11 string lap

Ron Victoria · Post by **Ron Victoria** » 1 Dec 2005 4:36 pm

I've seen many different laps over the years both here and on ebay, but this is a first for me. Is there somebody out there who per chance has one? How would it be tuned?
11 string Gibson EH-150

<H6>Edited by Brad Bechtel to shorten the URL.</h6>[This message was edited by Brad Bechtel on 06 December 2005 at 08:49 AM.]

Chuck Fisher · Post by **Chuck Fisher** » 1 Dec 2005 4:47 pm

low strings in the middle....hmmmmmmm

pretty, eh?

Joy Wofford · Post by **Joy Wofford** » 1 Dec 2005 4:55 pm

Oh nice. Aren't the wound stings in the middle so that you can tune above them in one tuning, and below them in a different tuning, utilizing some of the middle strings in both tunings?

Cool piece!

Joy

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 1 Dec 2005 6:00 pm

I wonder what the string spacing is.

Sure is tempting, Eh, Tighe? Richard?

[This message was edited by HowardR on 01 December 2005 at 06:02 PM.]

Ron Victoria · Post by **Ron Victoria** » 1 Dec 2005 6:13 pm

You can probably play lead and rhythm at the same time.

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 1 Dec 2005 8:25 pm

Pretty cool.

Howard, you don't have one yet... HUH!

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 1 Dec 2005 11:01 pm

And such a nice low starting bid! I hate it when they do auctions like this with a high starting bid. I think a low starting bid and setting a reserve at the lowest you'll take for it is really a much better way to go, that's how I've always done mine. Nice guitar though. Wonder if he'll sell it.

Tighe Falato · Post by **Tighe Falato** » 2 Dec 2005 7:17 am

Sure is purty! Howard - don't you own one of these? I recall someone posting pics but perhaps it was a 10 string version. It would be a nice addition to the Gibson collection and very tempting but I get confused with more than 6 strings

Perhaps Richard could squeeze it in on his Wall of Gibson

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 2 Dec 2005 7:51 am

I'd buy it if it were 12 strings 'cause then I could Black&Decker it down to two 6 stringers in one pass Very simple. Very clever. But a 6 and a 5? That would just plain be stupid.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 2 Dec 2005 8:06 am

Chas Smith has a 10 stringer, and there was also another forum member overseas, I believe who has a 10.

The one thing that I don't like, is that it does not have the screw off back. If the need for surgery arises, it's more difficult.

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 2 Dec 2005 8:11 am

As you can see from my post, I'd be your man for the surgery thing. I'd put the sawdust in a small bag so you could keep it.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 2 Dec 2005 8:14 am

Jon, here's the standard D & G tuning on 11 strings. They both share the middle D. Save your saw blades...

low > high G B D G B D A D F# A D

It's kinda like being...Jerry & Douglas

<pre>oooh, that was terrible. smack me with a bullet bar</pre>[This message was edited by HowardR on 02 December 2005 at 08:15 AM.]

Richard Shatz · Post by **Richard Shatz** » 2 Dec 2005 8:48 am

I'm definitely going to pass on this one. The reaining space on my Gibson wall is reserved for an EH275 if I ever find one.
About ten years ago I saw a 13 string EH150 at a music store in Toronto. I think he was asking $1500 (Canadian$), which at that time was about $1000 US. I remember thinking I wouldn't have a clue as to how I could learn to play anything on it. Six strings was and still is difficult enough for me. The price was much higher than I had payed for any lap steel at that time when my collection was much smaller. I guess I should have bought it just for its rarity, but at that time I never thought about future price appreciation.
The 11 string model is a real rare bird and looks to be in great shape. I'm not going to bid on it, but in five or ten years when I see another for $5000 or more, I'll wish I had.

Tighe Falato · Post by **Tighe Falato** » 2 Dec 2005 10:15 am

Just bought by Lynn Wheelright who is a serious prewar all things Gibson collector. I had a feeling he would be the one to hit the BIN. Lynn knows his stuff so he's well aware of the potential for appreciation not to mention the historical value as an 11 string.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 2 Dec 2005 11:14 am

Thank you Lynn. You saved me some money

Well Jon, looks like I won't be bringing it around to Hank's anytime soon.....

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 2 Dec 2005 12:48 pm

Nigel Tufnel: .... It's not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?
Marty DiBergi: I don't know.
Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
Marty DiBergi: Put it up to eleven?

Ron Victoria · Post by **Ron Victoria** » 2 Dec 2005 12:51 pm

I've communicated a few times with Lynn, he knows his guitars. Could this be a one of a kind custom guitar?

Tighe Falato · Post by **Tighe Falato** » 6 Dec 2005 5:59 am

I had exchanged emails with Lynn after his purchase. He stated that only 4 were manufactured (per Gibson records) so the 11 string is quite rare as compared to the 10 string and under versions. There was at least one 13 string built which may have been the one Richard found in Toronto 10 years ago. That could be the "one that got away"

Lynn realized after purchase that the tuners were non-original repros but at least look period.