Born and raised · est. 2015
We won Wheel of Fortune.Then we opened this shop.
Spencer and Laura Ahuna are both born and raised in Hawaii, and partners in life and love since 2005. In 2014 they got married a week after a hurricane, won a game show a month later, and used the winnings to open Big Island Guitars in 2015. Every word of that is true. Here is the whole story.
The whole story
Setlist: 2005 to now
10 tracks · no skips
- A Fender Squier, in piecesSpencer's first guitar comes home and immediately gets taken completely apart. He puts it back together, and he and his guitars have been mostly inseparable since. H.S.
- Spencer and LauraBoth born and raised in Hawaii, partners in life and love since 2005. 2005
- Hilo to Hollywood BlvdAfter years at Pacific Music Connection in Hilo, Spencer and Laura move to Los Angeles so Spencer can attend the Musicians Institute. 2008
- Musicians Institute gradSpencer graduates from the MI Guitar Program, then works at Guitar Center on Sunset Blvd, selling strings to famous musicians. 2010
- Home to HiloAfter too many hours in LA traffic, the two make their way back home. The musical stars begin to align. 2013
- Beyond Paradise is bornJuly 12, 2014: an 8-piece band with over 12 hours of performance-ready music. Weddings, Nike, Intel, and well past 140 gigs. Meet the band2014
- Married, a week after IselleOne week after Hurricane Iselle hit their neighborhood, Spencer and Laura marry on August 16, 2014. The band's first wedding gig. 2014
- WHEEL. OF. FORTUNE.One month after the wedding, they are contestants on Wheel of Fortune. And they win: a honeymoon, and the cash that would open the shop. 2014
- Big Island Guitars opensThe winnings become a guitar shop at 1221 Kilauea Ave. Keeping your gear mean and clean ever since. 2015
- Ten years of musicHilo's guitar shop turns 10 and wants to keep the music going. Read the Big Island Now feature2025
Liner notes
The low-profile guitarist and the woman who tells his story
Spencer is unassuming and keeps a low profile, but he really is one of the most knowledgeable guitarists you will meet. His parents are both famous Hawaiian music musicians, and still he waited until high school to find his own musical groove. When his first guitar, a Fender Squier, came home, he took it completely apart and put it back together. That lifelong passion for playing and repairing guitars shows through in everything he does.
After high school, when he was not surfing, Spencer worked at Pacific Music Connection here in Hilo. Laura graduated from the University of Hawaii at Hilo with a BA in Psychology, a BA in Performing Arts and a minor in Japanese Studies, and in late 2008 the two moved to Los Angeles. Spencer attended the Musicians Institute on Hollywood Blvd, graduated from the Guitar Program in 2010, and worked at Guitar Center on Sunset, where famous musicians came in daily to buy their own strings.
Too many hours stuck in LA traffic later, they made their way back home to Hilo in 2013, and the musical stars began to align. Ace Loughmiller reached out with a question: do you want to be in the best Top 40 band in Hawaii? With a yes and a lot of hard work, Beyond Paradise was born on July 12, 2014: an 8-piece band that has played celebrity weddings and huge corporate events for the likes of Nike and Intel, well past 140 gigs together.
Then came the biggest month of all. A week after Hurricane Iselle hit their neighborhood, Spencer and Laura got married on August 16, 2014, the first wedding gig for the band. One month later they were contestants on a small nationally syndicated show called Wheel of Fortune. Maybe you have heard of it. They won a honeymoon vacation and some cash, and that cash opened Big Island Guitars in 2015. Thanks, Wheel of Fortune!
Years and counting
10
In 2025, Big Island Guitars turned ten. Big Island Now told the story: Hilo's guitar shop turns 10 and wants to keep the music going.
Est. 2015 · 1221 Kilauea Ave Ste 10, Hilo
The B.I.G. Crew
Meet the crew
We are proud to be a Big Island born and raised local business. This is the crew here to help you out.
- Spencer AhunaCo-owner. One of the most knowledgeable guitarists you will meet.
- Laura AhunaCo-owner. Supporter of all things musical.
- ScottThe B.I.G. Crew, here to help you out.
- KeaThe B.I.G. Crew, here to help you out.
- Drew ZaragozaEngineer at The Lab, our recording studio.
- MattThe B.I.G. Crew, here to help you out.
Mahalo nui to our awesome community. Thank you so much for your continued support, and for supporting local. We need each other!
Chapter eleven starts with you
Come be part of the story.
Come in and talk story with the crew, find your next instrument, or bring in the one that needs some love. 1221 Kilauea Ave Ste 10, Hilo, HI 96720.