Leon McAuliffe's Supertone Lap Steel

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 26 Mar 2013 6:16 am

Interesting item (and product shot) here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leon-McAuliffes ... 1039649954

Claims it is Leon's guitar although he misspells Bob Wills name on the guitar case.

Anyone think it is authentic?

Michael Lester · Post by **Michael Lester** » 26 Mar 2013 6:30 am

...a letter from a guitar dealer does not necessarily establish provenance...

...a little too much 'enthusiasm' in the description makes me even more wary...

...pass...

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 26 Mar 2013 7:24 am

Deleted

Jeff Mead · Post by **Jeff Mead** » 26 Mar 2013 7:44 am

All the letter of provenance states is that the guy that sold the steel claimed it used to belong to Leon. Also that 2 contemporaries of Leon (who were not named) also thought it was genuine.

To me, this is outweighed by the fact that, whoever wrote on the case couldn't spell Bob Wills. Maybe it says "Leon and his steel guitar" because he didn't feel confident spelling McAuliffe?

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 26 Mar 2013 8:35 am

I am not trying to defend this guy's ebay sale, but here is a photo of a bunch of Leon's guitars, and I have never seen any photos of his playing this rickenbacker, or the Harlan or Gibson or whatever that rack belongs to or the other stuff in this photo. These pieces came along with the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame plaque and Leon's Nocaster and a some Fender steels. LM probably hd a lot of steels. Noel Boggs was supposed to have given him the Rick.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 26 Mar 2013 8:42 am

"Famous player guitars" that are worth money are the ones (or the one) that he played for most of his career... the guitar he is closely identified with. For example Lloyd Green's personal Sho-Bud, Buddy Emmons' "the blade", Eric Clapton's "blackie", BB King's "Lucille", or Leon M's personal T-8 Stringmaster with his name on the front. Most big time players own a lot of guitars throughout their career, but not all of them are valuable. An additional problem here is the proof. I would need to see a picture of Leon playing this guitar to believe it was actually his.

In this case the letter proves nothing. It was written a few days ago by a dealer who says he got the guitar from a customer (no name) who says it was given to his family by Leon's family.

...what totally sold me on the authenticity of the Supertone is an interview with Leon I found in which he stated he used a "special bar" that was "3 inches long" -- as you can see, the bar with this guitar is right at 3" long

...Leon's "special bar" is in the case? It's a generic 3" flat bar... like the hundreds of other ones we find in old lap steel cases.

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 26 Mar 2013 11:38 am

i think its legit - though i'm not in the least bit interested in it. you would often see the radio call letters on performers guitar cases - that was a badge of being "bon-e-fied".
this could be the steel guitar rag guitar?

John Rosett · Post by **John Rosett** » 26 Mar 2013 1:57 pm

Michael Lee Allen wrote:Guy's copying other dealers with the "bimbo" attention-getting first photo. As soon as somebody complains eBay pulls those pictures. Happens all the time. The real dazzling urbanite dealers always have better models though. Guess this was all that was available in Lubbock, or the seller thinks chubby, dyed-hair, Mexican chicks are hot or something.

At least she is showing a look of great enthusiasm for the guitar...

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 26 Mar 2013 2:36 pm

1935 ??? - 4K ??? - gimme a break !

or Leon M's personal T-8 Stringmaster with his name on the front.

from the Fo's archives :

Roy McKinney · Post by **Roy McKinney** » 26 Mar 2013 2:51 pm

Got to get my glasses changed....that looked like a quad to me.

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 26 Mar 2013 3:21 pm

The guy who has the steels in my photo above also has one of Leon's red quads with name as well. I think the important red quad was refinished white -- maybe it is red again?

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 26 Mar 2013 3:48 pm

oops... I should have said Leon's Quad, not a T-8 !!! You know what they say.. the memory's the first thing to go.

I shoulda known better. I saw Leon playing his quad back in the 1970s, and I was so impressed... I bought one!

Jeff Mead · Post by **Jeff Mead** » 27 Mar 2013 6:22 am

The seller has now updated the listing to say that he believes this instrument was probably stored at the radio station and used on weekly broadcasts and that the lettering(and mis-spelling of Bob Wills' name) was probably done by a radio station employee.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 27 Mar 2013 6:48 am

The seller has now updated the listing to say that he believes this instrument was probably stored at the radio station and used on weekly broadcasts and that the lettering(and mis-spelling of Bob Wills' name) was probably done by a radio station employee.

...yes, the seller's dream world includes a lot of "probablys".

Next he'll be telling us that Leon probably played this old lap steel on some Texas Playboys records, probably even "Steel Guitar Rag". And probably "Panhandle Rag". So it must be worth $4,000 Plus $69 shipping. I would say the value is closer to $69 Plus $40 shipping.

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 27 Mar 2013 7:36 am

IDeleted

David Matzenik · Post by **David Matzenik** » 27 Mar 2013 12:47 pm

I was going to bid on it, but then I saw they were only selling the guitar.

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 27 Mar 2013 1:34 pm

Michael - you are the knowledge base for these types of questions. I didn't know the DC-16 was available that early - I always thought early post war.

Mike Anderson · Post by **Mike Anderson** » 27 Mar 2013 4:55 pm

Jerome Hawkes wrote:Michael - you are the knowledge base for these types of questions. I didn't know the DC-16 was available that early - I always thought early post war.

There are actually a few for sale on Gbase right now Jerome - as old as the Leon one. Apparently Noel Boggs got it for him according to this very cool interview.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 28 Mar 2013 9:49 am

....and Leon didn't want to carry all of those heavy instruments around.

So, he played my three neck Fender when he appeared with our band,the Oklahoma Nightriders, because he didn't want to carry his stuff up the stairs to the Lindsayland Ballroom.

Leon, along with Jerry Byrd, was my initial influences in playing the steel guitar. I wish that I could have reached some of their success.

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Leon McAuliffe's Supertone Lap Steel

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