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Electric Hawaiian guitar

ALTERNATE NAME(S)

Electric lap steel guitar

Maker Gibson, Inc.

Maker Gibson

Date1936

Place MadeKalamazoo, Michigan, United States, North America

ModelEH-150

Serial No.Factory order number / serial number: 477-10

SignedInlaid in mother-of-pearl on head: GibsonMarkingsStamped on back at heel and on internal portion of neck at joint with back, under lacquer: 477-10

Stamped on tuner plates, the lettering curved downward at each end: GROVERDescriptionThe EH-150 was Gibson's first electric guitar model, introduced in 1935, originally priced at $150. This example was shipped to dealer B. S. Porter Son & Co. of Findlay, Ohio, on March 13, 1936.

Stringing: six steel strings
Pickups: one single-coil "Charlie Christian" bar pickup; three individual chrome-plated steel blades for upper three strings, single chrome-plated steel blade for lower three strings; black celluloid coil cover; black plastic volume and tone knobs
Body: two-piece slab-cut maple with narrow curl ascending slightly from center joint on top; one-piece slab-cut maple with blister figure on back, slab-cut plain maple on sides; back secured to body with 12 domed, slot-headed steel screws
Neck and head: plain maple; head inlaid with mother-pearl "Gibson" logo
Fretboard: mahogany bound in ivory plastic; 29 ivory plastic flush position markers; single mother-of-pearl dots behind 3rd, 5th, 9th, 15th, 17th, 21st, and 27th fret markers; double mother-of-pearl dots behind 7th, 12th, 19th, and 24th fret markers
Nut: nickel-plated steel
Bridge: aluminum secured to top with three nickel-plated steel domed, slot-headed screws
Tuners: six individual Grover worm-gear machine tuners with nickel-plated steel plates, steel rollers, and nickel-plated steel heads
Pickguard: none
Binding: ivory celluloid on top only
Finish: dark brown to blond sunburstDimensionsTotal electric Hawaiian guitar length: 808 mm (31-13/16")
Back length: 357 mm (14-1/16")
Upper bout width: 175 mm (6-7/8")
Waist width: 142 mm (5-19/32")
Lower bout width: 227 mm (8-15/16")
Side height (including edging): 47 mm (1-27/32")
Head length: 171 mm (6-23/32")
Head width, top: 84 mm (3-5/16")
Head width, bottom: 70 mm (2-3/4")
Neck length (nut to body): 286 mm (11-1/4")
Neck width, nut: 51 mm (2")
Neck width, body joint: 61 mm (2-13/32")
Vibrating string length (nut to bridge edge): 568 mm (22-3/8")
Scale length: 570 mm (22-7/16")ProvenanceShipped to B. S. Porter Son & Co. of Findlay, Ohio, on March 13, 1936.

Credit LineGift of the Shoaf Family, in memory of Eric C. Shoaf, 2022

Object number15675

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