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Topic: Should I buy this Gibson EH-100? |
David Hayes
From:
California, USA
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Posted 25 Jan 2012 12:39 pm |
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It seems to work fine has a few scratches as would be expected - guessing it is around 1937 - BUT has glued on back that makes me nervous about the cost to service - asking price is $500 with original case. Thoughts appreciated.
p.s. Does anyone know if I can get a date of manufacture from my the serial number BGE 3882
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Jerome Hawkes
From:
Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 25 Jan 2012 1:32 pm
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seems to be a fair price, i sold the Kalamazoo version of this (not as fancy) for $400. .old electronics DO need service sometimes, esp after 75 years.
_________________
'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II |
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David Hayes
From:
California, USA
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Posted 25 Jan 2012 1:46 pm
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| Jerome Hawkes wrote: |
| old electronics DO need service sometimes, esp after 75 years. |
This is what I am worried about - I imagine it would cost a fortune and even though everything seems to be working clock is ticking. I am leaning against buying it for that reason. Any idea how risky/costly it is to remove the backs to service these? I would hate to buy it and in 6 months have a huge bill or worse have it ruined in the attempt to open it - are these realistic concerns? |
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David Hayes
From:
California, USA
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Posted 25 Jan 2012 2:45 pm
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| Update - I think the B in the serial number is actually a D with a ding near the top - which makes it a 1938. That seems to match up with knob placement and color scheme of sunburst (not black which was 1936) - does that make sense? |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 25 Jan 2012 3:51 pm
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here's a link that dates Gibsons :
http://www.gibson.com/Files/downloads/bluebook/GibsonElectrics.pdf
i had a EH100 from that same era (1938)
the back does not come off
you get in from the top where the pick up is
there should be 2 screws on the back that loosen the pick up
Eh100s are good sounding steels
on the pick you show David it's hard to distinguish the pick up cause of the glare
try to get a better pic
the original pu has a blade across the 6 strings
not round pole pieces
i'd investigate that... |
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John Dahms
From:
Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 25 Jan 2012 4:15 pm
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The backs were screwed on with 12 screws at first. Later ones (ca 1938 on) were glued on and as CrowBear said access was by removing the pickup screws in the rear and working through the whole. DGE serial # would be 1938, EGE would be 39, F for 1940, E with no letters just numbers for 1941.
The pickup was 1 blade all across 6 strings 1n '36 & '37 and was 1 blade split 3 & 3 on later EH 100s. On 150s & 185s the blades were different but the coils were all the same.
They are all good. You have to find one before you can buy it so the hard part has been done.
_________________
Time flies like an eagle
Fruit flies like a banana. |
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David Hayes
From:
California, USA
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Posted 25 Jan 2012 5:06 pm
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The pickup on this one has a white surround with a blade across but has a split in the blade across the middle (if you look close at the pic you can see the split in the middle of the blade - let me know if you need closer pics) - is that what I should want/expect?
Is $500 a good price? |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 25 Jan 2012 9:51 pm
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Mine must be a '38 or later, with the screwed on cover but has no letter, just 501-24 stamped in the bottom cover. This one has the funky notched pickup pole piece, 7 string.
Mine has a "different" tone than all the other steels I've owned, but not great sustain.
It's built with many pieces glued together, when looking inside. Must have been labor intensive to build.....
Maybe the one pictured can be serviced through the pickup opening, like an early frypan (?) |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 26 Jan 2012 2:33 am
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since it has the split blade pu, it's original
as to 500$ being a good price, i would say yes
have you tried it out ?
the EH100 was an "economy" model compared to the EH150 but like i wrote they sound good |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 26 Jan 2012 7:43 am
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$500 is a very decent price for a Gibson EH-100 in the pictured condition. If it plays properly as is, I wouldn't worry about potentially having to open the back to service any electronics.
I owned one of these for many years and sold it a few years ago for around $600. They don't have the exact same sound as the Gibson EH-150 with the "Charlie Christian" pickup, but they have a great sound of their own.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 26 Jan 2012 9:26 am
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Brad,i had both the EH100 & the EH150 at the same time
to be honest, i found that they sounded quite similar |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 27 Jan 2012 8:32 pm
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| Mine has the "Charlie Christian" pickup. Wasn't he a 30s musician ? |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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John Dahms
From:
Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 28 Jan 2012 8:56 am
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Close but I think what Bill has is like this one.
_________________
Time flies like an eagle
Fruit flies like a banana. |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 28 Jan 2012 7:36 pm
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Yeah, I have the seven string version. That pickup is an interesting approach to using magnets under the top surface.
The magnets inside of the body are quite heavy, and the pickup height is adjusted with screws on the bottom cover.
I salvaged this guitar after it was in a basement and got wet & started to come apart. Couldn't salvage the look of the wood grain top though, and had to paint it, black.
And I had to build a case for it. |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 29 Jan 2012 10:16 am
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EH100
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 29 Jan 2012 11:52 am
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That EH100 is a nice clean, simple looking guitar.
Sometimes simple looks better  |
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David Hayes
From:
California, USA
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Posted 29 Jan 2012 7:29 pm
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Thanks for the good advice guys (aka not talking me out of a guitar purchase).
I bought the EH-100 - LOVE IT. It sounds incredible - better than my other lap steels.
Now I need to hear a Charlie Christian pickup because if it sounds a lot better than this one I will wet my pants. |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 30 Jan 2012 1:11 am
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Good to know you got it David & that it sounds good
they are good lil' steels
like i wrote above : i had both the EH100 & the EH150 at the same time
to be honest, i found that they sounded quite similar
the EH150 had the CC pu as shown in the pics above w: the square pole pieces |
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John Dahms
From:
Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 30 Jan 2012 3:23 am
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David, they are just versions of the same design and sound very similar. These are pictures of 2 ca. '37 pickups, one from an EH100 and one from a EH150 (both happen to be 7 stringers).
The pole pieces on the 150 are machined out of the blade.
_________________
Time flies like an eagle
Fruit flies like a banana. |
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