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Topic: Oahu acoustics |
Fred Kinbom
From:
Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.
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Posted 11 Nov 2005 11:16 am |
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Hi all!
I've noticed that there are a lot of old 30s and 40s Oahu acoustic lap steels on eBay. They seem to have been budget guitars in their day (am I right?) and are generally quite cheap on eBay.
Are they any good?
What is recommendable - a round or square neck?
Any particular sort of damage/issues to watch out for?
Thanks!
Fred |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 11 Nov 2005 11:38 am
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Most of these guitars are student models and built quite cheaply. However, every once in a while you run across a teacher's model and some of these are works of art. 
Erv |
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D Schubert
From:
Columbia, MO, USA
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Posted 11 Nov 2005 12:41 pm
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| I have a couple of these student models. They are the size of a parlor guitar, just smaller than a Martin O-size body. My roundneck would have to have a major neck reset to play like a guitar, but it's fine for lap style. It sounds a bit better to me than the squareneck. Both have minor top cracks that have been mended. Both are strung with medium gage guitar strings (0.013" and up) to open D and lo-bass G. I have put resonator-gage strings (0.016" and up) on both in the past, but you can see the top begin to "belly up" due to the string tension. Neither are very loud, but have a very nice tone & sustain -- maybe it's the aluminum bridge -- and work very well with soundhole pickups -- kinda like a poor-boy Weissenborn. Not suitable for group playing without amplification. Asking prices are all over the map, as you can see. I would not pay more than about $250-300 for one in excellent condition with original case. |
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Ron Bednar
From:
Rancho Cordova, California, USA
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Posted 11 Nov 2005 1:05 pm
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I have had a couple of the student models, one of which I still have and it is just an amazing sounding guitar...luck of the draw I guess. There are two up for bid now that are not student versions, or if they are they are the top of the line student guitars. They are not quite up to the top teacher level versions but would give them a run for their money I bet. These two have the ornate decaling and they are definately worth bidding on...IMHO.
As far a problems to look for, the usual cracks, neck connections etc. Also warped tops and lifted bridges. Although mine does have a massively warped top...probably contributes to it's great sound though.[This message was edited by Ron Bednar on 11 November 2005 at 01:09 PM.] |
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John Dahms
From:
Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 11 Nov 2005 5:57 pm
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| I've got a couple of the old student models and while they don't have a full range tone, they do have good tone in the range that they have. I like them a lot for lap style. They are feather light and are fun to play. Since they were made cheaply and more than 60 years ago you can expect to have to do some repairs om the seams and braces and they are usually cracked on the top near where the fingerboard meets the sound hole, but these aren't Martin's and repairing them won't devalue them ( they aren't valuable anyway). |
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Fred Kinbom
From:
Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.
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Billy Gilbert
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 14 Nov 2005 5:34 am
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You did fine, even if you use it for a wall-hanger. I paid Elderly $70 for one in far worse condition several years ago.  Billy |
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Andy Sandoval
From:
Bakersfield, California, USA
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Posted 14 Nov 2005 7:23 am
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| Hey Fred, is that a square or round neck? I can't tell from the photo. I bought one similiar to yours but with a square neck and had to re glue the top a little where it was startin to separate. but with a new set of strings it's got a very unique sound that's fun to play with. |
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Fred Kinbom
From:
Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.
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Posted 14 Nov 2005 7:29 am
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| Andy - it's a round neck. |
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John Dahms
From:
Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 14 Nov 2005 2:35 pm
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That's a nice one. As far as I can Discern, The early ones in the thirties had a square headstock and later on (maybe ca.1940?) the headstock became more stylized and rounded.
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