Oahu Iolana Doubleneck Model Lap Steel Electric Guitar, made by Valco (1951), Chicago, serial # X-530.
This unique double neck lap steel was one of Oahu's signature products, first launched just before WWII and revived after the war lasting well into the 1950s. "Custom built and designed by Oahu engineers" according to the company's loquacious catalog write-ups, "Iolana" translates to "bird in flight" and they described it as "A product of Ancient Hawaii and modern America". The body shape was supposedly intended to suggest a soaring swallow beloved of the Hawaiian god Kuali'i, although visually that is a pretty abstract concept.
This lap steel has the top and sides are covered in white pearloid for maximum visual impact, topped with back-painted black-and-gold plexiglass fingerboards and gold-plated and black plastic hardware. It is built with two 23-inch scale necks ending in mirrored "swallowtail" single-sided headstocks. These are fitted with long-shafted, gold plated Safe-Ti-Slot Kluson tuners that appear to have been originally designed for use on tamburitzas. An "Iolana" bird logo graces each, while the dual fingerboards are ornamented with a repeated "Oahu" and music ledger motif along with the standard fret lines.
Sonically this post-war Iolana is no slouch fitting two of the celebrated Valco string-through pickup assemblies, highly regarded both as steel guitar units and for standard guitar customizations a la Ry Cooder. These are mounted under removable black plastic covers decorated with a gold treble clef motif. The single volume and tone controls are mounted on pin-striped plates just behind the bridges, with a 3-way lever switch in the center selecting either or both necks.
This instrument's pots are date coded 304-952 and 304-021; the Valco serial number plate indicates it was built in 1951. "In the slender curves of the Iolana you will find hidden a soar and sweep of tones you never before dreamed possible" Oahu's writers intoned: "Tones as golden as Kuali'is sun, full and resonant as the chime of a bell. Tones to hold a listener spellbound with their twin-throated power". As Marvel comics' Stan Lee used to put it, "Nuff Said!"
Overall length is 33 in. (83.8 cm.), 12 5/8 in. (32.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 23 in. (584 mm.). Width of nut is 1 15/16 in. (49 mm.).
This is a very clean and original instrument showing only fairly light wear overall. It remains original and unaltered except the plastic tuner buttons have been replaced, a common situation as the originals have often deteriorated. The gold plating is somewhat worn, there a few small paint (?) spatters on the fingerboards and one of the many small pins securing the lower board is missing. Most of the strings are original or at least period, the two lowest strings on the far neck were replaced with similar ground-wound strings. The guitar works as intended, looks beautiful and sounds great, still in the original HSC. Overall Excellent Condition.
