Supro 8-string console. Video

[Doug Beaumier]

I just acquired this 1967 Supro 8-string console. Love the deco design. I had one of these back in 2012 and I foolishly sold it. This one was for sale locally and I just Had to have it.

Here's a quick, short iPhone clip -----> https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5t1O63dXML8

[Joe Burke]

Love it - sounds great!

[Bill Groner]

Early Christmas present! Guess you were good for 2024!

[Doug Beaumier]

Yes, that's exactly what it is!

[Joe Elk]

Doug I surprised buying yourself a early Christmas gift!!!!! I would have the same thing!!!
Joe Elk

[Doug Beaumier]

There's always room for another steel guitar!

[Mark Helm]

Sweet little lap, Doug! Reminds me of my '60s Airline Rocket. Probably both made by Valco?

Reminds me of my '60s Airline Rocket. Probably both made by Valco?

Loved your recording, btw. Great tone!! What amp are you using?

[Doug Beaumier]

Hi Mark, yeah, definitely Valco Co. products. They have the same look, and the same legs and control knobs. Probably the same pickup as well.

Regarding the recording…. I did something unusual for this clip. I played through two amps... a Quilter TT-15 (with Tone Block 202 head) and a 5 watt Fender Vibro-Champ Reverb amp. I ran a cord from the Signal Out of the Quilter into the front of the Fender. So the sound is a blend of the Quilter (with a 15" speaker) and the small tube amp. Plenty of reverb coming from both amps! I didn't notice that when I was playing.

By the way, I notice that the iPhone has some kind of a limiter on it's mic. Regardless of how loud I crank the amps, the volume of the video that's recorded is always fairly low.

I was told that this Supro is a 1967, and I think that's accurate because there is no metal tag w/serial number on the back of the headstock. Around 1964 Valco stopped using the metal tags, and instead used an adhesive foil sticker with the serial number. Problem is... a lot of those stickers peeled off eventually. This guitar has no metal tag and no sticker. Also no holes in the wood for the little nails that would have secured a metal tag. So the guitar was likely made between 1964 and 1968. The company went of of business in 1968.

[Andy Volk]

That guitar sounds great in your hands, Doug. Cool design look too.

[Doug Beaumier]

Thanks Andy, this model is the Jet Airliner… reminds me of the Steve Miller Band song “Jet Airliner” For some reason, I associate this model with surf guitar music. Maybe it’s the look of the guitar and the fact that it was introduced in the early ‘60s when surf instrumentals were popular. It was also the “space age” era, and that is reflected in the design IMO. And it only weighs 6 lbs!

[Peter Jacobs]

Congrats, Doug. Sounds great! I have the 6 string version — it’s a 1964, with legs like yours. It’s a terrific sounding and playing steel

[Travis Brown]

Sounding great!

Those old Supros are super cool, and the 8 strings are not common from what I have seen.

Congrats!

[Doug Beaumier]

Thanks guys, I’m digging the sound of this guitar.