My Most Valuable Lap Steel. Please Share Yours

[C. E. Jackson]

Aloha, I thought Denny and CE might want a few details to sweeten his description of his GB Princess.

We are dating back to the 90's with these. This is a series 1 Console, made on a Motion Master CNC in Vista California.

The main Body is AAAAA Poplar, Inlay bands on front and back, similar to what ShoBud did on their pedal steel necks.

The Nut and bridge holder / string receiver is Bubinga, milled of course , with a 3/8" Brass pin CNC Lathed to my Fast Speed Spacing scheme,
later I went to the more popular 3/8 spacing.
These pin rollers in wooden trays are my most "Hawaiian" sounding to my ears.

With this set up there is only a .020 difference in spread from nut to bridge making for amazing accuracy of Angle Bar Slants.
As well ease of playing in general. I use this set up today.

The fretboard , again CNC milled Maple with Bubinga edging, Black White Black perfeling strips as fret lines,
these make the eye focus on the true in-tune point.

Pearl shell dots add to the visual, and as usual, graduating sizes as the frets narrow.

That is an original VintageSpec Single Coil GB pickup wound and designed by Lindy Fralin.
Alnico5 magnets with a winding formula, if I were to reveal would prompt a Black-Ops midnight visit.

In conclusion Denny Got a Good One in pristine condition. He deserves it , as a person - personal friend - steel guitar super enthusiast, and for his massive input to the design- engineering of the GB's.

I am retired from sanding and painting so I will never make any more of these now Truly Collectible Instruments.

George, my friend, thanks for the additional details. Your explanations are always
great. I hope you and the wife are doing great. Thanks again for naming this thread
TREASURE CHEST. No better name could have been chosen.


C. E.

[C. E. Jackson]

Just got a Fender Dual 6,Stringmaster style,love it its my Fav.


Carl

Carl, thanks for the photo of your Fender. A great steel and keeper for sure.

Friend to all,

C. E. Jackson

[C. E. Jackson]

My wife and I have been blessed to enjoy 64 Christmases since our marriage, and we are both
still in excellent health.

After Christmas activities slowed, I tuned and played my most sentimental and valuable lap steel.
Here is the post I made in August 2013.

1949 SILVERTONE


This is the most sentimental and valuable to me of all steel guitars in my collection. Tears almost come to these old eyes as I share a little background on the guitar.

It was a Christmas gift from my Father and Mother in 1949. I was only 12 years old at the time. It was purchased from Sears, Roebuck and Co. for a cost of $29.00, and included a bullet nose bar and Home Study Course by the famous Nick Manoloff. The Course included 40 Lessons having many photos, Rudiments of Music, how to hold and play the steel guitar, and numerous old and Hawaiian songs for steel guitar. It was unusual to have electric guitars in our community since there was no electricity in our area until 1945.

The discoloration on the fretboard is the result of glueing a cardboard fretboard which included every note on the guitar and later removing this glued on cardboard. This instrument is all original.

My Father taught me to play this guitar. As a teenager, he had taken lessons on an acoustic box guitar with a nut extender in late 1920s and early 1930s. In 1949 he also began playing electric lap steel, and in 1972 began playing a Sho-Bud double 10 with 8 floor pedals and 4 knee pedals. He was an excellent steel player, playing country, traditional, and Hawaiian music. The Sho-Bud is also in my Collection.

I remember many times our family group (several played different instruments) playing such songs as Tennessee Waltz, Red River Valley, You are My Sunshine, Mockingbird Hill, Hymns, etc.

This instrument instilled a burning desire to play and collect vintage lap steel and some pedal steel guitars and is the cornerstone of my collection which in includes Gibsons, Rickenbachers, Fenders, and many other famous brand name steel guitars.

This 1949 SILVERTONE is the most sentimental and valuable of all steel guitars in my collection. Please share your most sentimental and valuable steel guitar with the Forum.

This is still my most sentimental and valuable of all my steels.

Here is a song played on this steel.

RELEASE ME


HAPPY NEW YEAR
Friend to all,

C. E. Jackson

[Greg Forsyth]

Hello Denny Turner,

After reading your response to my question about the screwed on backs on the early Gibson & RK laps I was going to thank you for the great information. Seems like I neglected to post and today when re-reading this thread I realized my neglect. So, Thank you very much Denny! Lots of good info there.

Also, C.E. I love your story about your 1949 Silvertone.

[C. E. Jackson]

Hello Denny Turner,

After reading your response to my question about the screwed on backs on the early Gibson & RK laps I was going to thank you for the great information. Seems like I neglected to post and today when re-reading this thread I realized my neglect. So, Thank you very much Denny! Lots of good info there.

Also, C.E. I love your story about your 1949 Silvertone.

Greg, glad you liked the story about my Silvertone.

The 1949 Silvertone was actually my first steel guitar.

My first was a regular guitar which my father bought
for me when I was about 5 years old. We were traveling
and he purchased it from a Sears store in Memphis.

This photo shows my 3rd son with this guitar. He died
50 years ago after being hit by a car while riding
his bicycle. The guitar is in one of our storage locations
with his other belongings. After a search, I will post
a detailed photo of the guitar.



Friend to all,

C. E. Jackson

[C. E. Jackson]

Today I played my EPIPHONE ELECTAR ANTHONY ROCCO 7-8 STRING: c.1937
for the first time in several years.






Note that Noel Boggs is playing a Rocco on a stand.





1. The top is metal, aluminum, extends under the fret-board to the nuts, and has a decorative etching.
2. Overall string spacing is 2 3/16 at the nut on both the 7 and 8 string necks.
3. Pickup Magnets 1 1/4 x 4 1/2 Horse-Shoe, are adjustable.
4. There are no string-mutes on this model, because the small white knobs turn each neck on or off.
5. The black knobs in the middle adjust volume and tone.
6. No legs, so it is played on the lap or a stand.
7. Fret-boards are bound.
8. Scale length is 22 1/2.
9. Tuners on the 7 string neck have the name Grover.
10. I believe the tuners on the 8 string neck are Grover, but don't have a name.
11. The Rocco Bar can be used with the wood or metal side on the strings to produce different tones.
12. The Dale Goens photo is from "American Guitars" by Tom Wheeler Copyright 1992.
13. The Noel Boggs photo is from "San Antonio Rose" by Charles R. Townsend Copyright 1976 and 1986.
14. Tone produced by the pickup magnets is excellent.

I enjoyed playing this steel. If you have comments or additional information, please share same.

Friend to all,

C. E. Jackson

[Joe Cook]

I love this thread! So many great stories and lap steels. My favorite subject. I'll say it again...this forum is the best thing about the internet. Here is a relatively new steel for me. It's pretty heavy but well worth it for its' lovely tone. I have it tuned to C13 and B11. I love that Rocco, C.E.!

[C. E. Jackson]

I love this thread! So many great stories and lap steels. My favorite subject. I'll say it again...this forum is the best thing about the internet. Here is a relatively new steel for me. It's pretty heavy but well worth it for its' lovely tone . I have it tuned to C13 and B11. I love that Rocco, C.E.!

Thanks for the post, Joe. Your steel is a keeper, in my opinion. I, like you, love
this thread. Glad you liked my Rocco. I also have a Rickenbacher Electro D-16
in my collection.

RICKENBACHER ELECTRO D-16: c. 1946



I have played this steel in A6 and E7.

Friend to all,

C. E. Jackson

[John Sims]

Awesome Mr. Jackson! My favorite is the one I made...

[C. E. Jackson]

Awesome Mr. Jackson! My favorite is the one I made...

Thanks, John, for the kind remark. Your steel is a beauty, and certainly a keeper, in
my opinion. I love natural finishes.

Your steel reminded me of a natural finish Gibson which I purchased direct in 2007,
from a California owner.

GIBSON EH-185N (v.2) 8 STRING ES-300 pu NATURAL: c. 1941



See Duchossoir, page 57, for a photo of this instrument. Duchossoir describes this
instrument as "An exceedingly rare eight-string EH-185N, custom-built in 1941,
with a natural finish and gold-painted Hyblum metal plate."

This model has a diagonal pickup with adjustable poles. See Duchossoir, pages 30-31,
45-47, 56-57, for model specs and additional information on EH-185 models.

Any comments from members as to what the current value might be will be appreciated.

Friend to all,

C. E. Jackson

[John Sims]

Thanks C. E.! That's a beautiful Gibson!

[C. E. Jackson]

Thanks C. E.! That's a beautiful Gibson!

John, glad you like my Gibson EH-185N (v.2) 8 string steel. At one time, I worked
as a consultant throughout the U.S. During my travels, I always visited vintage
guitar dealers, if possible. Here is another Gibson 8 string natural I purchased during
my travels.

GIBSON SKYLARK 8 STRING: 1958



See Duchossoir (Ref. 1), page 139 for a photo of this instrument, and
additional comments on pages 138-139, 156-157.

I discussed this steel with George Gruhn, and here is his opinion:
"This is an extremely rare instrument. In over 40 years as a collector
and dealer, this is the only eight-string Skylark I have encountered."


Friend to all,

C. E. Jackson

[C. E. Jackson]

Here is another of my 7 string steels I have played recently and enjoy. I
purchased it from a collector in Portland in 2006 and have not seen another
during my travels since.

GRETSCH ARTIST 7 STRING: c. 1939



This instrument features a nitrocellulose tortoise shell grain peghead veneer
engraved and painted "GRETSCH ARTIST" with lightning bolt design around
the name "ARTIST", kluson open back tuners with 4 on a strip on the base side
and three on the treble side, mahogany body with sunburst finish, Brazilian
Rosewood fingerboard with multicolored dot inlays, and black and white
checkered binding around the edge of the top of the body and the fingerboard.
The pickup system is typical of Regal at the time. The instrument appears to
have been made by Regal of Chicago for Gretsch.

If any member has one of these, please share a photo and comments.

Friend to all,

C. E. Jackson

[C. E. Jackson]

Today I was looking over some of my old steels, and then I remembered this one,
the first Gibson I ever bought. Took it out, tuned and played it. I looked where
I purchased it and from what dealer. The dealer spoke to me when I went in and I
asked his name. He said Bobbe Seymour, and I said are you a musician? You see, I
was a civil engineer and building contractor at the time and the name Bobbe Seymour
didn't mean anything to me. He looked at me like I was crazy, and we became friends
from that date. Through the years I bought several steels from him.

GIBSON E(H)-100 (v.1a) 1 KNOB 6 STRING: c. early 1936


This model has a straight bar pickup with screwed-on back.
See Duchossoir, pages 26-31 for model specs and
additional information.

Friend to all,

C. E. Jackson



HERE ARE SOME REFERENCES WHICH I REFER TO FREQUENTLY.

1. GIBSON ELECTRIC STEEL GUITARS 1935-1967, by A. R. Duchossoir, 2009

2. GIBSON ELECTRICS - THE CLASSIC YEARS MID-30s to MID-60s, by A. R.
Duchossoir, 1998

3. GUITAR IDENTIFICATION, by A. R. Duchossoir, 1999

4. GRUHN'S GUIDE TO VINTAGE GUITARS, 2nd Ed., by George Gruhn and
Walter Carter, 1999

5. GIBSON GUITARS 100 YEARS OF AN AMERICAN ICON, by Walter Carter, 1994

6. ELECTRIC GUITARS & BASSES A PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY, by George Gruhn
and Walter Carter, 1997

7. AMERICAN GUITARS AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY, by Tom Wheeler, 1992

8. THE HISTORY OF RICKENBACKER GUITARS, by Richard R. Smith, 1987

9. FENDER THE SOUND HEARD 'ROUND THE WORLD, by Richard R. Smith, 1995

10. FENDER THE INSIDE STORY, by Forrest White, 1994

11. GRETSCH THE GUITARS OF THE FRED GRETSCH COMPANY, by Jay Scott, 1992

12. THE HAWAIIAN STEEL GUITAR & ITS GREAT HAWAIIAN MUSICIANS,
compiled by Lorene Ruymar, 1996

13. SETTIN' THE WOODS ON FIRE, by Don Helms, 2005

14. IT WAS A TRIP ON WINGS OF MUSIC, by Jerry Byrd, 2003

[C. E. Jackson]

REMEMBERING MY FATHER AND HIS LAST STEEL TODAY.

He was like an older brother, as he was only 20 years older than me. I went to Nashville
with him when he purchased his last steel, a Sho-Bud 2-Neck with 10 strings on each neck
with floor and knee pedals. However, I have never used any of the pedals and only play
1 neck in A6 tuning. This is a song written by my brother, and I am playing the Sho-Bud,
without pedals.

I certainly cherish and have great fondness for this steel. It is a keeper.

SOMEWHERE THE ANGELS SING A SONG FOR ME

I hope all will enjoy this song.

Friend of all,

C. E. Jackson

[Jouni Karvonen]

My homebrews:

[C. E. Jackson]

My homebrews:

Thanks Jouni, for posting photos of these beautiful "Homebrews".
Surely they will be keepers.

How do you tune each one? Do you have songs recorded on each
one? Please share tunings and any recordings with us.

Friend to all,

C. E. Jackson

[C. E. Jackson]

Merry Christmas to all. On Christmas I always think of my first and most valuable lap steel. This past
post tells my thoughts and history of this steel. It will be a keeper during my lifetime.

Friend to all,

C. E. Jackson

1949 SILVERTONE


This is the most sentimental and valuable to me of all steel guitars in my collection. Tears almost come to these old eyes as I share a little background on the guitar.

It was a Christmas gift from my Father and Mother in 1949. I was only 12 years old at the time. It was purchased from Sears, Roebuck and Co. for a cost of $29.00, and included a bullet nose bar and Home Study Course by the famous Nick Manoloff. The Course included 40 Lessons having many photos, Rudiments of Music, how to hold and play the steel guitar, and numerous old and Hawaiian songs for steel guitar. It was unusual to have electric guitars in our community since there was no electricity in our area until 1945.

The discoloration on the fretboard is the result of glueing a cardboard fretboard which included every note on the guitar and later removing this glued on cardboard. This instrument is all original.

My Father taught me to play this guitar. As a teenager, he had taken lessons on an acoustic box guitar with a nut extender in late 1920s and early 1930s. In 1949 he also began playing electric lap steel, and in 1972 began playing a Sho-Bud double 10 with 8 floor pedals and 4 knee pedals. He was an excellent steel player, playing country, traditional, and Hawaiian music. The Sho-Bud is also in my Collection.

I remember many times our family group (several played different instruments) playing such songs as Tennessee Waltz, Red River Valley, You are My Sunshine, Mockingbird Hill, Hymns, etc.

This instrument instilled a burning desire to play and collect vintage lap steel and some pedal steel guitars and is the cornerstone of my collection which in includes Gibsons, Rickenbachers, Fenders, and many other famous brand name steel guitars.

This 1949 SILVERTONE is the most sentimental and valuable of all steel guitars in my collection. Please share your most sentimental and valuable steel guitar with the Forum.

[Steven Cummings]

Merry Christmas and happy new year! Sure have enjoyed your wonderful posts over the years.

[Glenn Wilde]

Merry Christmas, I love this thread, I just ran through the whole thing again, thanks C.E. I'll dig out an interesting guitar to post in a bit.

[Tommy Everette]

One of my 2 Gibson BR-6 lap steels

[Sylvan Williams]

I came across this pair of Pandas recently and was having trouble deciding between the 6 string or the 8 string. Ultimately I'd like to have both a 6 and an 8, so I decided to trade a mint Roland RE-201 and a little cash and take them both home! I suppose the 8 string is the more valuable of the two