10-string electric Hawaiian guitar
ALTERNATE NAME(S)
- 10-string electric lap steel guitar
Maker
Gibson
Date1940
Place MadeKalamazoo, Michigan, United States, North America
ModelEH-150
Serial No.Factory order number / serial number: EGE-2817
SignedInlaid in mother-of-pearl on head: GibsonMarkingsStamped on back of head, under finish: EGE-2817Stamped on tuner plates: GROVERDescriptionThis rare, custom-made 10-string electric Hawaiian guitar is recorded as being shipped to Gibson, Inc. executive Wilbur Marker on March 26, 1940, perhaps as a product sample, but its final destination was unknown. Gibson first introduced electric Hawaiian guitars in 1935, with their popularity growing throughout the 1930s.
Stringing: ten steel strings
Pickups: one single-coil "Charlie Christian" bar pickup; two 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 with white arrow on face
Body: slab-cut quilted maple on top and back, slab-cut plain maple on sides
Neck and head: plain maple; head inlaid with mother-pearl "Gibson" logo and trapezoidal decorative inlay
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: aluminum
Bridge: chrome-plated steel secured to top with two nickel-plated steel flat, slot-headed screws and one nickel-plated steel domed, slot-headed screw
Tuners: ten individual Grover worm-gear machine tuners with nickel-plated steel plate, steel rollers, and nickel-plated steel heads
Pickguard: none
Binding: white celluloid with two-ply white and black plastic strip trim on top and back
Finish: dark brown to blond sunburstDimensionsTotal electric Hawaiian guitar length: 865 mm (34-1/16")
Back length: 348 mm (13-11/16")
Upper bout width: 204 mm (8-1/32")
Waist width: 168 mm (6-5/8")
Lower bout width: 251 mm (9-7/8")
Side height (including edging): 54 mm (2-1/8")
Head length: 229 mm (9-1/32")
Head width, top: 124 mm (4-7/8")
Head width, bottom: 109 mm (4-9/32")
Neck length (nut to body): 285 mm (11-7/32")
Neck width, nut: 91 mm (3-19/32")
Neck width, body joint: 98 mm (3-7/8")
Vibrating string length (nut to bridge edge): 570 mm (22-7/8")
Scale length: 572 mm (22-17/32")ProvenanceShipped to Wilbur Marker on March 26, 1940. Note that Wilbur Marker was a Gibson company executive so this was likely a product sample that was sent to him on the road. The shipping ledgers only record objects that were shipped. Marker was a South Dakotan who retired to Brookings, SD.
Credit LineGift of the Shoaf Family, in memory of Eric C. Shoaf, 2022
Object number15677
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