The Steel Guitar Forum

Around 1939 I started taking Steel Lesson from an outfit called the "National Institure of Music & Arts". These were class lessons once a week at $1.00d per lesson on an acoustical guitar. After one year they moved you to an electric steel guitar with the name of GEBS and the lessons became $2.00.
The guitar had the "Mother of Pearl" finish similiar to Oahu's and Dickersons. Also included was a small amp with of 6" speaker. This music school was pretty big nationwide. One summer afternoon they had us do a concert in the Hollywood Bowl. There must have been five hundred of us split between Steel Guitars and Violins all reading music and playing together.

I've seen the GEBS logo on a lot old Cases for lap steels. I thought they made Cases only, but evidently they made lap steels too. I am guessing that this was a Chicago based company because the cases often came with Oahus, Nationals, etc. I seem to remember seeing an old Gibson guitar with a GEBS case once. Not sure it was original to that guitar though.

I just purchased an acoustic lap steel circa 1940's with the original GEBS case Chicago "Challenge" trade mark.

I have one case here that has GEIB on it, and I've seen quite a few with that little metal plate with GEIB on it.
I see my New Yorker case is a Lifton. Hadn't noticed the sticker on the inside until now, because I got curious.

REMOVED

Yes, I was confusing GEBS and GEIB. The memory's the first thing to go.