Red Supro Supreme

[Rick Alexander]

I always wanted a red Supro. They are fairly rare, and you don't see them that often.
Well, one came up on eBay a few days ago and I got lucky!
It came today, and by golly it sure is pretty.
It was tuned to low bass G and so far I've left it that way, but I'm thinking about A6 - easily retunable to C6/A7.
It plays and sounds great, the magnets are very strong - no issues, just the usual aroma.
That's easing up now that it's out of the case and cleaned up a little (damp rag, that's all!).






I don't think the tuners are original, I'll probably replace them with the Klusons.

The SN is X75757 - which makes it a 57. How often does that happen?

more pics here.

[Brad Bechtel]

Those tuners appear to be original, based on my reading of Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars. They used "butterfly" tuner buttons and the "accordion red" finish starting in 1955.

Nice catch, Rick! Congratulations.

[Michael Winslow]

That is a way cool steel.

[Mark Eaton]

How many steel guitars is that now, Rick?

[Fred Kinbom]

Very cool Rick! Congrats!

"Accordion red" - where do they get these names from? Since when are accordions predominantly red and TVs yellow?

Fred

[Rick Alexander]

Those tuners appear to be original, based on my reading of Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars.

Thanks Brad, you may have saved me from making a terrible mistake.
All my other Supros & clones have the button tuners, so I just naturally assumed . .



Thanks Mikey!



Mark, I'm not sure - hang on a minute, I'll go count.
a minute or 3 later . .
52

"Accordion red" - where do they get these names from?

Fred, come to think of it, I did see a lot of accordions that color in my younger daze.
I must say, this is infinitely preferable . .


Which reminds me, I seem to remember seeing this model in turquoise at some point.
Did I dream it, or could it be?

[Stephan Miller]

Sweet-looking guitar, Rick. And 52 (yow!) is definitely a full deck . Sometime you should count the necks too!

--Steve

[Rick Alexander]

Stephan, I was afraid someone would ask me that!
Okay, hang on . . . . .








85 necks (I think)

[Mark Eaton]

A different steel for every week of the year!

[Gary Lynch]

Rick could start a musical instrument museum and live off the entrance fee.

[Rick Alexander]

Well, y'know - some guys collect stamps or coins, some guys own a boat, some guys gamble and keep company with loose women . .
I just love these things. I find 'em, I fix 'em up, I play them, and sometimes I just sit and look at them and think how groovy it is to be surrounded by all this beauty - and all this history.
Some fellow forumites have visited the studio/museum.
It's all here.

Admission is 50 cents - you must be THIS tall.

[Fred Kinbom]

Alright, Rick, you can see where this is going...

...how many STRINGS?!

Have a good weekend!

Fred

[Rick Alexander]

Thanks Fred!
It would take me all weekend too . .

[Bill Creller]

The red Supro has always caught my eye on Ebay, but are quite rare from what I've seen. Beautiful guitar Rick.
Wasnt there a yellow one too? I seem to remember a yellow guitar, but cant recollect if it was a Supro.

[Rick Alexander]

Bill, I don't know if they made the Supreme or any of its clones with yellow pearloid.
But this Regal 8/7 is kind of yellowish, a lot more so than the usual ivory pearloid models.
And of course, it was made by National/Valco as well:


Is that the color you're thinking of?

[George Keoki Lake]

Rick...I think the term "accordion red" stems back to the days when HOHNER of Germany turned out 12 bass student accordions in that red mots. Those gears are the original so don't change them unless they are shot. I have a student who has the identical Supro as yours. He built a neat stand using almost the same mots in which he placed the guitar. The stand sits on four chrome legs. Looks beautiful.

http://www3.telus.net/public/lake_r/

[Rick Alexander]

Thanks Keoki! The gears are all good, in fact everything is good on this guitar.
So I'll just leave it as is.
Man, I'd like to see a picture of that red Supro on the stand. It must look awesome.

I remember those Hohner Accordions . .

[Joey Ace]

Hi Rick,
Cool Steel, Dude!

I have a 1957 Supro Val-Trol (Standard Guitar) that has the same "Butterfly" tuners.

[Rick Alexander]

Joey, that is one nifty looking guitar!

[Joey Ace]

There are more pix of it here
http://joeyace.com/Supro.htm

Note the trim pots between the pickups.
They are three sets of Volume / Tone controls, one for each position of the pickup selector switch.

Thanks Rick, if you think it's "nifty" it's gotta be!

[Roman Sonnleitner]

Rick...I think the term "accordion red" stems back to the days when HOHNER of Germany turned out 12 bass student accordions in that red mots. T

I have a Hohner Tango accordion (not a student model, though) with a very similar color:

[Michael Lee Allen]

REMOVED

[Joey Ace]

Thanks Michael. Email sent.

[Kenneth Berrier]

I have a red Supro with those tuning keys. The serial number on mine is X60657.

[Todd Weger]

Joey Ace...
Your guitar is a Supro 1590 A Coronado. The Bigsby was not a factory option. It is an aftermarket addition. Three volume and tone trim pots for the two standard pickups and the "BridgeTone Unit" plus a master volume. Send me a PM with your postal mailing address and I will send you the literature.
MLA

1590? Is 1590 a model number, or a misprint that should be 1950 for the year made?