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Topic: My new old 1955 Oahu! |
Thomas Kemper
From:
Kansas, USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2016 12:54 pm |
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Hello, peoples. I am new to the forum, and glad to be here, of course. It's amazing to me that there even is a forum strictly for steel guitar, but I suppose it shouldn't be surprising. You can find anything online these days.
So, I had a bad accident and broke my right wrist. A plate was installed in my arm, and now I can't play traditional guitar anymore. So, I decided to pick up the lap steel for obvious reasons, especially since I can't play drums anymore, either. I still want to play!
I didn't spend a lot of money on this guitar — around $300 — and so I am sure it is no great shakes. But I am curious to know anything I can know about this guitar, even a very little bit. For example, the model name. I don't even know this! I've got the serial number, and I wonder if there is a way to match this in records somewhere, because although I have said you can find anything online these days, I have not been able to find this information. But I figure someone here has.
I appreciate any help I can get on this, and I am sure I will be giving you all lessons within the month. 
Thanks.
Thomas
PS Please ignore the dog hair on the couch.
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Frank James Pracher
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2016 3:10 pm
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Well... I'm pretty sure the guitar was once owned by someone named Betty.... 
Made in Chicago, by the Valco company ... you can date it by the serial # .. but you said it's a 1955 so that doesn't help much.
Fine guitars.. The pickups can have two magnets on the side of the metal plate or just one and a wood spacer painted to match.. the both sound good.
Sometimes you have to adjust the pole pieces to get the strings to balance, but once adjusted they sound wonderful..
_________________
"Don't be mad honey, but I bought another one" |
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Thomas Kemper
From:
Kansas, USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2016 6:25 pm Owner named Betty?
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...or the player loved a woman named Betty. Or! He named his guitar Betty! Maybe after his mother? Maybe after his daughter? Maybe he loved biscuits and it's named after Betty Crocket!
Whatever the case, I have been calling it Betty, so there's that.
I don't know where to find a list of serial numbers. Are you saying that because it was made in '55 there isn't any info?
I specifically bought this guitar because it's an Oahu with Valco pickups. Good for a dirty, nasty sound. I've got it strung with an extra-wound bass string for the drop D. I'm just about to take the new strings for a drive.
~T |
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Frank James Pracher
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2016 6:44 pm Re: Owner named Betty?
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| Thomas Kemper wrote: |
I don't know where to find a list of serial numbers. Are you saying that because it was made in '55 there isn't any info? |
http://www.oldfrets.com/Valco/Dating.html
I just meant that if you already know for sure that it's a 55 the site wont tell you more than you already know.
_________________
"Don't be mad honey, but I bought another one" |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Thomas Kemper
From:
Kansas, USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2016 7:09 pm Oh man! I didn't see the link!
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Thanks.  |
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Noah Miller
From:
Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 23 Jun 2016 2:02 am
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It's a model 258K and was originally sold with the model 260K amp as the "Sunshine" set. The steel originally sold for $49.50 in 1953. The hard-wired cord is not original, nor are the tuners.
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Thomas Kemper
From:
Kansas, USA
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Posted 23 Jun 2016 2:31 am Sweet
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Hey, man, super cool! It's good to know what I have. I plan to replace the hard-wired cord with a modern jack because the thing on it is a little weird and old. Breaks up sometimes because of it. I opened her up, and the components are all nice and tight. Pretty heavy-duty. So I know it's the cord.
So, from what I can see in the picture, the tuners were white? I can probably replace those so they look more original. Maybe yellow them a bit so they don't stand out so much. Not that I am trying all that hard to make it look original. I mean, it's got a name painted on it, after all. I sure would like to know that story. I wonder how long that's been on there. The paint is as yellowed as the knobs. Sure sounds good, though.
Thanks for your help.
Thomas |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Nathan Laudenbach
From:
Montana
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Posted 23 Jun 2016 6:23 am
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| Nice guitar! Definitely one of the best sounding pickups ever made. |
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Denny Turner
From:
Oahu, Hawaii USA
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Posted 26 Jun 2016 3:25 pm
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| Quote: |
| So, I had a bad accident and broke my right wrist. A plate was installed in my arm, and now I can't play traditional guitar anymore. So, I decided to pick up the lap steel for obvious reasons, especially since I can't play drums anymore, either. I still want to play! |
Thomas,
Just wanted to mention: Don't get too discouraged with your injury: I blew my right hand up with a homemade bomb when I was 15 years old; Muscle and tendons hanging from hand's skeleton. Playing guitar professionally (and the girls) were the essence of my being. NASA surgeons at Lackland AFB put my hand back together, but said I'd very likely not be able to play guitar anymore. B.-F-S.!!! With intensive dedication to painful rehab and woodshedding, I played better than ever in a year. As you probably already know, but a reminder: There are a number of even famous guitarists and steelers that had very serious hand injuries (even no hand at all!) and taught themselves techniques & styles to fit. YouTube has a number of videos of severely disabled people playing guitar and steel, some without hands playing with their feet!!! Kudos and a big salute!
Continue with your great spirit and determination. To borrow a famous movie phrase that was told to me when my hand was disfunctional: "Damn the torpedoes ... full speed ahead"!   
_________________
Aloha,
Denny T~
http://www.dennysguitars.com/
Please help support humanity:
http://www.redcross.org/en/aboutus |
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Thomas Kemper
From:
Kansas, USA
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Posted 27 Jun 2016 6:55 pm Thanks for the encouragement, Denny, but...
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The problem is that I have a plate in my wrist that holds the two bones together. In order to bring your hand back to make chords, the bones have to twist. Mine don't. My girlfriend at the time gave me the same kind of encouragement, and I tried and tried, pushing through the pain and getting nowhere. And then I found out what the problem is. I suppose I might see a specialist and have them consider removing the plate. Maybe everything in there is all knitted up? It's worth looking into...
Thanks again.
Thomas |
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Michael Hogan
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Posted 28 Jun 2016 2:13 am Oahu Sunshine Outfit pics
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 [/img] |
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Thomas Kemper
From:
Kansas, USA
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Posted 28 Jun 2016 12:18 pm Sweet!
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| I wish I had the amp! But I'm playing through my 1000 watt stage monitor, and I got the Big Muff to beef it up. I'll also get an equalizer and a reverb unit when I can. Any recommendations on how to get this monitor to sound right? It's pretty good, and I hope when I get the items above, I can get it to sound just right, because I'm living in my camper truck, and there's just no room for an amp! Ha ha ha! |
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