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Topic: 1930's Audiovox steel guitar and amp |
Jim Larson
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2013 11:25 am |
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I'm a new member and I'm trying to figure this site out. I have an Audiovox steel guitar and amp I received from my grandfather. I would like others input on its rarity and value.
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 7 Mar 2013 1:01 pm
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Very rare and historical. Paul Tutmarc (Audiovox) in Seattle was a pioneer builder of lap steels, guitars, amps, starting around 1935. He is highly regarded in the world electric guitar/bass/lap steel... but for some reason, Audiovox lap steels don't sell for all that much. IMO a 7-string like yours would sell for about $600 to $750, assuming that the electronics and tuners, etc. work properly and everything is original. The amp, again, very rare, but not highly sought after from what I've seen. I think the set (guitar and amp together) would be worth more than the sum of the individual pieces.
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Gary S. Lynch
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2013 3:05 pm
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Jim, I own this same model guitar and I love the sound.
Funny that I was just commenting on it in another post.
It has true "horshoe shaped magnet" unique to this guitar I have collected a restored a number of steels and this is one I have not sold or plan on selling.
My guess is yours and i know mine is made of solid Black walnut. The tone has great steel sound in C6 .. Through one of my amps almost sounds like an old Gretsch hollow body from the 70s. I am not sure of the value but if I didn't have one would definitely buy it.
Good luck with your sale!
By the way, if you take off the cover...a close up of the pickup magnet would be neat to post. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Gary S. Lynch
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 8 Mar 2013 2:16 am
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Doug, thanks for posting that photo.
That's what inside the Audiovox steel I have with exception the blades on my pickup are split.
Produces a very strong tone on both high/low ends combined with resonance of the walnut body.
IMHO it is unique compared to the steels I have played. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 8 Mar 2013 8:02 am
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Yes, a unique tone, for sure. In the early 1950s Paul Tutmarc's son, Bud, built a clone of his father's Audiovox lap steel. He called it the "Serenader". It looked very much like the earlier Audiovox. I had a Serenader a few of years ago, and I was puzzled by the "1930's electronics" (U-shaped magnet inside, blade PU, cord hard-wired to the body) in a 1950s guitar?? Bud said in an interview that he felt it was important to continue this design because it was a big part of the original Audiovox sound. The Serenader I had, however, had weak and uneven output, and a slight hum.
1950s Serenader:
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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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