| Author |
Topic: Unusual Gibson steel guitar at auction in CA |
Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
|
Posted 1 Aug 2007 12:39 pm |
|
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/msg/386985896.html
| Quote: |
Selling at Clars Auction Gallery this Sunday, lots #2248 and #2250. These two rare pieces are from the estate of a local Big Band leader. See clars.com a Gibson Electraharp steel guitar custom made for Ernie Heckscher circa 1940 in art deco case. Eight string with pedals and original canvas cover. and a Celesta keyboard idiophone with 49 keys, 32.5"w. The Ernie Heckscher Big Band had tours and recordings for many years and was a well known fixture at the Fairmont San Francisco Venetian Room.
|
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
|
|
 |
Billy Wilson
From:
El Cerrito, California, USA
|
Posted 1 Aug 2007 1:26 pm
|
|
| What's that doing in Steel Without Pedals? |
|
|
|
Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
|
Posted 1 Aug 2007 1:35 pm
|
|
Yeah! You should know better than that.
It belong's in 'Steel's with Celesta keyboard idiophones'. |
|
|
|
Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
|
Posted 1 Aug 2007 1:39 pm
|
|
| Are those termite holes? |
|
|
|
Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
|
Posted 1 Aug 2007 1:40 pm
|
|
Sorry, wrong section. I guess even moderators make mistakes occasionally. 
Moved to Pedal Steel from Steel Without Pedals.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
|
|
|
Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
|
Posted 1 Aug 2007 1:48 pm
|
|
| Glad you made the error, otherwise I'd probably have missed a cool post. |
|
|
|
Colby Tipton
From:
Crosby, Texas, USA
|
Posted 1 Aug 2007 2:21 pm
|
|
| I bet you Al Marcus can give you some information on it. |
|
|
|
A. J. Schobert
From:
Cincinnati, Ohio,
|
Posted 1 Aug 2007 3:37 pm
|
|
| Earnst, I doubt if it is termite, it may be worm holes, however the patina in this guitar is very sought after, when guys talk of "vintage" the worn aged patina this is a good example. I don't know of the value of this gibson. I really wouldn't want it. |
|
|
|
Al Marcus
From:
Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)
|
Posted 1 Aug 2007 6:27 pm
|
|
Colby-Yes, I guess I know a little about it. I had one, bought used in 1946, with the cover, it was just like new. Beautiful piece of furniture too.
I played it for about 18 years. Played a lot of jobs with it. It had a good tone and I liked that tone control to get that stuff that Alvino Rey got and I heard that Jody Carver did later on, in the 50's.
Any pedal tuning could be put on, Technically you could put al 8 raises on one string.or loweres. tuning could be done in practically A few seconds. I used to do it on the bandstand in between songs some times.No need to get the guitar upside down, no rods, no nylon pullers , no Bell cranks. Years later Fender came out with the PS 210 which was the answer to most all steel players problems. They decided to pull it off the market. They never made another pedal steel guitar...They were more interested in selling Tele-Casters, millions of them...al,
_________________
Michigan (MSGC)Christmas Dinner and Jam on my 80th Birthday.
My Email.. almarcus@cmedic.net
My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus |
|
|
|
Colby Tipton
From:
Crosby, Texas, USA
|
Posted 1 Aug 2007 6:37 pm
|
|
How heavy is that thing?
It looks like you would have to have a fork lift to pick it up, or be young and strong.
It's for sure a collectors piece. |
|
|
|
Al Marcus
From:
Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)
|
Posted 1 Aug 2007 8:20 pm
|
|
Colby-It weighed about 90 lbs and sometimes I had help carrying it in and out of clubs. But I was 25 in 1946 and I still had the muscle to handle it by myself. Heavy guitars are out of me now, I stick to guitars less than 36 lbs out of the case now, like MSA Millenium, Carter, GFI, Williams,Excel, all good guitars that dont break my back...LOL...al.
_________________
Michigan (MSGC)Christmas Dinner and Jam on my 80th Birthday.
My Email.. almarcus@cmedic.net
My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus |
|
|
|
Doyle Weigold
From:
CColumbia City, IN, USA
|
Posted 2 Aug 2007 4:56 pm unusual gibson
|
|
| Years ago, a freind of mine, Heny Ade (deceased now) played a gibson pedal steel that had a cluster of pedals around one leg. It probably came out somewhere around this era. It didn't have the built in look that this has, but I don't think you can tell if this was a pedal steel or not. Doyle |
|
|
|
Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
|
Posted 2 Aug 2007 5:19 pm
|
|
When I started teaching, about 30 years ago, a student showed up with one of these and assembled it, wood cabinet and all, in my studio. I was amazed by it. It's as much a piece of furniture as it is a steel guitar!
The Electraharp shown above has some interesting EH-185 'appointments', like the slanted pickup (on the 'wrong' end of the guitar). Also, the fretboard, the bakelite knobs, and the tuners are the same as the EH-185, made in the same era. Circa 1940-41 all the way! Is the Electraharp above a Lefty?
EH-185
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
|
|
|
Alvin Blaine
From:
Picture Rocks, Arizona, USA
|
Posted 2 Aug 2007 10:53 pm
|
|
| Doug Beaumier wrote: |
| Is the Electraharp above a Lefty? |
No it's for standard playing(I don't believe in calling an instrument left or right handed since most use both hands and both sides of the brain), with right hand picking over the pickup and the left hand using a bar.
It has the tuners on the end with the pickup, so that the changer can be right over the pedals on the other end.
Here is the link to the live auction that takes place Aug 5th. |
|
|
|
Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
|
|
|
|
basilh
From:
United Kingdom
|
Posted 3 Aug 2007 1:03 am
|
|
3 broken machine heads, and the seller hasn't mentioned the fact ? what else could be wrong ?
Baz |
|
|
|
Al Marcus
From:
Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)
|
Posted 3 Aug 2007 6:41 am
|
|
Basil-Outside of the pegs, the hinged covers are gone, but it looks to be in prety good condition and it has the tough cover that slips over the whole guitar. It is a good guitar to experiment tunings with,take a screw out of a hole and put it in another and you are done.....al.
_________________
Michigan (MSGC)Christmas Dinner and Jam on my 80th Birthday.
My Email.. almarcus@cmedic.net
My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus |
|
|
|
Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
|
Posted 3 Aug 2007 7:43 am
|
|
| Doug Beaumier wrote: |
| ...that makes sense now. It's played "standard" but the tuners are on the opposite end. |
All the Gibsons and Multi-Kords had the tuners at the other end. It looks odd at first but you get used to it. Of course, they originally had covers over the tuners so it wasn't so noticable. By now most of the plastic covers have disintegrated.
Last edited by Alan Brookes on 4 Aug 2007 8:32 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
|
basilh
From:
United Kingdom
|
Posted 3 Aug 2007 10:11 am
|
|
| Alan, I THINK you meant to say GIBSONS ? Rather than Fenders, the ONLY Fender with the tuner at the "wrong" end is the PS-210. |
|
|
|
Al Marcus
From:
Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)
|
Posted 3 Aug 2007 6:58 pm Electra-Harp
|
|
I took the big cabinet off mine and put the top on pipe stand so the guys could see the pedals and it was easier to handle too. Not as pretty though. I'll try to upload a picture of me playing it, if I am lucky....al.
_________________
Michigan (MSGC)Christmas Dinner and Jam on my 80th Birthday.
My Email.. almarcus@cmedic.net
My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus |
|
|
|
Al Marcus
From:
Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)
|
Posted 3 Aug 2007 7:03 pm
|
|
I hit upload and nothing happens..."???? I dont get the screen for my URL...Now what?...al
_________________
Michigan (MSGC)Christmas Dinner and Jam on my 80th Birthday.
My Email.. almarcus@cmedic.net
My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus |
|
|
|
Al Marcus
From:
Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)
|
Posted 3 Aug 2007 7:14 pm
|
|
I'll try again . I disabled the Popups so they are allowed...try this one again...al.
_________________
Michigan (MSGC)Christmas Dinner and Jam on my 80th Birthday.
My Email.. almarcus@cmedic.net
My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus |
|
|
|
Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
|
|
|
|
basilh
From:
United Kingdom
|
Posted 4 Aug 2007 1:08 am
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Al Marcus
From:
Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)
|
Posted 4 Aug 2007 5:35 am
|
|
Basil-How did you do that? Thanks for putting my Gibson Electra-Harp up there. That was pretty easy to handle without that big cabinet. That was taken on a Jam session at the Gaity club in Cheboygan, Mich. Were were probably playing "Perdido" or
"Jumping with Symphony Sid" or "Body and Soul" in Db. anywy we all had fun....al.
_________________
Michigan (MSGC)Christmas Dinner and Jam on my 80th Birthday.
My Email.. almarcus@cmedic.net
My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus |
|
|
|
