1939 Gibson EST-150 Tenor

In the '30s, Gibson was the first company to manufacture a commercially viable hollowbody electric guitar. Famously played by Charlie Christian, the ES-150 was highly influential on the further development of the electric guitar. When you consider where the electric guitar went in the following decades, the ES or "Electric Spanish" guitar has greatly overshadowed the other two electric guitars pioneered by Gibson during the '30s. Even though they didn't catch on in the same way, the EH-100 Hawaiian electric and EST-150 electric tenor are both fascinating prewar artifacts. They're also great-playing instruments constructed during the golden years of Kalamazoo Gibson.  Released in 1937—just a few months behind the ES-150—the Gibson EST-150 is almost identical to the ES-150, except it sports a four-string neck and appropriate 23" scale. It features the same 16-1/4" wide body, constructed with a carved Spruce top that is x-braced and a flat Maple back. It has the same slender f-holes, the