The Steel Guitar Forum

Got a Gibson Console #108250 this spring and love the old thing. Anyone tell me what the buttons are meant for? The red one shuts the guitar down while it is depressed, the black does nothing, that I can tell. I figure its a '50 model by the number, anyone know for sure? It's a sweetie!

The red button cuts the sound completely, and the black button should reverse the tone from bass to treble.

Are they original to the guitar?

My ole Gibson CG has 3 knobs being volume, bass and treble, and a 3 position switch for outer neck, both necks and inner neck. Does somebody have a picture of the one with push buttons? Thanks. Geo.

<SMALL> Anyone tell me what the buttons are meant for?</SMALL>

Mike,
The buttons allow the player to 'electrically' replicate some of Speedy Wests 'crash-bar' and 'doo-wah' effects that were popular in that time.
By the way, welcome onto the for-um.
~Russ

George, I have a Gibson Console in the Instruments for Sale section. The buttons show up pretty clearly in one of the photos.

I believe Speedy West solos on "Diesel Smoke, Dangerous Curves" by the Sons of the Pioneers. I assumed he used some sort of cutoff button to achieve "chck, chck, chck" sound during that solo. Can anyone enlighten me as to how he achieved that effect? Thanks. Pete

Mike - back in the 50's those butons were handy for dowahs, etc...It has easier and faster than using the tone control. I never used them, I always used the tone control, and for a fast run up, pick up the bar and slap it down as I went up and down the fretboard to get that effect that Speedy got. Speedy was very innovative but we all learned from Alvino Rey....al

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