1940s Vega Vitar Lap Steel Electric Guitar

Overview: I've owned and sold a number of Vega lap steels over the years and this is the most "Gibson-aping" one I've had yet. It's definitely chasing that EH-100/EH-150 stylization but the body is a little shorter and it weighs about half of what the Gibbies do. It's lightweight and easy to carry-around and plop on the lap without feeling like you've got an anchor on your knees. This dates from between the late '30s and early '40s and I suspect it's right around 1940/1941.

Tone: It's got a clean, singing, sweet tone that uglies-up nicely with drive into a bluesy mess. The output on the pickup is low so you'll have to add more gain or volume just as you might have to do with a single-pickup Danelectro or the like.

Feel: As noted, it's lightweight and fits in the lap about like a same-period Gibson EH model. It's comfy and well-thought-out and feels more compact than your average steel. The spacing at the nut and bridge are wide-enough to make more complicated playing styles easy.

Interesting features: I really like the repeating multicolor fingerboard inlays. They make keeping-track of your position easy-peasy. It's also got quality tuners, a distinctive look, and an in-house, Vega-made single coil pickup. I'm pretty sure the body is poplar.

Repairs included: Ancel swapped-out the original (flat) jack for a normal, 1/4" jack, restrung it, replaced a tiny section of missing binding, and cleaned it up. I made a few adjustments to the nut and saddle. It's ready to go and playing nicely. I currently have it tuned to open E with a set of 54w-12 gauges or similar.

• Weight: 3 lbs 9 oz
• Scale length: 20 7/8"
• Nut width: 2"
• Pickups: 1x original single coil

Condition notes: It's all-original except for the replacement jack and a replacement 1/8" wide bit of binding on the top edge of the body somewhere. While it's fairly clean for its age, it does show crackling to the celluloid binding, minor scratches and scuffs here and there throughout, edge wear, and a little wear to the hardware's plating as well.

It comes with: It has its original hard case! Yahoo!

Consignor tag: JW