The Steel Guitar Forum

...to say howdy. I have been playing bottleneck since the 1960s. Although I noodled around with a First Hawaiin Conservatory of Music lap guitar, I never really gave much thought to going over to the 'electric side A couple of years ago I stumbled across an Oahu Tonemaster at the local purveyor of musical goodies. It was cheap and I thought it might be fun to play. I tuned it to Open Dm and plugged it into a Magnatone suitcase amp. Lawdy what a sound.

I do not have a clue what I am doing with the thing so I stick to what I know meaning dirt-under-your fingernails blues. I play with a bottleneck and do not use fingerpicks although I am trying to get the hang of a thumbpick.

Anyway, just wanted to say it is nice to be here. And, of course, a couple of pics.

Oahu Tonemaster


I still keep an ca. 1930 Oscar Schmidt-made FHCM guitar around although this one is destined to be "un-lapified"


And for something completely different - my friends just about called an intervention on me when I showed up with this one. I am not quite sure what to do with it yet but it just looks so darn cool and intrigued the heck out of me. A 2007 Fouke Electra Slide (pic provided by the guy I got it from).

Hey - welcome.
Cool guitars.....but tell me about that Airline amp. Never seen one.

I love that amp. It reminds me of the dashboard of a 1965 Rambler.

Airline was, of course, the Valco-made Monkey Wards house brand. It is actually just a re-badged Supro "Sportsman." It is also the same amp as the Gretsch Fury. It was made in 1968 as Valco was going belly up. About 30 watts. Power is provided by a pair of 6L6 tubes. It has a strange RCA 6973 tube as the reverb driver which is the same tube you found in juke boxes in the 1950s and 1960s. The cab is loaded with two mid-1950s RCA 12" speakers.

Welcome to the forums ... those Tonemasters are a lot of fun

I do not have a clue what I am doing with the thing so I stick to what I know meaning dirt-under-your fingernails blues. I play with a bottleneck and do not use fingerpicks although I am trying to get the hang of a thumbpick.

I say whatever it takes to let the music out is a good thing!
Lots of good info, talented players, and helpful formites here to help learn more if you ever want.

Thomas Rosenblum wrote:I love that amp. It reminds me of the dashboard of a 1965 Rambler.

Airline was, of course, the Valco-made Monkey Wards house brand. It is actually just a re-badged Supro "Sportsman." It is also the same amp as the Gretsch Fury. It was made in 1968 as Valco was going belly up. About 30 watts. Power is provided by a pair of 6L6 tubes. It has a strange RCA 6973 tube as the reverb driver which is the same tube you found in juke boxes in the 1950s and 1960s. The cab is loaded with two mid-1950s RCA 12" speakers.

Nice. Thanks for the info.
I've got a couple old Silvertone amps that my uncle used to play accordion thru. A 1484 "Twin Twelve" and its solid state cousin, a 1464. Both are loaded with Jensen's made in Chicago. The 1484 is pretty killer - I use it for both lead guitar and steel guitar.