Gibson lap What is it and what's it worth?

John Allison · Post by **John Allison** » 29 Apr 2009 5:40 pm

A friend of mine is interested in selling this. I don't know enough about the old 6'ers. I haven't seen it up close and personal, but I think it's in very nice shape.

Thanks
J A

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 1 May 2009 9:28 pm

Looks like an EH-125 to me, very nice condition.

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 2 May 2009 5:26 am

What happened to all the tuning knobs ?

John Allison · Post by **John Allison** » 2 May 2009 5:33 am

George Keoki Lake wrote:What happened to all the tuning knobs ?

I haven't gotten it in my hands, yet, so I haven't inspected it.
Those old celluloid tuners usually deteriorate from heat, but the pictures don't show any signs of stress in the finish.
Whenever I get to see it first hand, I'll take some better pics.

Thanks
J A

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 2 May 2009 7:49 am

Well, it looks physically ok. I have 2 of them, both older than the one you are considering, both with Charlie Christian pickups which the guitar shown does not seem to have...also my OLDER models still have their original tuning knobs in pristine condition...(?)...but then, we seldom, if ever reach temperatures of 100 degrees (f) as they do in Texas !

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 2 May 2009 10:34 am

It's not heat, but a chemical breakdown that causes the tuner knobs and sometimes pickguards and binding to deteriorate. I had a 30's Gibson A model mandolin that had actually started to spontaneously combust- there was a quarter sized hole in the pickguard slowly on fire with thin wisps of smoke! And that was in the late 70's. It made me wonder how many mysterious house fires start in a closet or under a bed...

Jim Konrad · Post by **Jim Konrad** » 2 May 2009 12:20 pm

Mark van Allen wrote:a 30's Gibson A model mandolin that had actually started to spontaneously combust- there was a quarter sized hole in the pickguard slowly on fire with thin wisps of smoke! And that was in the late 70's. It made me wonder how many mysterious house fires start in a closet or under a bed...

That has got to be one of the weirdest things I have ever..

Has anyone else heard of this phenomenon on any other instrument??

John Allison · Post by **John Allison** » 2 May 2009 3:30 pm

Celluloid plastics are pretty volatile and unstable, I guess. Didn't they use recycled celluloid movie film for explosives and propellant during WWII?
It's true that some batches of the older stuff just disintegrated without any good reason.

Here's an interesting aticle about celluloid used in old knife handles - same basic product used for bindings and pickguards.
http://www.oregonknifeclub.org/celluloid_02.html