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Topic: Just got this 1936 EH-150. Have a couple questions! |
Cody Farwell
From:
Sunland, CA
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Posted 6 Oct 2019 12:24 pm |
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Here is a lovely EH-150 from (I believe) 1936. Got it in an unexpected gear trade last night.
I'm about to go through it- cleaning, restringing, etc. & I have a couple questions.
First, the nut seems to show no signs of any glue. Were these just held in by string tension? Usually with guitars I dilute a small amount of elmers glue to hold the nut in place. I wonder about the metal.
Next, some of the binding is loose. It's very subtle around the guitar & near the nut on the fingerboard. I'm curious what material the binding is made of? It has somewhat of a grainy texture, but might just be from old age. I'm not going to glue any of it down now.
Also, the pickup was super close to the strings. I plugged it in last night when I got home at 1am & was NOT prepared for the amount of output haha
Is there an ideal string height for these old CC pickups? I tried tightening the screws on the back, but it felt like the springs were really tight in the body. Going to open it up now and check it out.
Last question.. who played these? Are there any notable recordings? I've seen them in pictures and on this site, but was trying to find out more.
Thank you for reading/helping |
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Noah Miller
From:
Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 6 Oct 2019 12:57 pm
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I think the nuts were originally held in with a dab of glue, but it often doesn't adhere well to the metal nut. You can try putting another dab in there, but if the strings are holding it in the correct position, I wouldn't worry about it too much.
The binding is made of celluloid. It frequently shrinks a bit over time and may detach as a result. I've reattached plenty with a little superglue.
It's been a long time since I had one of these. I know the screws in the back hold the pickup to the body, but I forget whether turning them adjusts the pickup height. Nothing to lose by trying it. |
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Cody Farwell
From:
Sunland, CA
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Posted 6 Oct 2019 4:00 pm
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Thanks for the reply, Noah.
I will keep that in mind, should the binding ever break.
I opened it up & it seems like I'm the first to open it since it was made.
There was still touches of lacquer over some of the screws on the back.
My concern really about the pickup now is the bobbin seems to move up and down pretty freely around the blade. You can see from this picture.
Aside from that, the pots feel very stiff and take quite a bit of effort to turn. I tried spraying some contact cleaner & that helped a tad, but the pots are really sealed and I'm not sure why they're so stiff.
All in all, she sounds great & cleaned up really nicely
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Glenn Wilde
From:
California, USA
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Posted 6 Oct 2019 4:59 pm
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| Sweet, you got a good'un there. I would be very happy to have a strong pickup in something that old, they usually need to be serviced in my experience. |
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C. E. Jackson
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David DeLoach
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 6 Oct 2019 6:29 pm
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| I've got an 1940 EH-185 with that same pickup. I sounds so great when its clean and pure, but when I add a bit of overdrive from a good pedal, it's got a great blues tone. |
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Blake Hawkins
From:
Florida
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Posted 6 Oct 2019 6:30 pm
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You can free up those pot shafts easily.
Just place one drop of light machine oil on the shaft
where it enters the bushing. I do it with a toothpick.
Put the knob back on and work it back and forth a few times and it should be good. |
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Cody Farwell
From:
Sunland, CA
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Posted 7 Oct 2019 1:00 am
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Thank you fellas!
I'm pretty happy with it, even though it was such an unexpected trade. I have been on the lookout for a Dual Professional (my main guitar is a Deluxe  , but this will tide me over until I meet one of those.
Blake, I'll try that tomorrow! Thank you! |
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Bill Groner
From:
QUAKERTOWN, PA
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Posted 7 Oct 2019 1:27 am
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Love that quilted maple!
_________________
Currently own, 6 Groner-tone lap steels, one 1953 Alamo Lap steel, Roland Cube, Fender Champion 40 |
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John Dahms
From:
Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 7 Oct 2019 5:17 am
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Those old Centralab pots are different from others. They work by pressing a felt(?) tab to an inside rim against an outside rim to vary resistance. They can be easily opened and cleaned to free them up.
_________________
Time flies like an eagle
Fruit flies like a banana. |
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Cody Farwell
From:
Sunland, CA
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Posted 8 Oct 2019 11:12 am
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Bill, yes the maple on this one is exceptionally nice. Such a lovely tobacco-burst finish too. It aged so well. The checking is subtle, but just perfect.
John- Thank you, that's good to know!
I didn't want to take the pots out, they are soldered to the shielding plates, which are soldered to the bridge screws. They've loosened up quite a bit since I first got it. Unless something goes really wrong and it stops working, I think I'll leave it untouched. Like I said, there was still some lacquer over the back screws & I don't think anyone's ever opened it up since it was made (unless it was refinished?). I'd never seen such a thing on a guitar this old. |
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Steven Paris
From:
Los Angeles
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Posted 8 Oct 2019 8:05 pm
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| Cody Farwell wrote: |
| I didn't want to take the pots out, they are soldered to the shielding plates, which are soldered to the bridge screws. They've loosened up quite a bit since I first got it. Unless something goes really wrong and it stops working, I think I'll leave it untouched. |
Just remember the old adage, seen on a LARGE sign at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs;
"IF IT WORKS, DON'T FIX IT!!"
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Emmons & Peavey |
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Dennis Saydak
From:
Manitoba, Canada
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Posted 10 Oct 2019 9:34 am
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Cody, thanks for the excellent pictures of your beautiful guitar. I have a EH-150 replica I'm working on this winter and your pictures are a great help. I've ordered a Vintage Vibe Christian pickup for it in keeping with the the originals vintage appearance.
_________________
Dennis
Just when you think you're getting ahead in the rat race, the rats get faster. |
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Cody Farwell
From:
Sunland, CA
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Posted 10 Oct 2019 5:23 pm
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Dennis, Glad to hear it.
Steven, I can recall hearing that one a lot growing up.
Here's a video of Moana Chimes on this guitar
https://youtu.be/-MEs68iIvT8 |
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