Rare 1937 Supro Avalon Satin Black ! PREVIOUS OWNER REPORTS: All original Supro Avalon Hawaiian lap steel guitar serial #C54XX made between 1938-40 in VGC+! First lap steel in the Supro line with the signature National/Valco adjustable pole string-thru-the-pickup design. Built for only 3 years and somewhat of a rare find, it also has a distinctive aluminum fretboard with parallelogram markers. The black enamel body finish has just a few spots that have been touched up by previous owner and overall still looks quite good. The steel is hard-wired with its original cloth covered cloth ending in a period "stubby" 1/4 phono plug. Open back Kluson strip tuners with buttons that show minimal signs of shrinkage. Bone nut and an interesting bridge with a metal base that uses a hard plastic (bakelite?) material as the saddle. Individual aluminum control plates for the black bakelite volume and tone knobs. The early Supro logo appears at the top of both and everything, including the #s, is legible. Comes with its original green shag lined chipboard case that is also in good condition especially for its age. Only one out of the three clasps does not work properly and the handle still has 99% of its leather! It still does its job rather well for 71 years old. Overall a very clean vintage steel that gives you the signature National/Valco tone as a player along with being a piece of american musical history! My apologies for the flash spots in some of the pics but they are flash spots and not finish flaws. DENNY'S NOTE: This is a quite rare Supro Avalon, the first in the Supro line-up with the "bunker" pickup that's widely known for it's tone to the bone. Serial number C54XX falls within the Supro serial numbers C100 to C1475 for 1937. I have recently played and inspected the outside of this Steel. The satin black finish is aesthetically warm and a real joy to hold and play. This Steel would hold it's own in every aspect in the company of the most famous vintage Steels ever made. Plush lining in the chipboard case if fitting for this fine Steel. True to it's National / Supro / Valco and bunker pickup legacy; This Steel has that great legendary tone for any style of Music. |
1-19-04 |
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Finger picks have dulled this area. Appears to be buffable. |
This small round spot is where a thumb pick made some marks that someone brushed some black paint over. Appears to be buffable with a another few coats of touch-up paint to raise a good surface to buffing height. An automotive paint pen should do the trick. |
