Lets Play Stump the Experts (MLA)?

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 2 Oct 2011 6:48 pm

I know of no better place to get help than here. So here we go. I am trying to date this instrument. This is a Student Model Oahu I picked up. I have never seen another like it. I thought perhaps that is was something that someone done to the "standard" model post purchase. It is not. Look particularly at the fret board. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Mike

Mike Anderson · Post by **Mike Anderson** » 2 Oct 2011 6:54 pm

Absolutely freakin' gorgeous!

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 2 Oct 2011 7:05 pm

Thanks Mike. I have a regular student model. I picked this one up for my wife. She absolutely loves it.

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 2 Oct 2011 7:10 pm

Great looking instrument !

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 2 Oct 2011 7:14 pm

Thanks Bill. I don't think it will be going anywhere soon. These little puppies sound outstanding. I play mine a lot. Hell, I even put a Baggs M-1 on it and you would not believe it plugged in.

Mitch Crane · Post by **Mitch Crane** » 2 Oct 2011 7:16 pm

Aw man....now I want one

A looker there Mike !

Frank James Pracher · Post by **Frank James Pracher** » 2 Oct 2011 7:49 pm

Maybe that's the one they gave to the really good student.

John Bushouse · Post by **John Bushouse** » 2 Oct 2011 7:58 pm

My Supertone has some pretty cool custom options, too. Maybe it's something they did for for other companies, and decided to do one under their own name?

http://smu.gs/ndPGXM

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 2 Oct 2011 8:31 pm

Hey thanks Mitch. I have done a lot of online research on these and the sister company Bronson. This is what I found. They sold "lessons" door to door like vacuum cleaners.

I can see it now "oh little Johnny how would you like to take some guitar lessons, now wouldn't that be fun. Mom, just sign here for lessons and we will provide little Johnny with a guitar"

Oahu nor Bronson ever made a guitar. Harmony, Kay, Valco possibly Regal and Rickenbacker for the electric lap steels. I dug this up somewhere.

"Old Oahu guitars are pretty common. It may be hard to believe, but Hawaiian guitar (acoustic guitars played lap-style with a steel slide) was popular in the 30's and 40's. There were a number of Hawaiian guitar schools at the time. Oahu Publishing was one of the largest. They published sheet music and sold guitars in addition to giving lessons. At its peak it had over 1200 schools. They finally went out of business in 1985. It's estimated that they had 200,000 students over the years.

Often people would sign up for lessons in which a guitar was supplied. At the end of the series of lessons they would get to keep the guitar. Many guitars were inexpensively constructed with laminated woods and simulated wood grain finishes, although yours might be made from solid wood."

Hey Frank, if what you said were true mine would have been made from cardboard.

There is just something about these Oahu's that intrigues the hell out of me. They are like Pringles, you can't have just one. The nice thing is they are affordable. hehehe Next on the list is a Bronson.

John Bushouse · Post by **John Bushouse** » 2 Oct 2011 8:49 pm

Even the lowliest student model was made of solid birch.

Paul Arntson · Post by **Paul Arntson** » 2 Oct 2011 8:50 pm

The pyramid bridge with the two scoops looks like an Oscar Schmidt product, and the 9th fret marker might help in dating it. Beautiful, beautiful guitar. With that ladder bracing I bet it sounds as good as it looks.

I found this reference, hope it helps.
http://solie.org/harmonyhist.htm

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 2 Oct 2011 9:46 pm

John, below is a picture of mine. The Mrs. has taken complete possession of "Island Theme" one. But that's alright. I swear mine had the original strings on it. If not they were most certainly old to the n'th degree.

Thanks for the link Paul. I printed it and will have to read it a few times to absorb all the information. I really am enjoying doing all the research on these. I love the sound of both of them. They are sweeeet. They are so light like my Bear Creek Wessie. The sustain goes on and on. You should hear it plugged in. That's a Baggs M-1 passive I run through a Baggs Venue DI and it kicks butt.

Laurence Pangaro · Post by **Laurence Pangaro** » 3 Oct 2011 3:57 am

I was under the impression that the lowly student Oahu guitar was birch plywood not solid. You can see mine in my avatar. It's the type with the aluminum bridge bolted to the top. I love it so (in spite of its limitations)!

ciao,
LP

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 3 Oct 2011 9:32 am

Hey LP I think the basic student model was Birch Laminate. Limitations

Noah Miller · Post by **Noah Miller** » 3 Oct 2011 9:40 am

The 1937-8 Oahu catalog shows a roundneck version of the same guitar, model 52K. However, it's shown with a nut extender, so it's clearly intended as a Hawaiian guitar. The 1935 catalog has the same model but with a different headstock and stencil pattern. They both sold for $25, not including a case.

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 3 Oct 2011 10:06 am

WOW!!!!! Noah, thank you so much. That is great. I knew the experts here would solve the mystery.

I want to thank everyone who posted on this thread. I feel REALLY good about this instrument.

Mike

Jim Konrad · Post by **Jim Konrad** » 3 Oct 2011 10:09 am

John Bushouse wrote:Even the lowliest student model was made of solid birch.

Correct...

As are both of mine!

Took the day off to drop this little one off at her first day of school (pre school)...

<*)))>{

Jim Konrad · Post by **Jim Konrad** » 3 Oct 2011 10:11 am

Click..
http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/50U-1956.htm

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 3 Oct 2011 10:55 am

So where are the photos Dad? hmmmm First day of school and all. Hey it's my thread and hi-jacks are never frowned upon by me. I always learn something and have some good times with people.

Mike

Laurence Pangaro · Post by **Laurence Pangaro** » 3 Oct 2011 2:41 pm

Hey Mike,

I guess the principal limitation is that the venerable beastie can't really handle as heavy a set of strings as might be ideal. The top is a bit distorted already, and I don't think I should push my luck.

ciao,
LP

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 3 Oct 2011 4:02 pm

LP I don't have that problem with either of mine fortunately. The tops are virtually flat as they should be and the bridges are tight to the top. However this is a situation that rears it's ugly head on more than a few of these instruments. I worried about this one because the seller knew nothing about guitars. My last one the seller was very knowledgeable and thank God honest. When he said EC+ he wasn't kidding. I guess I just got lucky. I string mine the same as my Wessie with John Pearse 3160's (15-18-27-38-48-60) I tune mostly to open D (D-A-D-F#-A-D)or C and variations of C and all is well in Oahu land.

Aloha

Jason Hull · Post by **Jason Hull** » 6 Oct 2011 2:47 am

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 6 Oct 2011 2:28 pm

"The pyramid bridge with the two scoops looks like an Oscar Schmidt product, and the 9th fret marker "

Well,,,, the bridge screams Oscar Schmidt, but they usually put the fret marker at the 10th fret. The peghead looks very Oscar also. Check out page 54 of November issue of Vintage Guitar magazine.

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 6 Oct 2011 2:51 pm

Thanks John, I will check it out. You are the second one to say Oscaar Schmidt.

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 6 Oct 2011 3:13 pm

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