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Calling all Skylark lap steel fans...

AlienVintage

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Sep 10, 2015
Messages
334
Thought you might find this interesting. This is an obscure chapter in the history of the Skylark lap steel that has intrigued me for a while, and there is very little good info out there on the subject:

https://youtu.be/QXuWJdFbBJs
 

Wally

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Feb 27, 2003
Messages
3,535
That is one sharp lap steel. Thanks for alerting me to an unneeded GAS!!!
 

AlienVintage

Active member
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Sep 10, 2015
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334
I think they are fascinating and really beautiful.

The one in the YouTube video is the actual guitar shown in Duchossoir’s book Gibson Electric Steel Guitars 1935-1967. Not just the same model - the actual specific guitar photographed in that book.
 

AlienVintage

Active member
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Sep 10, 2015
Messages
334
If anyone still remains skeptical about the fact that Gibson reverted back to the original korina Skylark design, here is a great example from 1967 that proves it: witch hat knobs, pot codes, chrome plating, etc.:

https://reverb.com/au/item/33050733...n-lap-steel-guitar-korina-eh-500?locale=en-AU

I was fortunate enough to have some contact with Duchossoir himself, through a third person. Duchossoir’s current belief is that the cherry red mahogany Sklark was a limited run of about 30 guitars in 1965 only.
 

Wally

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Feb 27, 2003
Messages
3,535
That Korina Skylark would look great with my Korina Gibson Consolette double 8 string. That price is shall we say optimistic imho, though.
 

Rich R

In the Zone/Backstage Pass
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Jun 4, 2002
Messages
4,999
Great, novel, thread! I picked mine up for a great price on Reverb a few months ago. At the time, I wanted the logo for a Flying V replica project, and besides, I just wanted an authentic piece of Gibson Korina as a memento. Funny thing is, when I got it, the light shone down from the heavens, and I thought "there's no way I'm desecrating this thing by pinching the logo--this thing stays 100%!" So now I've got me a vintage Lap Steel for the collection! (and I found another logo to use...):dude:
 

akstrat61

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Joined
Feb 16, 2004
Messages
1,845
I have had quiet a few of these over the years.:dude:

The last one I got is a "Custom Deluxe", which has black tuners and dot markers. Not sure how many of these were made either?:hmm

a87111f6-6c51-4f24-8389-11d4de4c16a9_zpssjxzorex.jpg
 

AlienVintage

Active member
Joined
Sep 10, 2015
Messages
334
Here is another video I just did now, about Gibson’s other 1960s lap steel redesign attempt: the late 1966 through 1967 mini-humbucker-equipped Century:

https://youtu.be/SMZ5Ln5vUfw

I consider the 1966 - 1967 mini-humbucker-equipped Century (which was the very last lap steel design that Gibson ever did) to be a sort of “sister” model to the very short-lived 1965 cherry red mahogany Skylark (linked again below, only for convenience sake, since both of these videos were really intended to be viewed together as related stories):

https://youtu.be/QXuWJdFbBJs

Anyway, hope you find this stuff as interesting as I do!
 

rockabilly69

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Jul 29, 2001
Messages
2,872
I had a mid sixties Gibson Skylark amplifier! Nice trem but pretty trebly!
 

Bob Womack

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Apr 8, 2002
Messages
2,191
If you recall, Gibson came out with their Flying V reissue in mahogany two years later and the premier finish was cherry.

Bob
 
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