Brand: Gibson
Instrument Categories: Electric, Guitars, Solidbody, Steel
The Gibson EH-500 Skylark, built from 1956 to 1968, was built in the waning days of the popularity of Hawaiian music; the EH stands for Electric Hawaiian in the same way that the ES designation stands for Electric Spanish. In 1968, Gibson ceased production of not only the Skylark, but their entire line of steel guitars.
The earliest production electric guitars were lap steel models, with the 1931 ‘Frying Pan’ model designed by George Beauchamp and built in Adolph Rickenbacher’s shop perhaps the first.
Construction of the Gibson EH-500 Skylark is very simple. It consists of a one-piece body of Korina – a Gibson trademark for African Limba (Terminalia superba). In terms of guitars, this wood is most famous for having been used to construct the initial 1958 – 1959 versions of the Explorer and Flying V, and the Moderne prototype. Kluson Deluxe strip tuners were used at the head, with metal rod nut and bridge bars, a painted wooden position board, and a tailpiece formed by drilling holes in the bridge plate / pickup mount, with a bridge cover. The pickup is a single coil model shared with the Melody Maker, and there are Volume and Tone controls plus an output jack mounted to the plate. The Gibson logo is plastic and glued to the headstock, upside down to the player.
This Gibson EH-500 Skylark dates to 1962 and was built at the historic Parsons Street plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It is in overall good condition with most of its wear being in the form of tarnish to the nickel plating, plus deterioration of the plastic tuner buttons. These tuners were standard parts and drop-in replacements are available.
The original hard shell case is included.
- Model: EH-500 Skylark
- Year: 1962
- Finish Natural Korina
- Class: Vintage
- Serial Number: 79209, built during 1962 in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
- Country of Origin: USA
- Condition: Good
- Date Posted: 11/04/2023
- Consignment Item
- Including original Hard case
- Instrument Weight: 4.884lbs 2.22kg
- Scale Length: 22.5in 571.5mm
- Nut Width: 1.883in 47.85mm
