I just got a 1938 EH-150 and have a question.
On the back of the instrument there are two
screws mounted half way down the lower bout.
Do these screws secure the back of the instrument or are they height adjusting screws for the pickup?<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 14 April 2000 at 11:17 AM.]</p></FONT>
Nice guitar Gerald,
Turn 'em and find out!!!....I don't know, but I don't think they adjust the P.U....just secure it....If it was to hold the back, I think they'd run all the way around the back,
Let us know when you find out,
Mike
PS....What's the front look like?....Could you email me a scan?. I'd like to see it...Mahalo<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by mikey on 14 April 2000 at 01:37 PM.]</p></FONT>
Gerald: They do move the pickup up and down - not much, but enough. Looks like this one's in nice shape. I have a 1938 7-string, and something pretty special would have to come along to make me part with it. Some of the Christian pickups definitely sound better than others, but if you've got a good one, you'll never find a better sounding instrument, as far as I'm concerned. Congratulations, and happy playing.
If yours is like mine, it will have screws all around the outer rim of the bottom of the guitar. Remove them, take off the back and all will be revealed to you. I was amazed at the size of that Charlie Christian pickup magnet...huge. It's a great guitar for 6 string tunings, especially the F#9 tuning.
Of interest....There's a chap in Glendale, CA., Henri "Hanalei" DeWilligen who has played this model for some 55 years and he does a lot of jazzy stuff on it. He gained quite a bit of fame in Holland just after the war and if you look around old records, you just might find some of his stuff. ("Maui Islanders") Point is, he has never considered any other guitar except this trusty old Gibson. I've had mine for some 20 years and love the beast.
George: The earlier 150s have the screw-on back as you describe, but on the later models the back is glued on. Cosmetically this is an improvement, but being able to unscrew the back makes them a heck of a lot easier to work on.
I didn't know that. But upon taking a closer look at that picture confirms there are no screws on that particular guitar. So now I am curious...what year do you think my guitar was built ? The serial number is 622-33...does this help ? Mahalo.
Location: where the buffalo (used to) roam AND the Mojave
State/Province: -
Country: United States
Postby Greg Simmons »
George;
from what I've gathered (I used to have a 7-string EH-150) the Gibson Factory Order Numbers with the range 600-xx to 799-xx fall somewhere around 1936-38 year-wise.
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Greg Simmons
Custodian of the Official Sho~Bud Pedal Steel Guitar Website shobud.cjb.net
Thanks Greg. I sorta suspected this guitar I own was one from Gibson's earlier production. But I was under the mistaken impression all the EH-150 models had those screws on the back. Thanks for setting me straight....appreciated.
Oh, just noticed Maurie's message...Thanks. I would imagine yours is loaded with screws like mine. (ha!)<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by George Keoki Lake on 17 April 2000 at 02:55 PM.]</p></FONT>
Sam Calvert at Gibson/Nashville told me that my EH-150 is a '37 and it has also has the screws all around the back. The Charlie Christian single coil was long gone when I bought it, replaced (best guess) by an early Tele pickup. Even with replaced tuners, pickup and vol./tone knobs I love this axe. The string spacing, body proportions and overall "vibe" of the Gibsons are unbeatable.
On another topic, I have a copy of the 1940 Gibson catalog. Lost to the mists of time are most of the steel players pictured within like the Royal Palm Islanders of Grier, South Carolina, Evan White, the McKewen Brothers, Bill Bjurmark, Paul Eastman, Lorry Lee, Ellison Harvey and the Hal Roberts orchestra - which featured no less than eight EH-150's and 36 musicians! I'm sure they all had spot-on intonation
Wow, my guitar is older than I thought. It has all the original equipment on it...even the pots. One thing about both the vol and tone pots, man, are they ever stiff to turn.
Anyone else's guitar like that ? I could replace them, but it really doesn't bother me that much for all that I play this old EH-150. I use it primarily when teaching steel.
