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8-string electric Hawaiian guitar

ALTERNATE NAME(S)

8-string electric lap steel guitar

Maker Gibson, Inc.

Maker Gibson

Date1938

Place MadeKalamazoo, Michigan, United States, North America

Model8-string EH-150

Serial No.Serial number / Factory order number: 605-1

SignedInlaid in mother-of-pearl on head: GibsonMarkingsStamped on back at heel and on internal portion of neck at joint with back, under lacquer: 605-1

Stamped on tuner plates, the lettering curved downward at each end: GROVERDescriptionThis eight-string EH-150 was likely a custom order. It was shipped to the Detroit music store Grinnell on August 9, 1938, but its ultimate destination is unknown.

Stringing: eight steel strings
Pickups: one single-coil "Charlie Christian" bar pickup; eight individual nickel-plated steel blades; black celluloid coil cover bound in white plastic with two-ply white and black plastic strip trim; black plastic volume and tone knobs, one with white arrow on face and one without; chrome-plated steel hand rest
Body: two-piece slab-cut maple with narrow curl descending slightly from center joint on top; one-piece slab-cut maple with faint, broad curl on back, slab-cut plain maple on sides; back secured to body with 13 domed, slot-headed steel screws
Neck and head: plain maple; head inlaid with mother-pearl "Gibson" logo and diamond decorative inlay divided into four parts
Fretboard: mahogany bound in white plastic with two-ply white and black plastic strip trim on sides; 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: chrome-plated steel
Bridge: chrome-plated steel secured to top with three nickel-plated steel domed, slot-headed screws
Tuners: eight individual Grover worm-gear machine tuners with nickel-plated steel plate, steel rollers, and nickel-plated steel heads
Pickguard: tortoiseshell celluloid
Binding: white celluloid with two-ply white and black plastic strip trim on top and back
Finish: dark brown to blond sunburst
DimensionsTotal electric Hawaiian guitar length: 838 mm (33")
Back length: 361 mm (14-7/32")
Upper bout width: 188 mm (7-13/32")
Waist width: 157 mm (6-3/16")
Lower bout width: 244 mm (9-5/8")
Side height (including edging): 46 mm (1-13/16")
Head length: 203 mm (8")
Head width, top: 100 mm (3-15/16")
Head width, bottom: 67 mm (2-5/8")
Neck length (nut to body): 286 mm (11-1/4")
Neck width, nut: 61 mm (2-13/32")
Neck width, body joint: 72 mm (2-27/32")
Vibrating string length (nut to bridge edge): 566 mm (22-9/32")
Scale length: 568 mm (22-3/8")ProvenanceShipped to the music store Grinnell, Detroit, on August 9, 1938.

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

Object number15676

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