Up for sale, a late 1940s Gibson Century 6 BR-2 lap steel in exceptional, 100% original condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case. This Post-War Gibson lap steel can be dated to either 1948 or ‘49 by the control configuration and design elements, including the painted bridge/pickup cover.
Crafted from maple, this steel retains its original single coil pickup, metering at 8.2k ohms, delivering a sparkling sound with a certain midrange smoothness and low-end punch. P-90-style with plenty of harmonic complexity on tap, the tone is an ideal combination of both detail and warmth, decidedly vocal-sounding and sonorous. This Century 6 has been freshly restrung here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 12-36 roundwound strings.
The scale length measures 22 1/2“, and string spacing measures 1 6/7” at the nut and 2 5/16” at the bridge. The silver plexi playing surface features red and black dot position markers, exhibiting some faint scuffing along the treble-side edge of the material. The headstock sports a Gibson silkscreen with an ornate note design, and the original set of Kluson Deluxe single-line tuning machines turn smoothly and hold accurate pitch, with all of the shrunken buttons intact.
The electronics function as intended, with the pickup governed by a Master Volume, with Treble Cut and Treble Bypass Tone knobs that effectively function as treble/bass EQ knobs. The original harness is intact, with original pots and paper-in-oil tone caps. The pickup has been professionally rewound. The original trio of tall number-less speed knobs is in great shape, as is the painted plexi pickup/bridge cover, complete with mounting screw. The nickel tailpiece is quite clean, with light pitting on the bridge baseplate.
The asymmetrical body is finished in an Ebony nitro lacquer gloss, exhibiting lacquer checking across the body as a whole, and there is a small decal from a Gibson dealer (Parker Music Co. in Houston, Texas) on the treble-side body perimeter. Cosmetic wear includes a handful of minor nicks on the body as a whole, largely relegated to the edges and base, with some very minor chipping along the treble-side top edge.
The original brown hardshell case is included; while the original handle is present and one latch is still functional, the case has deteriorated at the seams and is not currently secure without external stabilization.