Dobro Lap Steel Electric Guitar , c. 1935

Dobro Lap Steel Electric Guitar, c. 1935, made in Los Angeles, California, natural finish, cast metal body, ebony fingerboard, original black hard shell case.

One of the earliest-and coolest looking-of the first generation of electric lap steels, this was National/Dobro's first purpose-built non-resonator Hawaiian guitar. The previous year's "All-Electric", despite its name, was little more than a stock Dobro with a pickup unit instead of a cone! This instrument came to market soon after the Rickenbacker "Frying Pan" and uses similar materials, but is much larger and more imposing. The long body is a semi-hollow aluminum casting with decorative panels and a Dobro logo cast in. A wooden guitar fingerboard is affixed to the top, fully fretted but for visual guidance only. This first National pickup uses a blade polepiece with an internal magnet and is controlled by a single volume control near the back edge of the body. The headstock has the central area cut away and mounts 6 openback "butterbean" button Grover tuners with cloverleaf baseplates. This very striking design is a Deco classic, and would not look out of place on Buck Rodgers' space cruiser.
 
Overall length is 37 1/4 in. (94.6 cm.), 10 5/8 in. (27 cm.) wide, and 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 2 1/16 in. (52 mm.). Nicely original, some wear but no apparent alterations. Sounds great…includes a wonderful original shaped HSC! Overall Excellent Condition.

Item # 5102
 
This item has been sold.


 
Click on a thumbnail above for a detailed view.