7-string Audiovox on eBay

[Doug Beaumier]

Here's a rare bird and a nice piece of history.

<b>CLICK</b>

7 strings, but an 8-string headstock. The bridge and the nut are set up for 7 strings.

I had a 6-string Audiovox years ago, but I never saw a 7 or 8 string version.

This one is very clean w/original case, and a healthy opening bid! BTW... it is not my auction, I have nothing to do with it.

[John Bushouse]

So is the pickup under the pickguard?

[Doug Beaumier]

As I remember, my Audiovox had a very thin bar pickup and a large U-shaped magnet inside the body. It was a very primitive design, but I can't remember the specifics.

[Bill Creller]

I believe that's a Tutmarc design. Tutmarc was early in pickups, and claimed to be the first, before Rickenbacher. Interesting history, and no one knows for sure.

[Darrell Urbien]

That is in VERY nice condition. Thanks for posting. I wonder if that is the original case. The ones I've seen for the later Serenader steels had rounded corners. Interesting also that it is in a reentrant tuning (7th string appears thinner than the 6th).

[Doug Beaumier]

Tutmarc was early in pickups, and claimed to be the first, before Rickenbacher.

True. Audiovox is also credited with the 1st electric bass guitar... before Fender, according to Vintage Guitar Magazine and other vintage experts.



Paul Tutmarc's son, Bud, built the 'Serenader' lap steel around 1950. The Serenader was a clone of the earlier Audiovox, except it had a light tan finish. I had a Serenader a couple of years ago, and I was very puzzled by the primitive "1930's electronics" (U-shaped magnet and thin blade PU) on a 1950s guitar?? Everything about the guitar was early '50s... the Case, the tuners, the knobs, the finish, etc... except the pickup was '30s style. Bud later said in an interview that he felt it was important to continue this design because it was a big part of the original Audiovox sound. The Serenader I had, however, had weak and uneven output, and a slight hum.

Audiovox Bass, 1935




Serenader Bass, C. 1950

[Doug Beaumier]

[Darrell Urbien]

Forget the steel, I want that bandsaw!

[Ron Whitfield]

Forget the bandsaw (which indeed is cool), I want that Tutmarc fry-pan!

Great post/pix there Doug.

[Doug Beaumier]

I want the suspenders!

[Ron Whitfield]

Ah hell, I'd be happy just to grow a decent moustache like Paul's.

[Doug Beaumier]

Hey sweetheart... check this out!

[Doug Beaumier]

You can hear audio clips of Paul Tutmarc & The Wranglers from the early 1940s on THIS MySpace SITE

You can hear audio clips of Paul's son Bud Tutmarc on THIS MySpace SITE

[Bill Creller]

Thanks for posting all the pix Doug

[Doug Beaumier]

you're welcome, Bill.

[Darrell Urbien]

Wow, these are great! Are these from your personal collection of actual items, or are they gleaned from the web? There are several I was already using in my Tutmarc-Hoopii-Knutsen article for the Knutsen Archives (hopefully going live this April), but I got them all from the web. Should I be crediting your collection instead? I think I got most of them from VG, Peter Blecha, or the Tutmarc sites. But if they were originally yours I can change my article (or remove the pix, if you'd prefer).

[Doug Beaumier]

Darrell, I got these pictures from the web. Just do a Goggle search of "Paul Tutmarc" and you will come up with a list of sites, like THIS ONE. I got the bass images from a posting on a bass forum, or a vintage guitar site, I can't remember. Enjoy.

[Darrell Urbien]

Oh, OK thanks. I just didn't want to step on your toes if they were from your own collection and you didn't want them all over the web. Though if that were the case I guess you wouldn't have posted them yourself! Thanks again.

Now could you lend a brother $800?

[Doug Freeman]

Forget the bandsaw (which indeed is cool), I want that Tutmarc fry-pan!

Here's yer chance:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0272858508

Boy, that's gotta be some kind of rare and historic, huh?

[Ron Whitfield]

...it's a 7 stringer, and, I'm broke...
But, I know a 7 string player and will be making a call to Tamashiro Market asap!

Thanx for posting that, Doug!
Wonder what the reserve is...?

[Doug Freeman]

...it's a 7 stringer, and, I'm broke...
But, I know a 7 string player and will be making a call to Tamashiro Market asap!

Thanx for posting that, Doug!
Wonder what the reserve is...?

And I see someone was playing it with a high string on the bottom. Cooler still!

Hard to put a price on this one, I'd think. I remember reading about this guy years ago and being stunned that someone was onto it before or at least at the same time as Beauchamp.

[Bill Creller]

Actually it's liable to arrive at Aiea Hi Though I wouldn't know why. It's a museum piece. Maybe Michael Cord will want it for his collection..

[Darrell Urbien]

And I see someone was playing it with a high string on the bottom. Cooler still!

I have one of his Knutsen-shaped ones, 7 string, with a high string at the bottom. I had been considering all kinds of different tunings, some of which would require re-cutting the nut. All of this "considering" has led to inaction, and it's still set up the way it came from the PNW.

Hard to put a price on this one, I'd think. I remember reading about this guy years ago and being stunned that someone was onto it before or at least at the same time as Beauchamp.

Yeah, it's funny how a lot of life stories get swept under the rug. I'm not totally convinced the Internet is a good thing in this regard, either.