George; I wish you could see the HUGE smile on my face and see my spirit just gleaming from every ounce of my Being. This is the most Wonderful sounding/playing/looking Hawaiian Steel ever.

After I strung it up(and went with my D13+9 and A6th..ha) ... and plugged her in ... my World just LIT up my Brother ...

The most beautiful sound came out of her with all the clarity and Richness anyone can ever ask for. And I noticed something as I was playing... I heard a very familiar voice coming out of her and took me a bit to figure out what I was hearing ... and do you know what it is???

This Georgeboard sounds Very close to the same texture of voice as my SS HAWAIIAN ...

I mean they are truly similar like family members are ... It's really amazing ...and I figured how and why ... seeing that they are differently designed but there is something that is the same.

My SS HAWAIIAN is a very exotic wood of course as my Sweet Leilani Georgeboard is ... but my strings are attached to a Brass plate with stainless steel bridges; resonating on the wood. The strings on the georgboard are on Brass bridges, resonating on the wood ...

THAT is the similar voice I hear from the two different Hawaiian steels and - I LOVE IT ...

Hi George,

Enclosed is a picture of myself and my

Red KOA Georgeboards Console.

It is gorgeous to look at, and a joy to play. Words cannot describe the sound and tone this instrument has.

Forty eight years of struggling and stumbling between guitar, dobro and pedal steel brings to mind the Jerry Byrd quote "If you know how to play, it doesn't matter what you play. If you don't know how to play, it doesn't matter what you play." The latter best describes me, but at least I'll look good with my GeorgeBoard.

In closing, I would like to say thank you for your utmost effort to have a satisfied customer.

Yes, "Tangled Mind" is a Hank song.

Jay Yuskaitis

Brockton, Massachusetts

Last year I bought a used Framus steel guitar and tried teaching myself music. Having no previous training and at that point, certainly no musical talent, I found myself lost in the world of steels, strings, and tunings, of which each had many choices. There was not much relevant literature, and no printed music--or so it seemed. After a lot of frustration, I finally located an instructor and started lessons. Over the next several months, I purchased a second steel guitar, and then two acoustic guitars. All of this in an effort to learn theory and apply it to the lap steel. Progress was slow, and I sometimes felt like I was going nowhere.

While searching on-line for steel guitar instructional material the Georgeboard DVD's popped up, and I made contact with George. After visiting his home and listening to his wonderful guitars and viewing the DVD's, I ended up buying one of his beautiful guitars and DVD's with the C6th tuning that all work with each other. George made contact with a guitar case maker, and now I have a beautiful, close-fitting case.

What is so wonderful about the Georgeboard guitars? Quality and accuracy in the workmanship. When you lay the steel on the strings, it touches all the strings. The used lap steel guitars I had purchased had been "fixed" in their past lives by someone who apparently had no knowledge of what they were doing. The Georgeboards can never get in that bad shape because of the machined parts.

I am very happy with the quality of the guitar, the DVD's are helpful, and George is continuing to improve the DVD's in support of those of us with little music background. One aspect that has helped me the most is to find that the C6th tuning has more available resources, and I have since found other materials in that tuning.

Thank you, George, for taking this ol' Texan with a total lack of knowledge of music, and the mind of an engineer, and giving him a whole new world of possibilities with your high quality guitars, excellent support, and most of all compassion for your customers' needs.

Jerry McAden Tempe, Arizona

Dear George, Kudos on your new web page Honoring GeorgeBoards Owners.

I'm sure every owner of your beautiful instruments will want to share their pleasure with others by posting in your site.

As you know, I bought your one and only black Koa 8 stringer.What you might not have known was I bought it with no experience with a lapsteel whatsoever, and in fact no musical training other than a few lessons on pedal steel guitar. I bought it just because it looked so beautiful and unique. I felt even if I never learned to play it, I'd still be happy just looking at it.

In the hidden recesses of my mind, I've always wanted to play blues. This probably seems a minor or insignificant goal to most of your customers but keep in mind, I don't know a quarter note from a quart of milk. I bought a bunch of your CD-ROM's and DVD instructional materials thinking these would be like all the other steel guitar teaching videos that litter the bottom of my closet. Fun to watch, but I still can't play.

I have to state with total conviction, your instructional materials were the BEST investment in ever made in instructional materials. After watching them a few times, I started ripping of blues licks like there was no tomorrow. I wish I could convey how great it feels to hear these riffs coming from my own fingers. Its almost surreal because I never thought this was possible, especially in such a short time.

My wife and kids are amazed at the sounds coming out of my room. To quote my seven year old, "Daddy is really rocking up there". I've even taped myself and don't cringe when I hear the results, something I could never say before. I actually smile when I listen (how dopey does that sound coming from a 54 year old man???).

A few last comments before I close. I found that a DVD player with the ability to zoom or enlarge the screen is very helpful as I can focus on the portion of interest (usually the right hand) and I think you should suggest that in your advertising. Second, for all the bedroom BB King wannabes, I'm playing through a wonderful little 50 watt amp called the Little Lalenei Super 50 put out by Songworks. Its tiny (about 8 inches on a side), weighs 10 pounds, and wails even at low volumes with a specially designed tube pre-amp. There's no need for a distortion or overdrive pedal as it breaks up easily for that tone we hear in our head. The combination of this miracle amp and my black Koa makes even a beginner like me sound fantastic.

In closing, thanks for making this man's silly dream come true. Please keep developing more of these types of materials and rest assured, I'll be the first one to buy each and every one. Just make sure you let me know when they are released!!!

Sincerely, Jan

New York City

I ordered my first GeorgeBoards steel "Kaya" on my 45th birthday, in December 2003. Why do I say "my first"? Well, it certainly won't be my last, - as I write this I am waiting for my new double-8 "AuLani" which is supposed to arrive any day now. And who knows what the future might bring..............

After playing guitar since the early 1970s, semi-full-time professionally since1990, I decided to take my bottleneck playing one step further and get into lap steel in 1999, heavily inspired by players like David Lindley and Ben Harper. For some years the steel was just one more of my musical 'tools'. Having my own small recording studio and doing a lot of multi-instrumentalist session work.

In February 2003 I bought a Weissenborn style acoustic steel guitar and got seriously involved with steel playing, it didn't take long before I considered it my main instrument. Acoustic and electric steels came and went about as fast as eBay could handle them, until that day I found 'Kaya'.....

The 8-string has opened up a whole new world of steel playing for me, and I can't think of any better instrument than my GeorgeBoards for exploring this exciting new territory. 'Kaya' has the looks, tone and feel that makes it an inspiring pleasure to play, and I can't praise George's work enough. Not only is he a master craftsman, he also has an attitude and philosophy that I appreciate highly, and his ability and willingness to listen to an opinionated and sometimes terribly picky customer from a small country on the other side of the world is outstanding. From a happy and grateful Norwegian musician and customer:

Thank you George, you're the best!

Steinar Gregertsen

Arendal Norway

Steinar's Web Site

Let's face it: Regular guitar players are a dime-a-dozen. There are good guitar players and bad, hardly any of them are unique. It's just too hard to get a sound on a regular guitar that sets you or your band apart. It took me 20 years of playing mediocre guitar to figure that one out. But then I found Georgeboards and everything changed. That Georgeboard guitar is AWESOME! It sings, growls, screams, and sounds different than any guitar I've ever played and it's re-fueled my fire to rock on stage. My band, Agave, plays all over San Diego, California and at beach festivals on a consistent basis and that Georgeboard has brought on a whole new sound for us. So dang easy to play, my limited talent appreciates it. Thanks Georgie'O, I'm reaching for my slide right now... p.s. www.agaveband.com

Thanks a lot to GeorgeBoards!! John Metzger

I saw and heard George's beautiful instruments on his website and decided to give him a call. I explained that I couldn't really justify the expense at the time and inquired whether there might be a used or irregular instrument that could be discounted.

George's kind response was to offer one at a very attractive price. Naturally I wanted to know what was wrong with it. George replied that absolutely nothing was wrong with it, but that I would have to see it to understand. (Check out the photo) RED WHITE and BLUE Stars and Stripes

Not only am I now blessed with an instrument with a fabulous sound, but I get to express my patriotism and tell a good story as well.

The other instrument in the photos is one that I built after George was kind enough to part with a nut, bridge and fret board from his shop. I originally was going to use stone, porcelain or another non-traditional material for the unit, but settled on a non-traditional design instead.

The body is padouk, the pickups are made by Bill Lawerence and are wired Les Paul style. I almost added some string pullers but decided that was overkill for my level of experience. This was my first attempt at a musical instrument and I owe much of my inspiration to George for his encouraging words. My good friend J.R.R.R. Blevins, a talented sculptor and instructor, provided key technology and guidence while keeping me from loosing fingers or toes in the process.

My conclusion having survived the project is that George's instruments are a great bargain at any price.

Sewa Singh Khalsa, Seattle Washington