of a major record store in Honolulu. Peter
currently runs the repair department at Island Guitars. When not wielding his
trusty guitars on stage, or up to
his elbows in wood glue and fret filings, Peter can be found teaching his young daughter Amber the finer points of
surfing.
David
Chang floor manager, sales,
genius, egomaniac
David Chang, quite
simply the best employee in the history of Island Guitars, if not the history of man (so he says...). David was the leader of several bands that were all doomed to
fail. His enduring love of music has lead him to work in as many music
related jobs as possible including commercial radio DJ, a recording studio and
several record stores before finding a home here at the store in
1996.
At 6 ft. tall, (6 ft. 8 inches with his hair)
Michael boasts a well rounded resume. An assistant manager for now
closed House
of Music for 10 years, he later became was a bird trainer at Paradise Park for
nearly a decade before they closed. Now he's a practitioner of stand-up
comedy at the various local comedy clubs, having worked with the likes of Judy Tenuta
and the late Rodney Dangerfield. Like the rest of us, Michael has a great love for the
guitar. His professionalism and enthusiasm will make
you feel welcome.
Kenny Ashburn
sales, surf, author, guitar hero roadie
Hailing from Buffalo, New York, Kenny
discovered surfing on a trip to The Great Lakes. He watched surfers
trying to hang ten on Lake Erie and eventually wrote a book about surfing spots
at other lakes across the country. His surfing muse eventually led him to
the birth place of surfing, here in Paradise. Inspired by his uncle, he
took up playing guitar 4 years ago. When not in the water getting wet, he can be found turning
the reverb knob all the way to the right to get that "wet"
sound.
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Doug
Mencoff Sales
Originally from San
Francisco, Doug worked as a test technician in Silicon Valley, before moving to
Hawaii. He has claimed the distinction of never having a paid gig! But
then, musicians playing for next to nothing is not a new concept!
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ON
THE CUTTING EDGE OF FASHION...
You've probably seen them in your
town. They've extended their reach beyond the Hawaiian Islands, across the
United States, Canada, Japan, and the world! People have traveled great
distances to acquire them....tourists buy them by the dozen to take home a
little Hawaii with them. It's the official ISLAND GUITARS T-SHIRT!!
$20 USD for adult small to XXL plus shipping. Available in many colors and
sizes, call or E-mail
us for more info or color availability!
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