1939 Oahu 229K Lap Steel

In the 1930s, radio brought Hawaiian music to the mainland. Based in less than tropical Cleveland, Ohio, the Oahu Publishing Co. offered a mail-order program for students to learn Hawaiian Guitar and Ukulele. Although Oahu didn't manufacture instruments, aspiring slide players could purchase lap steels and even amplifiers in the catalog listed in the back of every Oahu instructional book. Ultimately, the proliferation of instruments like Oahus made Hawaiian steel guitars available to musicians who would make their high, lonesome sound a central element of emerging country, blues, and western music.  This Oahu 229K Lap Steel was made around 1939 by Kay in Chicago, Illinois. It is made of resonant solid Mahogany throughout, and while most steels have a shorter scale, this model features a long 25-3/4" scale. The added length increases the tension and places the notes subtly farther apart. For electronics, this 229K sports a big overwound single coil with six individual cylindrical poles.