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Post new topic Fry Pan with Wings??
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Author Topic:  Fry Pan with Wings??
Jon Kostal


From:
Westmont, Illinois, USA
Post  Posted 30 May 2017 12:26 pm    
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A friend of mine inherited this all metal steel and would like to know more about it. It was left by his wife's relative who passed away 15 years ago at age 100, so it may be quite old. He couldn't find any info, and neither can I. He thought it was a Rickenbacker because of the pickup. I remember a National cast model, but it didn't look like this one. Anybody have any info? Thanks, Jon.








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David Ball


From:
North Carolina High Country
Post  Posted 30 May 2017 2:08 pm    
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That's a Lectrolab guitar I believe--refitted with a horseshoe pickup. The original pickup was built into the bridge, and worked much like a condenser microphone, with power being supplied to the pickup by its special matching amp.

Dave
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Jon Kostal


From:
Westmont, Illinois, USA
Post  Posted 30 May 2017 2:18 pm    
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That's very cool Dave, thanks for the info!
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Marc Bell


From:
Surat Thani, TH
Post  Posted 30 May 2017 3:15 pm    
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One of these recently sold on Ebay. It had a name plaque Century on the headstock and also had an identical horseshoe pickup. Looks to have.been manufactured looking like this with a horseshoe pickup and a blank space next to the pickup. Very nice guitar, will you be selling it?

Here is the link, and the description has more info.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ULTRA-RARE-1937-ALUMINUM-CENTURY-SINGING-GUITAR-LAP-STEEL-OHSC-FRYING-PAN-USA-/142354726816
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David Ball


From:
North Carolina High Country
Post  Posted 30 May 2017 4:42 pm    
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That's very cool. Looking at the Lectrolabs guitar, the casting is slightly different from the Century. Lectrolab was made by the Sound Projects company in Chicago--I'd bet the Century was too. Here's a link to the Lectrolab guitar:

https://lectrolab.wordpress.com/lectrolab-company-info/
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Doug Beaumier


From:
Northampton, MA
Post  Posted 30 May 2017 4:49 pm    
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Yeah, it looks like a Singing Century lap steel. I believe it was made in Chicago, 1930s? A very futuristic design for that era, but not a highly sought-after lap steel, as far as I can tell. I bought an empty body about 20 years ago and it made an excellent wall hanger! Can't remember what I did with it. Probably sold it on eBay.
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Jon Kostal


From:
Westmont, Illinois, USA
Post  Posted 30 May 2017 4:54 pm    
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Thanks everyone, I've never seen that one!
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Doug Beaumier


From:
Northampton, MA
Post  Posted 30 May 2017 6:48 pm    
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I think this is a Singing Century Electric that's been restored. The headstock logo actually said: Century Electric Singing Guitar, Chicago


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Bill Groner


From:
QUAKERTOWN, PA
Post  Posted 31 May 2017 1:43 am    
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So by the way it looks from Doug's picture, the wings are on there just for looks? I thought maybe from the first picture on this thread they were there to give more surface area on the lap, but they are on the centerline of the body itself. It is an interesting piece though. I love seeing stuff from the past and the craftsmanship from by gone days. Take a look at old buildings........they don't make them that way anymore, (nor could they afford to!)
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Stephen Abruzzo

 

From:
Philly, PA
Post  Posted 31 May 2017 11:57 am    
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IIRC, the pic in Doug's post was the inspiration for Tom Pettingill when he made my Frying Pan Special (curly maple body, not metal) for me in 2009.

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=165014&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=fps001&start=0
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Larry Lenhart


From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
Post  Posted 31 May 2017 2:14 pm    
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[quote="Stephen Abruzzo"]IIRC, the pic in Doug's post was the inspiration for Tom Pettingill when he made my Frying Pan Special (curly maple body, not metal) for me in 2009.

Stephen, I just looked at that link and that is one beautiful lap steel ! I see that he did make the wings even with the back adding more surface on the lap...beautiful craftsmanship !!!! I know you are proud of that one ! I hadnt seen that post before, thanks for the link ! Maybe someone should respond to that one to bring it up to the top for more deserved admiration !!
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Stephen Abruzzo

 

From:
Philly, PA
Post  Posted 1 Jun 2017 8:06 am    
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Thanks Larry.

Tom's thought on the wings was to make them "beefy" and as the wings went up the neck and as it was part of the lower bout, that it would add to the sustain too!
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Chris Walke

 

From:
St Charles, IL
Post  Posted 1 Jun 2017 9:38 am    
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Holy cow!! Is that the super rare 5-string version I've heard so much about??

Very cool guitar. I was reminded of the pics of that Pettingill build as soon as I opened this thread and saw the pic.
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