Lap Steel Electric Guitar

Gibson

1935 · Cast aluminum, Bakelite, plastic · Musical Instruments

This lap steel guitar is a very rare example of the first electric instrument produced by the Gibson Guitar Company. Known as the E-150 model, this instrument has a hollow cast aluminum body and was made to play Hawaiian style "slide" music. There were approximately 100 of these guitars made in late 1935 through early 1936, but far fewer survive, especially as many were donated to aluminum drives for the War effort in 1942. This example has the serial number 179 (serial numbers start at 100 for this series) stamped on the heel of the neck. The instrument is fitted with a bar magnet pickup, later nicknamed the "Charlie Christian" pickup. It was designed in 1935 by Walter Fuller and has an unbound black plastic coil. The instrument has bakelite knobs for the volume and tone controls that are placed on either side of the bridge, a design requested by the performer Alvino Rey. The instrument has a rosewood fingerboard with pearloid dot markers. There are twenty-nine frets marked on the fretboard, but to facilitate slide playing the instrument does not have raised frets. Stenciled in black across the top of the headstock: Gibson.

Artist

Gibson

Date

1935

Medium

Cast aluminum, Bakelite, plastic

Culture

American

Department

Musical Instruments

Credit line

Purchase, The Jonathan & Faye Kellerman Foundation Gift, 2016