Pictures of stage full of steels in 1956

Larry Lenhart · Post by **Larry Lenhart** » 19 Apr 2017 8:42 am

I thought I had posted this picture before, but I couldnt find it, so I thought I would show it again. Its great to see so many steels in one setting ! My steel teacher and friend, Bill Pruitt, RIP, was playing the quad I later bought from him as my first steel guitar. Good old days !

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 19 Apr 2017 11:00 am

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Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 19 Apr 2017 11:28 am

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Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 19 Apr 2017 11:41 am

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Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 19 Apr 2017 1:06 pm

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David M Brown · Post by **David M Brown** » 19 Apr 2017 1:11 pm

No wonder there are so many used lap steels!

Thanks for posting all those pictures.

Larry Lenhart · Post by **Larry Lenhart** » 19 Apr 2017 2:06 pm

Wow Michael, those are some really cool pictures...I especially liked the Chicagoland music festival pics! Do you know any stories behind them ?

Dennis Saydak · Post by **Dennis Saydak** » 19 Apr 2017 2:41 pm

Wonderful pictures from happy times. These days it wouldn't surprise me if cell phone conventions will eventually replace steel guitar conventions.

Tommy Detamore · Post by **Tommy Detamore** » 19 Apr 2017 3:40 pm

Those are incredible photos! Thanks for sharing y'all....

To think that once upon a time steel guitars were at all prevalent. And yet there are still many who don't even know what they are.

"That thing you play....so what do you call that anyway?"

I get asked that fairly often....

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 19 Apr 2017 4:32 pm

Wonderful pictures from a bygone era, when every city in the USA had mom and pop music stores with student bands. So proud of their guitars and steel guitars. Youngsters studied music and played together. People interacted in person, instead of staring at computer screens and texting. Social networking really was social.

I like the picture with the 13 Eharps!

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 19 Apr 2017 6:46 pm

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 20 Apr 2017 2:05 am

Terrific pics. I've always wanted to hear audio of what these large steel guitar orchestras sounded like. You know, this is a story that is unknown beyond the tiny confines of the steel guitar world. The world knows about the birth of rock, the start of R&B, country music and other musical/cultural threads of the 1940s and 50s but the fact that hundreds of amateur steel guitar orchestras even existed and flourished in this time period is more or less unknown to the general public. Makes me think about doing a documentary. Sigh. But there are so few hours in the day.

Jim Bloomfield · Post by **Jim Bloomfield** » 20 Apr 2017 6:03 am

Thanks for sharing. I didn't know 10-string lap steels were even around in that time period.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 20 Apr 2017 6:50 am

Hal Rugg told me that he put together a band at one time that was comprised of 17 steel guitars and a bass.

But he lost the gig... too much bass.

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 20 Apr 2017 7:10 am

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Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 20 Apr 2017 9:46 am

I've read on various web sites that Eddie Alkire designed the Eharp around 1940, and most of the Epiphone Eharps were made in the 1940s. In the 50s Eddie switched over to Valco Co. to build his Eharps. There were at least three versions of the Valco Eharps, some lap steels and some consoles, made until the early 60s. The Epiphone ones are the most sought-after today for their beauty, ornate tuners, wide rosewood fretboard, etc.

It's kind of exciting to think that my Epi Eharp could be one of the ones pictured below! (image from Michael Lee Allen). They couldn't have made too many of them. Most of the ones in the picture are Epiphones. A few of them are the first Valco version with MOTS covering.

Bill Flores · Post by **Bill Flores** » 20 Apr 2017 12:52 pm

reposting this one.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 20 Apr 2017 4:51 pm

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 20 Apr 2017 5:09 pm

Bill Flores, your photo is AMAZING! Thanks.

Larry Lenhart · Post by **Larry Lenhart** » 20 Apr 2017 7:12 pm

Bill Flores, that picture brought a big smile to my face !
Do you know any history on that photo ? Just guessing, but it looks like a church setting, part of the service or a performance/recital that happened to be at a church ? Is this an early gospel steel service ?

Mark Roeder · Post by **Mark Roeder** » 3 May 2017 12:12 pm

Amazing historical images!!!!

Mickey Adams · Post by **Mickey Adams** » 3 May 2017 7:54 pm

Id bet that if all these guitars were in one collection....GAZILLIONAIRE!
I agree...this is mind boggling..!

Charley Erck · Post by **Charley Erck** » 6 May 2017 11:45 pm

Herb Steiner wrote:Hal Rugg told me that he put together a band at one time that was comprised of 17 steel guitars and a bass.

But he lost the gig... too much bass.

Ha!

Stefan Robertson · Post by **Stefan Robertson** » 7 May 2017 12:15 am

My question is where did all these steels go.

I remember that an aunt who lived in New Jersey told me that her mum got one from the music shop with her amp. Kind of like a squire and amp deal.

I don't know if this was the norm but where in ht e heck did all these instruments go. Especially the 10 string and 12 string models.

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 7 May 2017 6:56 am

Note: Very few guitar cords showing. Maybe they insisted on no one actually playing while they posed for the photo.