Category: Articles

Earnest Uncommon Musical Instruments branches into a new line of lap steel guitars with the introduction of the Eckenbacher. Designed in collaboration with Maine guitarist, Cartwright Thompson, the Eckenbacher combines some of the best features of both Fender and Rickenbacher steel guitars into one beautiful instrument. It’s made of select, lightweight swamp ash with a maple fretboard and headstock veneer, highlighted with black veneer “frets”, and black position dots. Kluson Style tuners, a tele-style bridge (with a one-piece solid brass saddle), chrome knobs, parchment or bakelite pickguards, and a translucent blonde lacquer finish (other colors available) give the instrument a traditional look. A Jason Lollar Special T Bridge Pickup is the hot ticket with “rounder top end, fuller mids, and smoother bottom” (just what kind of “pickups” is he talking about here?). Also available with a one meg tone pot, for that “Ooh-Aah” effect. The 23.5” scale length is just the right compromise between the old Rics and Stringmaster guitars. The Eckenbacher was a hit with steel players at the recent NY Uke Festival. Hard shell Fender style case included.

With a lightweight swamp ash body and ears like a cat, the SWAMP CAT has a traditional bolt-on maple neck, rosewood fretboard, and a hardtail bridge with through-body string anchors. Available with either single coil or humbucking pickups, the SWAMP CAT has a clear, bright tone and great sustain, thanks also to the 14.5″ scale length. The SWAMP CATcomes in four or five string models with a translucent blonde lacquer finish, black or parchment pickguard, and chrome knobs. Custom colors are also available. The SWAMP CAT was designed for Barry Mitterhoff, classical, ethnic, bluegrass, jazz, and blues mandolinist extraordinaire, currently touring with the band, Hot Tuna.

See Price List for prices.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Total Length	Body Width	Body Depth	Body Length	Scale Length
27″	10″	1 5/8″	14″	14 1/2″

Early tenor guitars were often built by simply attaching a tenor neck to a standard size guitar body. As tenors declined in popularity, many were converted to six string guitars, “enhancing” their value musically and monetarily. Now, as demand for tenor guitars again increases, some smaller six string guitars (but generally not rare vintage instruments) have become excellent candidates for conversion to tenors. Earnest Instruments specializes in tenor conversions, as well as building new bodies for orphaned tenor necks.

 

---

 

This Gibson 3/4 size ES 125 had been previously subjected to numerous botched repairs and “improvements” when it was acquired by Earnest Instruments. The old six string neck was removed and replaced by a tenor neck built in the Gibson style. The instrument was also rebound, refinished and rewired. The resulting guitar is a thin body archtop electric tenor, better proportioned than either Gibson’s 3/4 size six strings or their full sized tenor guitars.

 

 

 

 

---

 

This short scale Mexican requinto was well played and well worn when its current owner, tenor banjoist Eddy Davis, decided to have it converted to a tenor guitar. The fingerboard was removed, narrowed, inlayed, and reglued after reinforcing the neck with a graphite epoxy rod. Built in the Spanish style, the guitar’s neck could not be removed so it was recarved on the body. The headstock was shortened for four tuners, reglued, and reveneered on top and back to reinforce and hide the joint. “The Mex” is now a nylon string tenor guitar, well suited for ethnic, jazz, folk, or classical music.

 

 

 

---

 

Another of Gibson’s 3/4 size archtop electrics, this 1950’s guitar was in very good condition but the customer requested that it be converted to a plectrum guitar. I steamed off the original neck and replaced it with a 4 string mahogany neck with a two-way truss rod, keystone tuners, a bound ebony fretboard (26.25″ scale) and block inlays. The result is a mini ES-175 style plectrum guitar …lightweight, nicely proportioned, and with great access to the upper frets. Not exactly a factory item, but it looks like it could have been.

 

 

 

 

---

 

This guitar was a total basket case when it arrived in my shop. The sides were split from end to end, the neck block and heel were cracked and badly repaired, the bridge, tuners, and tailpiece were missing, and the finish was gone. But…the top and back were in good shape, so I slowly coaxed it back together with clamps and glue, rebound, recarved, and refinished it, and made a new tenor neck. Of course, Gibson didn’t make tenor guitars back in 1912 (they weren’t due to show up for another 15 years) so this instrument is now something of a… bastard case. Little did Gibson know that what made this a rather mediocre sounding archtop guitar, with a small body, round sound hole, short scale and a very fat 13 fret neck, makes it an excellent sounding tenor guitar, with a 23″ scale, and a 12 fret adjustable neck. Over 90 years old, this well-used L-3 lives on. It almost looks like it was made this way.

A classic electric tenor guitar with a single cutaway, chambered mahogany body, bound spruce top, mahogany set-neck, and a tunematic bridge with a stop tailpiece, Rosetta is designed with the jazz or rock tenor guitarist in mind, but just about any style music can be adapted to its mellow, substantial tone and long sustain. Available with one, two, or even three pickups, either single coil or humbucking, this lightweight guitar can be customized to fit any player’s needs. A choice of finishes is also available, including tinted, sunburst, black, or gold top, with nickel, or gold hardware, dot or block inlays. And lastly, Rosetta is available in standard tenor (23″) or plectrum (26.25″) scales, as well as shorter scales for improved playability and a mellower tonal range. Comes with a fitted hardshell Les Paul style case, for ease of portability, and excellent protection.

w/single Kent Armstrong pickup, rosewood fretboard,
dot inlays, tinted spruce top, hsc – $1950
w/bound ebony fretboard and block inlays – add $250
w/2 Kent Armstrong pickups –add $100
w/3 Kent Armstrong pickups – add $150
w/black or gold top – add $75
w/sunburst top – add $125
w/gold hardware – add $75

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Total Length	Width-Upper Bout	Width-Lower Bout	Max. Depth of Body	Body Length	Scale Length	Neck Width at Nut
36″	9″	13″	1 3/4″	17″	23″	1 1/8″

Joel Eckhaus, Luthier
12 Fairlawn Ave.
S. Portland, ME 04106
207/838-6281
[email protected]

It’s acoustic; it’s electric; it’s resophonic; it’s the RADIATOR – Earnest Instruments’ latest “resocoustilectric” tenor guitar! Available in either four or five string (suggested tuning, FCGDA) models, the RADIATOR features a hollow thinline ash body, bolt-on maple neck with two-way truss rod, rosewood fretboard, and National-style cone and biscuit bridge. The unique “apostrophic” soundholes enhance the bass and midrange harmonics giving the RADIATOR a loud and full acoustic sound. Plugged in, The RADIATOR just cooks with tone. Standard electronics include a lipstick tube pickup and a McIntyre piezo transducer with tone and volume controls and a three-way switch. Standard finish is satin lacquer with a translucent blonde color. Other finishes and electronic options are available. Rectangular hardshell case included

See Price List for prices.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Total Length	Width-Upper Bout	Width-Lower Bout	Max. Depth of Body	Neck Width at nut	Scale Length
36″	9″	13 3/8″	2″	4-String: 1 1/8″5-String: 1 7/16″	23″

Updated: July 2013.

Selma Tenor Acoustic Guitar	Straight Grain Mahogany	2950
	Indian Rosewood	3000
	Curly Mahogany or Koa	3100
ROSETTA Electric Tenor Guitar	w/ single Kent Armstrong pickup, rosewood fretboard, dot inlays, tinted spruce top, hsc	2150
	bound ebony fretboard & block inlays	300
	bound headstock	100
	2 Kent Armstrong pickups	100
	3 Kent Armstrong pickups	150
	black or gold top	200
	sunburst top	250
	gold hardware	100
VERONICA Archtop Tenor Guitar	clear gloss finish, dot inlays	5750
	sunburst finish	450
	bound fretboard & block inlays	300
	bound headstock binding	100
	cutaway	700
	Kent Armstrong Floating Pick Up system	300
TENORCASTER Tenor Guitar	w/clear satin finish	1600
	w/clear gloss finish	1650
	w/tinted or opaque colors	1700
	w/sunburst	1800
RADIATOR Resonator/Electric Tenor Guitar	4 string model	2150
	5 string model	2200
FLYING TV Electric Tenor Guitar	Mahogany body w/clear gloss lacquer 1850	1850
	Alder body w/TV yellow finish	1950
	Limba body w/clear gloss lacquer	2150
BIG RED Cello Guitar		3450
SWAMP CAT Electric Mandolin	4-string model	1550
	5-string model	1650
EARNESTO Flat Top Mandolin		1950
OCTAVIO Octave Mandolin		2150
PASSIONE Mandolin		1750
JUNIOR Electric Mandolin	Deluxe Model 4 string	1750
	Deluxe Model 5 string	1800
	Deluxe Model 8 string	1900
	Junior Jr. Model 4 string	1450
	Junior Jr. Model 5 string	1500
	Junior Jr. Model 8 string	1600
LITTLE RED Electric Mandolin incl./padded nylon gigbag	satin finish	1000
	gloss finish	1100
BOOMERANG Electric Mandolin	4 string	1450
	5 string	1500
	Multiscale fretboard	250
LA PAULA Concert Uke	mahogany top, no binding	1200
	bound spruce top	1350
	bound curly maple top	1400
	sunburst or goldtop finish	1500
THE STRADELELE Concert Uke	Standard Stradelele, with violin tuners and tru-oil finish	1250
	Pegheds™ tuners	100
	satin lacquer finish	50
	gloss lacquer finish	100
STRETCH Electric Bass Uke		1150 incl./case
PADDLELELE Concert Uke		850
SPUTNIK Uke	Concert Uke	950
	SPUTNIK Tenor Uke	1150
PALOMINO Uke	Soprano	950
	Concert	1050
	Tenor	1250
	8-string Taropatch	1450
	curly mahogany or koa	150
LeROY Uke	Soprano	950
	Concert	1050
	Tenor	1250
	curly mahogany or koa	150
HALL OF FAME Uke	Style 0 soprano	750
	Style 1 – with binding	850
	Style 1– curly mahogany or koa	950
MAINLANDER Uke	Soprano	750
	Concert	850
	Tenor	1000
	Tortoise shell or ivoroid binding	100
TULULELE acoustic/electric Uke	Concert, clear satin finish	850
	Gloss, satin lacquer	950
	Blonde tint	1000
	Custom colors	1050
	Tenor	1250
HOOTCHULELE Uke		575
CEEGAR BOX Uke		425
THE ECKENBACHER Lap Steel Guitar		1350

Prices include padded gig bag, unless noted. Hard shell cases and Shipping extra.
All orders require 25% “Earnest money,” in advance

Hawaii has it’s pineapples, but for size, color, texture, and taste, the king of the fruits here on the mainland has got to be the watermelon. An icon of folk art, plantation lore, and kitchen décor, the watermelon makes a perfect fit with another symbol of camp and kitsch, the ukulele. The Ipulele (Ipu means melon in Hawaiian) is hand painted with uncanny realism by NY artist and uke enthusiast, Kim Do. A concert size uke with a bolt-on maple neck and ash body, the Ipulele is a delicious feast for the eyes and the ears…too bad you can’t eat it!

Concert – $875

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Total Length	Body Length	Maximum Width of Body	Maximum Depth of Body	Scale Length
24 1/2″	11″	8″	1 3/4″	14 7/8″

The original EARNEST octave mandolin has gone through a number of design changes and refinements resulting in OCTAVIO, a flat-top, octave mandolin featuring a strong, guitar-like bass and a sweet, balanced treble with lots of sustain. The deep, rounded teardrop shape creates a large air chamber allowing the instrument to respond to the low G strings, while the 23″ scale gives it the “feel” of a tenor banjo. OCTAVIO fills a void in the mandolin family. It creates an ideal voice for Celtic music, as well as other ethnic, classical, and contemporary styles. OCTAVIO is available in domestic or exotic tonewoods, with a spruce top, ebony or rosewood fingerboard (12″ radius or flat), and ivoroid binding.

See Price List for prices.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Total Length	Width-Lower Bout	Max. Depth of Body	Body Length	Scale Length
34 7/8″	13″	2 5/8″	16 5/8″	23″

American Standards
Earnest Instruments, in collaboration with several artists, is pleased to introduce the “American Standards” series, a limited edition of one-of-a-kind painted ukuleles commemorating the golden age of American popular music. The paintings attempt to illustrate both the lyrics of the songs as well as the spirit of the times in which they were popular. Customers can request special songs for the series, or choose from a list of suggested titles. No two ukes will be alike and prices will vary depending on the size and style of uke, and the requirements of the painting.

Number one in the series commemorates the song “My Blue Heaven”, written by Walter Donaldson and George Whiting, which became the first million selling vocal hit with the 1927 recording by Gene Austen . The “My Blue Heaven” uke was painted by Greg Dearth, illustrator, painter, and an accomplished jazz musician, from Franklin, Ohio. (Scroll down for close-ups)