Gibson EH-150 7-String Lap Steel Electric Guitar (1939)
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Item # 10683
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Gibson EH-150 7-String Model Lap Steel Electric Guitar (1939), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # EGE-4209, sunburst lacquer finish, maple body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, original tweed hard shell case.
The EH-150 with the "Charlie Christian" style blade pickup is generally considered the best lap steel guitar in Gibson's history, one of the most successful and popular instruments of its type from the 1930's until now. This 1939 model is the much rarer 7-string variant, a catalog option but not seen nearly as much as the standard 6-string. It is fitted with the second generation blade pickup with the smaller U-shaped magnet underneath in place of the long bar magnets but the same coil structure as earlier models. This also allowed Gibson to make the body a bit sturdier, doing away with the screwed-on back body plate of the original 1936 design.
With a beautiful shaded maple top triple-bound in celluloid and fancy pearl peghead inlay this is a very attractive instrument, maintaining a typical Gibson look on a 'new-fangled' electric. The tone and volume knobs on the treble side are (subtly) color coded brown and black; the output jack is still located on the bass side as it had been since the beginning. A removable chromed bridge cover is mounted over the cast tailpiece/bridge unit.
These semi-hollow maple steels from Kalamazoo have a rich, powerful tone with plenty of definition, and along with the Rickenbacker B-6 the EH-150 was generally considered the top professional choice of its era. This rare 7-string example has been fairly heavily used over the last 80+ years but remains an excellent playing and sounding steel with a uniquely classy Gibsonic appeal.
Overall length is 32 in. (81.3 cm.), 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 2 1/8 in. (5.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 22 1/2 in. (572 mm.). Width of nut is 2 in. (51 mm.).
This rare steel shows signs of fairly heavy use over the past 80+ years but remains largely original and a great sounding instrument. The finish has a collection of dings, dents and chips overall, with rub wear from the player's arm on the top and some deep scratches on the back near the heel. There are some small marks on the side and back from where something was once cellotaped to the back decades ago.
The sunburst lacquer has a deep, rich patina and has faded to a subtle hue. The tuners are correct Kluson-style repros (all 7 of 'em!) and the tone cap has been replaced. The instrument remains otherwise original complete in the original tweed case with red and black striping. This is a nice pre-war Gibson electric package, played in but not abused and still an excellent instrument. Overall Very Good + Condition.
The EH-150 with the "Charlie Christian" style blade pickup is generally considered the best lap steel guitar in Gibson's history, one of the most successful and popular instruments of its type from the 1930's until now. This 1939 model is the much rarer 7-string variant, a catalog option but not seen nearly as much as the standard 6-string. It is fitted with the second generation blade pickup with the smaller U-shaped magnet underneath in place of the long bar magnets but the same coil structure as earlier models. This also allowed Gibson to make the body a bit sturdier, doing away with the screwed-on back body plate of the original 1936 design.
With a beautiful shaded maple top triple-bound in celluloid and fancy pearl peghead inlay this is a very attractive instrument, maintaining a typical Gibson look on a 'new-fangled' electric. The tone and volume knobs on the treble side are (subtly) color coded brown and black; the output jack is still located on the bass side as it had been since the beginning. A removable chromed bridge cover is mounted over the cast tailpiece/bridge unit.
These semi-hollow maple steels from Kalamazoo have a rich, powerful tone with plenty of definition, and along with the Rickenbacker B-6 the EH-150 was generally considered the top professional choice of its era. This rare 7-string example has been fairly heavily used over the last 80+ years but remains an excellent playing and sounding steel with a uniquely classy Gibsonic appeal.
Overall length is 32 in. (81.3 cm.), 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 2 1/8 in. (5.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 22 1/2 in. (572 mm.). Width of nut is 2 in. (51 mm.).
This rare steel shows signs of fairly heavy use over the past 80+ years but remains largely original and a great sounding instrument. The finish has a collection of dings, dents and chips overall, with rub wear from the player's arm on the top and some deep scratches on the back near the heel. There are some small marks on the side and back from where something was once cellotaped to the back decades ago.
The sunburst lacquer has a deep, rich patina and has faded to a subtle hue. The tuners are correct Kluson-style repros (all 7 of 'em!) and the tone cap has been replaced. The instrument remains otherwise original complete in the original tweed case with red and black striping. This is a nice pre-war Gibson electric package, played in but not abused and still an excellent instrument. Overall Very Good + Condition.