Hawaiian guitar
Maker
Gibson, Inc.
Maker
Gibson
Date1936
Place MadeKalamazoo, Michigan, United States, North America
ModelCentury Model Style HG-C (Century of Progress model)
Serial No.458B / 2
SignedInlaid in mother-of-pearl on headstock: GibsonMarkingsRubber-stamped in purple ink on neck block, the number “2” written in red pencil: 458B / 2
Tuner plates stamped: GROVER
DescriptionAlthough superficially similar to the L-C model, the HG-C, designed for playing Hawaiian music, is held on one’s lap, with the strings raised above the frets, the notes played by touching the strings with a steel bar. This example is notable for its one-piece back and the absence of a truss rod. The neck is shorter, but the bridge, soundhole, and fret board are lower on the body, so the string length is the same. The neck heel is significantly wider.
Stringing: six steel strings
Soundboard: two-piece spruce: fine grain broadening toward the flanks
Back: one-piece, semi-slab-cut maple: irregular broad curl and blister figure; no back stripe
Ribs: two-piece, slab-cut maple: irregular broad curl and blister figure; no end graft; reinforced on interior with linen strips at waist
Head: mahogany veneered with white pearloid and T-shaped rosewood piece, bound in white celluloid with black celluloid purfling strip; rosewood inlaid with mother-of-pearl notched diamond and mother-of-pearl “Gibson”
Neck: mahogany; integral with head; very wide heel
Heel cap: none; neck heel flush with back
Binding: white celluloid; no additional trim
Fingerboard: white pearloid bound in white celluloid with black celluloid purfling strip; 19 nickel-silver frets; rosewood block inlays behind 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, and 15th frets; three mother-of-pearl diamonds inlaid in rosewood blocks behind 3rd, 9th, and 15th frets; two mother-of-pearl diamonds inlaid in rosewood blocks behind 5th, 7th, and 12th frets; single imitation tortoise-shell celluloid side dots behind 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 15th frets; double imitation tortoise-shell celluloid side dots behind 12th fret
Nut: bone
Bridge: rosewood; non-angled bone saddle; abalone dots behind saddle between E- and A-strings and B- and E-strings; white plastic bridge pins
Tuners: six chrome-plated steel Grover worm-gear machine tuners with decoratively cut plate outlines; white celluloid heads
Endpin: white celluloid
Rosette: three ply (white-black-white) celluloid purfling strips set in from inside edge
Pick guard: imitation tortoise-shell celluloid
Lacquer: dark red-brown sunburst with fine craquelure
Linings: kerfed maple
Neck block: mahogany with beveled edges
End block: mahogany
Top braces: spruce X-brace, the joint of main cross brace reinforced with white cloth; transverse and finger braces with tapered ends; maple bridge plate
Back braces: spruce back graft; four spruce back braces with tapered ends, the two in the lower bout wider
DimensionsTotal guitar length: 975 mm (38-3/8″)
Back length: 492 mm (19-3/8″)
Upper bout width: 259 mm (10-3/16″)
Waist width: 213 mm (8-3/8″)
Lower bout width: 375 mm (14-3/4″)
Rib height (including edging) at heel: 88 mm (3-1/4″)
Rib height, at waist: 98 mm (3-27/32″)
Rib height, at end block: 111 mm (4-11/32″)
Head length: 170 mm (6-11/16″)
Head width, top: 76 mm (3″)
Head width, bottom: 63 mm (2-15/32″)
Neck length (nut to ribs): 313 mm (12-5/16″)
Neck width, nut: 49 mm (1-15/16″)
Neck width, heel: 57 mm (2-1/4″)
Soundhole diameter: 103 mm (4-1/16″)
Vibrating string length (nut to bridge edge): 630 mm (24-13/16″)
ProvenancePurchased from Schoenberg Guitars, Tiburon, California.
Credit LineJohn R. Barmeyer Collection, 2006
Object number12352
On View
Not on view
