Electric guitar
ALTERNATE NAME(S)
- Hollow-Body Electric guitar
Maker
Vivi-Tone Company
Date1936-1939 ca.
Place MadeDetroit, Michigan, United States, North America
ModelVivi-Tone Hi-Fret Guitar with Acousti-Lectric Bridge
Serial No.623
SignedPrinted on paper label, the instrument and serial number written in pencil: VIVI-TONE Guitar / No. 623 / Manufactured under one or more of / the following patents: / 1,992,317 2,025,875 / 1,995,316 2,046,331 / 1,995,317 2,046,332 / 2,020,842 2,046,333 / 2,020,557 / Manufactured By / THE VIVI TONE COMPANY / 6321 Gratiot Detroit, Mich. Spray painted in black ink on head, the word “Tone” reading vertically: VIVI- / TONE
MarkingsStamp on tuner plates: GROVER
Stamp on end of tailpiece: GROVER / PAT.APPL’D FOR [sic]
DescriptionTwo examples of the Vivi-Tone Acousti-Lectric bridge are known in recent times, on NMM 13574 and on Lloyd Loar’s F-5, in the collection of Roger Siminoff. The later bridge has been lost.
Contrary to the October 1936 ad in Down Beat, no patent was ever acquired for this bridge.
Serial number 623 is one of the latest Vivi Tone numbers known. Stan Jay owns an acoustic guitar with SN 645.
Electric (electromagnetic) guitar.
Pickup: Strings rest on saddle, through which the vibrations are transferred to a bar-armature. The bar armature is mounted so that it is suspended slightly above two rods extending from the ends of a strong bar magnet, probably ALNICO. Each pole piece is enclosed in a coil
Stringing: six steel strings
Soundboard: two-piece spruce: medium grain
Back: two-piece spruce: medium grain broadening toward the flanks; slightly arched; two f-holes; recessed 11 mm from edge of ribs
Ribs: 6-ply maple plywood with fibrous veneer on inside and outside
Head: mahogany with mahogany center stripe, veneered with white celluloid on front face; integral with neck
Neck: mahogany with mahogany center stripe; integral with head
Heel cap: white celluloid
Binding: white celluloid
Fingerboard: suspended over top; ebony bound in white celluloid; 20 nickel-silver high frets; single abalone dots behind 5th, 7th, 9th, and 15th frets; double mother-of-pearl dots behind 12th fret
Nut: ebony
Bridge: maple with mahogany veneer on each face, hollowed to contain coils and magnet, the vibrations transferred to pickup through nickel-plated brass height-adjustable saddle
Tailpiece: nickel-plated trapeze style, the string holder with ridged surface, screwed to lower rib with three nickel-plated steel dome-headed screws
Pegs: six nickel-plated steel worm-gear machine tuners by Grover with convex head surfaces and decoratively cut plate outline
Endpin: white plastic; extends through tailpiece
Soundhole: two holes on top; two f-holes on back
Pick guard: imitation tortoise shell plastic raised on wood brace affixed to top with two steel dome-headed screws
Lacquer: dark orange-brown sunburst
Pickup is 2.05K ohms, bass side is north polarity
DimensionsTotal guitar length: 985 mm (38-25/32″)
Back length (including ribs): 464 mm (18-1/4″)
Upper bout width: 246 mm (9-11/16″)
Waist width: 198 mm (7-13/16″)
Lower bout width: 331 mm (13″)
Rib height (including edging) at heel: 91 mm (3-9/16″)
Rib height, at waist: 93 mm (3-21/32″)
Rib height, at end block: 93 mm (3-21/32″)
Head length: 180 mm (7-1/16″)
Head width, top: 69 mm (2-23/32″)
Head width, bottom: 65 mm (2-9/16″)
Neck length (nut to ribs): 341 mm (13-11/32″)
Neck width, nut: 45 mm (1-3/4″)
Neck width, heel: 57 mm (2-1/4″)
Soundhole diameters: 37 mm (1-7/16”)
Distance between soundholes: 19 mm (3/4″)
Vibrating string length (nut to bridge edge): high E: 622 mm (24-1/2″); low E: 626 mm (24-5/8″)
Published ReferencesLynn Wheelwright, The Pinecaster, The Pioneers Vol 1. (Valencia, Spain: Manfredo Music SL, 2021) p. 28-31.
Credit LineTony and Bonnie Vinatieri Family Trust, 2008
Object number13574
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