Electric guitar
Date1961
Place MadeChicago, Illinois, United States, North America
ModelValue Leader #1961 “Thinline” Electric
Serial No.none
SignednoneMarkingsVolume knobs printed on face in white ink: V
Stamped on tuners:
Autographed by Muddy Waters.
DescriptionStringing: six steel strings
Pickups: one single-coil pickup with chrome-plated steel plate, volume and tone potentiometers with black bakelite knobs with aluminum with dot markings in white ink; Pyramid 85 LPT wax capacitor
Top: one-piece 3-ply maple plywood; nickel-plated steel body cavity cover with checkered brushed pattern, secured to top with sox nickel-plated steel domed slot- head screws (one missing)
Sides: solid maple with bandsaw marks on inside and integral reinforcement under bridge, dividing body cavity into two sections
Back: one-piece 3-ply maple plywood
Head: five-piece alternating maple and walnut; clear celluloid truss rod cover painted white with black text on back, secured to head face with three domed, chrome-plated steel slot-head screws
Neck: three-piece alternating maple and walnut; integral with head
Binding: ivory celluloid with ivory and black checkerboard celluloid trim
Fretboard: rosewood half-bound in ivory celluloid with 24 nickel-silver frets; trapezoidal opalescent crushed glass fret markers and black plastic side dots behind, 3rd, 5th, 7th,10th, 12th, 15th, 17th, and 19thfrets [double side dots behind 12th fret]
Nut: bone
Bridge: chrome-plated steel with individually adjustable saddles
Tailpiece: nickel-plated steel with vibrato arm
Tuners: six individual Kluson chrome-plated steel covered worm-gear tuners with chrome-plated steel heads
Pickguard: white plexiglass secured to top with four nickel-plated steel domed philips’ head screw; raised over body cavity cover with black silicone washers
Strap buttons: chrome-plated steel, the heads designed to be hand-screws
Finish: Fireglo [orange to red sunburst]
DimensionsTotal guitar length: 979 mm
Back length: 413 mm
Upper bout width: 298 mm
Waist width: 260 mm
Lower bout width: 368 mm
Side height (including edging) at heel: 30 mm
Side height, at center: 30 mm
Side height, at end: 30 mm
Head length: 195 mm
Head width, top: 69 mm
Head width, bottom: 74 mm
Neck length (nut to body): 461 mm
Neck width, nut: 33 mm
Neck width, body joint: 40 mm
Vibrating string length (nut to bridge edge): 630 mm
ProvenanceSigned by Muddy Waters (1913-1983), a Delta Blues musician who settled in Chicago in 1940.
Anonymous gift, 2013.
Credit LineAnonymous gift, 2013
Object number14718
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