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Topic: Alkire E-Harp |
Tommy Wayne
From:
Nevada, USA
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Posted 14 Jan 2011 7:48 pm |
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| Hey folks, saw this cool 10 string lap steel from the 40's on ebay. Not sure how to post the link. I've never seen that many strings on a steel from that era. Wonder what the tuning would be. TW |
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William Lake
From:
Ontario, Canada
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 14 Jan 2011 8:32 pm
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The tuning would be this, courtesy Dave Van Allen's web site:
1. E
2. C#
3. B
4. A
5. G#
6. G
7. F#
8. F (or E# as he calls it in the tuning literature)
9. E
10. C#
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Michael Lee Allen
From:
Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois
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Posted 14 Jan 2011 8:36 pm
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DELETED
_________________
"Wisdom does not always come with age. Many times age arrives alone."
Last edited by Michael Lee Allen on 26 Feb 2011 10:27 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Terry P. Miller
From:
Vancouver, Washington, USA
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Posted 17 Jan 2011 9:50 am Alkire E-Harp
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This looks exactly like the model I bought from Alkire back in the 70's. Same color, same looks, same case,etc.
It was what Alkire called his "student" model, and was made with very inexpensive materials. The wood was very soft, so the sustain was less than perfect.
There was no comparison between this E-Harp and the models he had built by Epiphone.
I cleaned out my closet about 10 years ago and sold it to a fellow back East for $50.
It is what it is. If I were to pay that much money for an E-Harp, I would want to also look at Alkire's professional series. A friend of mine in Oregon sold one about 3 years ago for $500. It was a very well made instrument.
Terry |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Michael Lee Allen
From:
Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois
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Posted 17 Jan 2011 12:06 pm
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DELETED
_________________
"Wisdom does not always come with age. Many times age arrives alone."
Last edited by Michael Lee Allen on 26 Feb 2011 10:29 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Terry P. Miller
From:
Vancouver, Washington, USA
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Posted 17 Jan 2011 2:38 pm Alkire E-Harp
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Doug, that's a picture of one of Alkire's really top of the line models. I saw quite a few in his studio in Easton.
Frank Brown, one of Alkire's protege/teachers in the Philly area used to play one and it had all of the features a good steel should have.
I bought the cheaper model just to learn Alkire's method. I did play it at a few luaus in and around Atlantic City, but I wasn't pleased with it. Frank was ready to make me a good offer on a professional model, as he was retiring and selling his studio. (He was one of the first winners of the New Jersey lottery for One Million$$ back in the early seventies!)
Had I stayed with the E-harp I would have gone with a good one such as is in your photo.
Terry |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 17 Jan 2011 3:24 pm
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Terry, as I understand it, each of the Eharp variations were made in different eras and they were not all available at the same time. The Epiphone Eharp, pictured above, was the first style. Those were made in the 1940s, I believe. Starting in the early 1950s Eddie Alkire had Valco Co. In Chicago build his Eharps, and they took on a different look. Throughout the 50s Valco made at least two or three different variations of the Eharp. In my opinion each version became less ornate, less attractive, corners were cut to save money...the finish, the materials used, etc. In my opinion Eharps are way undervalued, and a great bargain for anyone wanting a 10-string non-pedal steel.
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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 |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 17 Jan 2011 6:06 pm
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I had a couple of the '60s versions, similar to the one shown. What I didn't like about them was the bridge was a cheap piece of aluminum channel. I still have a couple from the 40's, and they're great for collecting autographs
This one has a couple Lollar Stringmaster pups, as well as a titanium bridge. Because I had to do surgery to get both pups in, I added an aluminum plate that sits under the plexi hand rest and I had to trim a few frets off the fret board. It's a nice sounding guitar.
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Michael Lee Allen
From:
Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois
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Posted 17 Jan 2011 6:54 pm
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DELETED
_________________
"Wisdom does not always come with age. Many times age arrives alone."
Last edited by Michael Lee Allen on 26 Feb 2011 10:30 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Joe Miraglia
From:
Jamestown N.Y.
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Posted 18 Jan 2011 7:23 am
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| Thanks Doug--It's O.K. At the time the picture was taken in 1955, the guitar I was holding was just for the picture. My guitar was on order. I bought the straight body, pictured on the right. I had three telescopic legs added afterwards so I could play it standing. Later you could order the guitar with the legs already mounted. E-harp also had a double neck model with ten strings which the other neck was tuned the same but one octive lower. Joe |
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Willis Vanderberg
From:
Petoskey Mi
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Posted 22 Jan 2011 5:00 pm
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There was a gentleman in Canada who was making very nice replacement bridges for the EHarp. I purchased one from him. He was on the Forum I believe.
Just for the fun of it, I tuned mine to E9th as you would your ten string pedal steel. It was amazing what I could do with it.By bar slants and a little string pulling it did very nicely. |
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