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Topic: Gibson EH-150 - Mid 1930's all original with tweed case. |
Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 17 Mar 2009 4:54 pm |
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Here is my mid 1930's Gibson EH-150 Lap Steel Guitar. I am reluctantly selling this guitar. I need the money to finance the purchase of another instrument.
I am going to try to sell it to a forumite before I go the Ebay route.
Specs:
1. Original Charlie Christian pickup - rewound in 2007 by famed pickup guru Jason Lollar.
2. Original Black and Brown Bakelite tone and volume knobs. Yes the originals came in two colors.
3. Original chrome bridge cover.
4. Flamed maple tobacco sunburst finish.
5. Original tuning machines that turn easily and hold pitch.
6. Original green felt lined tweed hard shell case. Case handle rewound with leather strips.
7. Original binding on body and neck. Tight fit, no gaps.
9. Original chrome nut.
10. Some scratching/scuffs on upper right bout on the back - see photo.
The guitar sounds beautiful. The pots turn smoothly and quietly. The pickup kicks out a lot of sound. The case closes tight and secure. The tuning machines turn easily and hold pitch.
Own a piece of history!
I am asking $1295 plus shipping. USA sales only.
Please email me with questions, or add to this thread.
_________________
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
A UkeTone Recording Artist
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Hawaiian Steel Guitar/Ukulele Website |
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Jeff Hyman
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Posted 17 Mar 2009 5:56 pm
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Gerald,
The EH-150, IMHO, has one of the fattest sweetest tones I've ever heard from any lap or pedal steel.. ever. I do have one question: What was the purpose to have its greatest feature, The Charlie Christian pickup, rewound? Just curious... I already own 2 of these masterpieces. |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 17 Mar 2009 6:37 pm
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One day the guitar was working fine. The next day nothing came out of the pickup.
There was a break in the wire winding.
Think about it. If the guitar was made in 1935. It lived through 72 summers and winters until the winding broke.
Jason Lollar rewound it to the original specs. This was in 2007. The guitar has sounded and has worked flawlessly since then.
I also own the following lap steels which have had their original pickups rewound and they sound better than new.
1954 Fender Champion (Jason Lollar rewind)
1947 Bakelite Rick B6 (Rick Aiello rewind. Rick also re-magnetized the horseshoe pickups)
_________________
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
A UkeTone Recording Artist
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Hawaiian Steel Guitar/Ukulele Website |
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Mark Wayne
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 17 Mar 2009 10:21 pm
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Nice horn, Gerald. I have an EH-150 Gibson 7 - string, 1936, all original. You can practically play these things without an amp  |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 18 Mar 2009 6:22 am
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I'll chime in here......I have a 1937 EH-150 - 7 string that was lacking just a little something.....Jason Lollar rewound the pup and it now honks......
Somebody is going to get a wonderful sounding, classic guitar...... |
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Charlie Thompson
From:
South Carolina, USA
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Posted 18 Mar 2009 7:02 am
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| I have this exact same lap steel. I had the same problem with the pickup. Sent it back to Gibson who rewound the pickup and replaced some electonics and now it rocks again. |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 19 Mar 2009 1:55 pm
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Hey... I have that same exact guitar for sale - the one that's on the cover of the book.
Except mine HAS the chrome bridge cover plate. I would have loaned the cover plate to the books author - if they asked. 
_________________
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
A UkeTone Recording Artist
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Hawaiian Steel Guitar/Ukulele Website |
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Michael Papenburg
From:
Oakland, CA
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Posted 19 Mar 2009 2:11 pm
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| Beautiful instrument. What is the scale length on one of these? |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Steve Feldman
From:
Central MA USA
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Posted 21 Mar 2009 5:51 am
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| Gerald Ross wrote: |
One day the guitar was working fine. The next day nothing came out of the pickup.
There was a break in the wire winding.
Think about it. If the guitar was made in 1935. It lived through 72 summers and winters until the winding broke.
Jason Lollar rewound it to the original specs. This was in 2007. The guitar has sounded and has worked flawlessly since then.
I also own the following lap steels which have had their original pickups rewound and they sound better than new.
1954 Fender Champion (Jason Lollar rewind)
1947 Bakelite Rick B6 (Rick Aiello rewind. Rick also re-magnetized the horseshoe pickups) |
Gerald - the earliest EH-150s had ~6 woodscrews holding on the back - along the periphery. Also, the V and T controls were on opposite sides of the PU in 1935-1936. So, I think yours is late '30s vintage. I've got a '36 myself with the same case; interestly enough, I did the same leather strip wrapping around the handle.
Rgds.
_________________
"...An admission of interest in protracted commentary is certainly no reason to capitalize on surmised aberations that do not exist." - BH |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 21 Mar 2009 5:57 am
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More info:
Pre-War LapSteels
Model: EH-150/E-150 LapSteel
Available: 1935 to 1943
1935 E-150 Metalbody LapSteel introduction specs:
cast aluminum body, guitar-shaped body with shoulders angled into neck (at a sharper angle than wood EH-150's), Charlie Christian pickup with bound blade, 2 knobs on opposite sides, unbound ebony fingerboard with "V" end (a few with rosewood), inlaid fret markers, metal nut, open back tuners with metal buttons, black painted logo. 98 Metalbody instruments shipped, available 10/1/35 to 3/9/36.
January 1936 EH-150 Woodbody LapSteel introduction specs:
hollow guitar shaped body, shoulders taper into neck more gradually than earlier metal model, maple top (often flame maple), screwed-on back, Charlie Christian pickup with bound blade and unbound outer edge, 2 knobs on opposite sides, triple bound top (early models with single bound top), bound rosewood fingerboard with V-end, pearl fingerboard inlays, pearl logo, no peghead ornament, sunburst finish, 6 or 7 strings (more strings optional).
1937 EH-150 LapSteel specs:
glue-on bound back, bound outer edge of pickup, knobs on same side (1 black, 1 brown), triple bound top and back, 4-piece diamond peghead inlay. 2 neck version available 1937-1938.
1938 EH-150 LapSteel specs:
pickup blade split in middle (pickup magnet underneath top changes to horseshoe shape), triple bound top and back, chrome plated bridge cover.
November 1939 EH-150 LapSteel specs: ES-300 type oblong pickup mounted at a slant.
late 1940 EH-150 LapSteel specs:
Fleur-de-lis peghead inlay.
1941 EH-150 LapSteel specs:
square-end metal fingerboard with fancy markers.
October 1942 EH-150 LapSteel specs:
Solid mahogany body, 5 sided metal control plate, metal covered pickup with raised center (some with tortoiseshell material in center), knobs on opposite sides, triple bound top, single bound back, metal fingerboard, fleur-de-lis peghead inlay (specs identical to the EH-125 except for a trible bound top).
EH-150 discontinued 1943.
_________________
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
A UkeTone Recording Artist
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Hawaiian Steel Guitar/Ukulele Website |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 23 Mar 2009 6:10 am
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OK guys, it's been a week. One more chance before I go to the dark side... Ebay 
I am now entertaining reasonable offers on this fine steel guitar. Email me.
_________________
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
A UkeTone Recording Artist
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Hawaiian Steel Guitar/Ukulele Website |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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