Early Electric Guitars
Many of the earliest instruments with electric pickups
were lap steel guitars made in the mid 1930's by Rickenbacher, Gibson,
and a few other companies such as National.
Rickenbacher Lap Steel
Guitars and Amplifiers
Rickenbacher A-22 Fry Pan Lap Steel Guitar
The earliest electric lap steel made with the Rickenbacher name, which
later changed it's spelling to Rickenbacker, with a "K", was made from
aluminum. It is known informally as the "fry pan", due to
it's shape. Like the best of all pre-war Rickenbachers, the fry
pan has a 1 1/2" wide "horse-shoe" pickup, which is considered to be one
of the best sounding pickups of any made to date. The narrower 1
1/4" pickups found on post-war Rickenbachers are less desirable and
sought after. The earliest examples of the "fry pan" have a volume
control only. A tone control was added later.
Rickenbacher A-22 Fry Pan Lap Steel Guitar
Volume control only. 1 1/2" horseshoe pickup.
Serial number 045.
1934 Rickenbacher Amp
#B37
1934 Rickenbacher Amp
#A12
Rickenbacher A-22 Gold Plated Fry Pan Lap Steel Guitar
Volume and tone control. 1 1/2" horseshoe pickup.
Serial number 1107.


Rickenbacher Electro Model B Lap Steel
While the fry pan remained in production for many years, Rickenbacher soon
added another model with a body made from Bakelite.
The earliest of these, made in the mid-1930's, had five chrome plated
metal plates.
Rickenbacher Electro Model B Lap Steel
Pre-war bakelite steel with two "arrow" knobs on opposing sides, the
volume knob larger than the tone knob, and chrome plates. One
replaced tuner.
8 lb. 9.8 oz.
Serial number C1366
Rickenbacher Electro Model B Lap Steel
Pre-war bakelite steel with two "arrow" knobs on opposing sides, and
chrome plates. Original hard case.
Serial number C 2164
Rickenbacher Electro Model B Lap Steel
Pre-war bakelite steel with two "concentric" knobs on same side, and white
painted plates. White plastic tuner buttons.
No serial number.
Rickenbacher Electro Model B Lap Steel
Some examples of the model B from later in the 1930's were made
with white plastic plates.
Pre-war bakelite steel with two "concentric" knobs on same side, and
white plastic plates.
The pre-war version of the model B is distinguished by many features which
are now associated with the instruments Leo Fender developed in the
1950's.
Leo Fender's "Fender Radio Service" repair shop, founded in 1938, repaired
many amplifiers manufactured by Rickenbacher, while his partner, "Doc"
Kauffman was employed by Rickenbacher when he invented the "Vib-Rola"
vibrato, so Leo was certainly familiar with Rickenbacher's instruments.
The bolt-on neck, strings that go through the body, and even the curve of
the headstock as it approaches the nut, are all features Fender borrowed
from Rickenbacher:
Rickenbacher Bakelite Spanish Electric
Guitars
Rickenbacher Electro Model B Spanish Guitar
Rickenbacher also made a round neck version the the model B which is
arguably the first solid body electric guitar made for standard "Spanish"
style playing.
The round neck version had Bakelite frets that were integral to the neck.
Unfortunately, these frets wore ealisy, and could not be replaced.
It was expected that the entire bolt on neck would be replaced when
the frets wore. The thinner, round neck was also more prone to
warping, so it is not easy to find an example today with both good frets
and a straight neck when a Spanish Model B in any condition is extremely
rare and difficult to find.
Rickenbacher Electro Model B Spanish Guitar
Pre-war bakelite round neck "Spanish Guitar" with two
"hexagonal" knobs on opposite sides, and chrome plates.
No serial number.
Rickenbacher Electro Model B Spanish Guitar
Pre-war bakelite round neck "Spanish Guitar" with one
"hexagonal" knob, and chrome plates. Unusual early
example with only four chrome plates. and without the cavity in the body
usually covered by a center plate. Certainly one of the very first
production solid body electric guitars in existence.
Serial number B36.
Rickenbacher 1930's Model B Tenor Electro Spanish Guitar
Black Bakelite body, with wooden neck and conventional frets. 1 1/2
inch "horseshoe" magnet pickup.
Five chrome plates. Kauffman vibrato. One bakelite knob
on lower bout.
Extremely rare tenor version of the early and rare "Spanish" round neck
Bakelite Rickenbacher,
the first production solid body electric guitar, first made in 1935.
Made in the one knob version through 1937.

The "Vib-Rola" was invented by Doc Kauffman, who would later join ranks
with Leo Fender to start the K&F Co., the precursor to the Fender
Musical Instrument Company.
Rickenbacker Spanish Model B with Vibrola.
This is a six string version of the Spanish Bakelite Rickenbacher with
Kauffman Vib-Rola.
8 lb. 3.4 oz.

Gold Plated Rickenbacker Spanish Model B with Vib-Rola
This unique example must have been custom ordered by a discriminating
customer to have gold plating on the metal plates on the face of the
guitar.

Rickenbacher Electro Spanish Model B Vibrola Guitar
This model had a double thick body which contained a motor which pulled on
the strings to give a vibrato effect. This design was also an
invention of Doc Kauffman.
Rickenbacher Electro Spanish Model B Vibrola Guitar
Working Kauffman Motorized Vibrola Tailpiece
22 5/8" scale
c 1939
11lb. 2.6 oz.
Serial number C2733
1930's Rickenbacher Violin
In addition to guitars, Rickenbacher produced solid body Bakelite stringed
instruments in the 1930's
1955 Rickenbacker
Combo 800 Guitar
The earliest standard solid body guitar produced by Rickenbacker included
a double coil "humbucker" style version of the horseshoe pickup.
The first digit of the serial number represents the model "800", the "C"
stands for "Combo", the "5" indicates the year, "1955", and the final two
digits indicate the real serial number, #62, for the 62nd guitar of this
style.
Serial Number 8C562
1957
Rickenbacker Combo 400
Guitar
The Combo 800 was soon followed by the "tulip shaped" solid body
Rickenbacker Combo 400 which included a single coil pickup.
6 lb. 2 oz.
Serial number 4C7344
1956
Rickenbacker Combo 400
Guitar
6 lb. 7.6 oz.
Serial number 4C6121
Gibson Lap Steel
Guitars and Amplifiers
Like Rickenbacher, Gibson also made their first lap steel guitars
with an aluminum body. These guitar had the same style of pickup
made famous by Charlie Christian on the arch top guitars he played with
the Benny Goodman band.
Gibson E-150 Lap Steel Guitar c 1935
Early version Gibson lap steel with aluminum body and "Charlie Christian"
pickup. Original hard shell case.
8 lb. 14.8 oz.
serial number 231
Early Gibson EH-150 Amp
Second Variation of First Version
The E-150 soon gave way to the wood body EH-150.
Gibson EH-150 Lap Steel Guitar c 1939
Separate treble pole piece style "Charlie Christian" pickup.
Separation or crack on top near bridge. Original hard shell
case.
serial number EGE 2644
Gibson 1936 Recording King
Roy Smeck Lap Steel
5 lb. 6 oz.
Serial Number 244-17
The early Roy Smeck Recording King Lap Steel was made in a number of
different models, some of which had a pear shaped body, without
"shoulders". Smecks were made with a number of different variations
of the peghead shapes found on Gibson "contract" guitars made for other
firms, as well as Gibson "Kalamazoos", some of which had the fancy "Crest"
Insignia, and some of which were blank and solid black.
6 lb. 3 oz.
Serial number FWE727

Some of the Gibson and Recording King lap steels have "screw-on" backs.
Gibson Ultratone Lap steels
In the 1940's to '60's Gibson produced lap steels with an Art Deco look
and striking color schemes.
1960's Ultratone
Gibson Pedal Steel Guitars
1941 Gibson Electraharp Pedal Steel Guitar
The Gibson Electraharp, designed Gibson machinist John Moore and
endorser Alvino Rey, was Gibson's first
pedal steel guitar, and the first modern pedal steel by any maker to enter
the market.
Factory Order Number E4141-1
This example, with
the Factory Order Number
E4141-1, was
the very first pedal steel guitar to be produced by Gibson, the
first of a batch of 10 instruments. According to the literature,
a total of 13 guitars were made before the war, although a second,
larger batch appears in the Shipping Ledgers with the FON
5091. Because of a patent dispute, production was halted until
after the war, when the early Electraharp design was replaced by a
much less sophisticated and desirable design.
The Electraharp was Gibson's most
expensive product, priced
at $477,
over 30% more than Gibson's
fanciest Super 400 arch-top guitar.
This first Electraharp was
owned by Gibson endorser George Hines after being shipped to
the N.Y. Band Company in September, 1941.
"The first
modern, professional
quality pedal steel...extremely rare and quite a
conversation piece." - Gruhn's Guide to Vintage
Guitars.



Gibson Archtop Electric Spanish
Guitars
Gibson's Electric Spanish is recognized as being the first production
conventional guitar with an electric pickup.
1937 Recording King Roy Smeck #1128
Serial Number 342C2
Early model with volume control only, no tone control. The
"Recording King" line of guitars was produced by Gibson and a number of
other makers to be sold by the Montgomery Ward Stores.
Gibson ES-150
The earliest production Gibson Electric Guitar, the model popularized by
Charlie Christian, leading to the pickups being known as "Charlie
Christian Pickups".
Serial number DGE 3056
K&F and Fender Lap Steel Guitars
In 1945, "Doc" Kauffman, who had invented the "Vib-Rola" used by
Rickenbacher, and Leo Fender, who had been a salesman for Rickenbacher,
formed a partnership to manufacture and market lap steel guitars of their
own simple and inexpensive design from Leo Fender's home in Fullerton,
California.
K&F Lap Steel Guitar
Serial Number 501
This guitar had black fret markers painted onto the fretboard.
K&F Lap Steel Guitar
Serial Number 45
The earliest examples had painted finishes which were said to have been
"baked" in Leo Fender's kitchen oven.
This early example has no logo plate on the headstock and a white plastic
nut.
3 lb. 5 oz.
K&F Lap Steel Guitar
No Number
This gray finish example has a logo plate on the headstock with an
integrated nut.
3 lb. 10.6 oz.
K&F #322
I first saw photos of this beautiful early example made with bird's eye
maple three years ago, and fell into lust, so I was thrilled when it
recently showed up on the market.
This guitar had white fret markers painted onto the fretboard, which have
since worn off.
The nut is integrated into the headstock.
"Pat. Pend." pickup.
5 lb. 5.8 oz.
K&F #501
Without "Pat. Pend."
5 lb. 5.4 oz.
K&F #641
The later K&F steels had a wider curved body and a chrome fretboard
with Roman numberals.
6 lb. .8 oz.
Fender #1391
Within a year, Doc Kauffman had left his partnership, and Leo Fender was
marketing similar Lap Steels by himself as the Fender Musical Instrument
Company.
Shown here with K&F # 641, this early transitional Fender is
essentially a K&F steel with a Fender nameplate.
4 lb. 13.2 oz.
The early Fender Company produced three similar lap steels, the Organ
Button, the Princeton, and the Deluxe, all with string through pickups
similar to the K&F..
1946 Fender Organ Button Lap Steel Guitar
With similar body shape as K&F.
With volume and tone controls, and red button for organ effect.
Lightning bolt on headstock plate.
Available in 1946.
Serial number 1017
1946 Fender Princeton Lap Steel Guitar
The Princeton had a longer body, joining the neck at the 12th fret.
Cord attached.
Available from 1946 to 1948.
5 lb. 1.6 oz.
Serial number A24
1946 Fender Deluxe Lap Steel Guitar
The Deluxe has a longer body, joining the neck at the 12th fret.
With volume and tone controls, jack for cord.
Available from 1946 to 1948.
4 lb. 10 oz.
Serial number B5
1948 Fender Deluxe 8 Lap Steel Guitar
Available in 1946.
The second version of the Deluxe was available with six or eight strings.
With walnut finish and trapezoidal pickup available in late 1948
No Serial Number
1950's Fender Deluxe 8 Lap Steel Guitar
With features of the multi-neck Stringmaster.
Available from 1950 to 1981
Serial Number 00232
1956 Fender Studio Deluxe
Available from 1956 to 1981
The less expensive Studio Deluxe is lighter, and more rounded vs. the
broad, flat sides of the Deluxe 8, with one pickup.
Three legs.
7 lb. 5.6 oz.
Serial number 7215
1952 Champion
The "Student Model" Champion was produced from 1949 to 1955.
The first painted finish was soon replaced by a "Mother of Toilet Seat"
version.
Serial number 1266

1950's Fender Champ
The inexpensive Champion was replaced by the Champ in 1955.
Six strings - similar to Studio Deluxe, with no legs.
4 lb. 16.4 oz.
Serial number 5368
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