Vintage Guitars Info's
Gibson Lapsteel Model Descriptions.

Lapsteel Collectibility

Pre-War Gibson LapSteel Model Info

• EH-150
• EH-100
• EH-125
• Roy Smeck Special
• EH-185
• EH-275

Post-War Gibson LapSteel Model Info

• BR-4
• BR-6
• BR-9
• UltraTone/BR-1
• SkyLark EH-500
• Century-6
• RoyalTone

A Note on LapSteel Collectibility.
I don't individually rate each lapsteel model for collectibility, because they all pretty much fall into a "D" or "D-" category. Remember, they are basically obsolete instruments by todays standards. Therefore they are only interesting as historical sidenotes.

Model: EH-150/E-150 LapSteel
Available: 1935 to 1943

1935 E-150 Metalbody LapSteel introduction specs:

cast aluminum body, guitar-shaped body with shoulders angled into neck (at a sharper angle than wood EH-150's), Charlie Christian pickup with bound blade, 2 knobs on opposite sides, unbound ebony fingerboard with "V" end (a few with rosewood), inlaid fret markers, metal nut, open back tuners with metal buttons, black painted logo. 98 Metalbody instruments shipped, available 10/1/35 to 3/9/36.

January 1936 EH-150 Woodbody LapSteel introduction specs:

hollow guitar shaped body, shoulders taper into neck more gradually than earlier metal model, maple top (often flame maple), screwed-on back, Charlie Christian pickup with bound blade and unbound outer edge, 2 knobs on opposite sides, triple bound top (early models with single bound top), bound rosewood fingerboard with V-end, pearl fingerboard inlays, pearl logo, no peghead ornament, sunburst finish, 6 or 7 strings (more strings optional).

1937 EH-150 LapSteel specs:

glue-on bound back, bound outer edge of pickup, knobs on same side (1 black, 1 brown), triple bound top and back, 4-piece diamond peghead inlay. 2 neck version available 1937-1938.

1938 EH-150 LapSteel specs:

pickup blade split in middle (pickup magnet underneath top changes to horseshoe shape), triple bound top and back, chrome plated bridge cover.

November 1939 EH-150 LapSteel specs: ES-300 type oblong pickup mounted at a slant.

late 1940 EH-150 LapSteel specs:

Fleur-de-lis peghead inlay.

1941 EH-150 LapSteel specs:

square-end metal fingerboard with fancy markers.

October 1942 EH-150 LapSteel specs:

Solid mahogany body, 5 sided metal control plate, metal covered pickup with raised center (some with tortoiseshell material in center), knobs on opposite sides, triple bound top, single bound back, metal fingerboard, fleur-de-lis peghead inlay (specs identical to the EH-125 except for a trible bound top).

EH-150 discontinued 1943.

1938 EH-100 in sunburst.

Model: EH-100 LapSteel
Available: 1936 to 1941

Early 1936 EH-100 LapSteel introduction specs:

hollow guitar shaped body, shoulders taper into neck, all maple body, ES-100 type blade pickup with white rectangular housing, 1 knob on treble side (late 1936 models with 2 knobs on opposite sides), rosewood fingerboard with square end, dot fingerboard inlays, silkscreened logo, black finish, 6 or 7 strings.

1937 EH-100 LapSteel specs:

sunburst finish. Late 1937 models with 2 knobs on treble side.

1940 EH-100 LapSteel specs:

solid mahogany body, metal-covered pickup, 5 side control plate sourronds knobs and pickup, knobs on opposite sides, no body binding, square-end metal fingerboard with fancy markers (some with rosewood fingerboard and pearl dots), point at top of peghead, silkscreen logo, natural mahogany finish.

EH-100 discontinued 1941.

Model: EH-125 LapSteel
Available: 1940 to 1942

1940 EH-125 LapSteel introduction specs:

guitar shaped solid mahogany body, shoulder taper into neck, metal covered pickup, 5 sided metal control plate, metal bridge cover, single bound top and back, metal fingerboard with fancy markers, fleur-de-lis peghead inlay, pearl logo, sunburst finish.


EH-125 discontinued 1942.

Bolt-on back Roy Smeck Special lapsteel, 7 strings.

Model: Roy Smeck Special LapSteel
Available: March 1936 to 1941

March 1936 Roy Smeck Special LapSteel specs:

A white finished EH-150 (bascially follows the EH-150 specs except for color and binding style), "V" end ebony fingerboard with w/b binding, dot inlays, black peghead binding, 6 or 7 strings. Says "Roy Smeck" on peghead just above the nut. Diamond crest on peghead.

1941 Roy Smeck Special LapSteel specs:

last few shipped have natural finish, tortoise binding, and white painted hardware. Only 14 shipped total.

Model: EH-185 LapSteel
Available: September 1939 to 1942

September 1939 EH-185 LapSteel introduction specs:

hollow guitar shaped flamed maple body, shoulder taper into neck, Charlie Christian pickup with triple bound edge, triple bound top and back, 1 piece metal plate (painted black) extends from peghead to pickguard (under fingerboard, where the plate is thicker) covering most of lower bout, peghead is part of metal plate, wood neckpiece bolts onto back of metal plate, rubber non-slip material in shape of diamonds on back of neck and body, single bound rosewood fingerboard with V-end, dot fingerboard inlays, slotted peghead, top tuners with metal buttons, sunburst or natural finish.

1940 EH-185 LapSteel specs:

metal plate has uniform thickness from fingerboard to body and is painted crinkle brown, black line on side of fingerboard binding,

1941 EH-185 LapSteel specs:

metal plate now painted black/gray crinkle, ES-300 type pickup mounted at a slant.

EH-185 discontinued 1942.

Model: EH-275 LapSteel
Available: September 1940 to 1942

September 1940 EH-275 LapSteel introduction specs:

hollow guitar shaped flame maple body, shoulder taper into neck, ES-300 type pickup mounted at a slant, 1 piece metal plate painted crinkle brown extends from peghead to pickguard (under fingerboard) covering most of lower bout, peghead is part of metal plate, wood neckpiece bolts onto back of metal plate, tortoise grain binding on top and back, rosewood fingerboard with V-end, white fingerboard binding, white and yellow block fingerboard inlays, multi-colored inlaid fret markers (some with ED-185 fingerboard and dot inlays), slotted peghead, top tuners, natural finish, available 6, 7 or 8 strings.

EH-275 discontinued 1942, about 25 shipped.

Model: BR-4 LapSteel
Available: 1947

1947 BR-4 LapSteel introduction specs:

guitar shaped mahogany body, pickup with non-adjustable poles, knobs on opposite sides, large gold plastic plate covers lower bouts, curlicue design on pickup cover, binding varies (some with none), rounded neck, sunburst finish.


BR-4 available only for one year.

July 1946 BR-6 LapSteel introduction specs:

guitar shaped mahogany body, knobs on opposite sides, plastic control plate back-painted white, white bridge/pickup cover, square neck, white open-block fingerboard markers with numbers, black finish.

1948 BR-6 LapSteel introduction specs:

gold plastic control plate and pickup cover, string ends visible, single bound top and back, metal fingerboard, gold painted markers, round neck, sunburst finish.

mid-1950's BR-6 LapSteel specs:

knobs on same side.

1956 BR-6B LapSteel specs:

black model, 77 sold 1956 to 1959.

BR-6 discontinued 1960. BR-6B also cataloged 1956 to 1959. Probably a BR-6 with a black finish.

Model: BR-9 LapSteel
Available: 1947 to 1959
The most widely sold and least expensive Gibson lapsteel at the time.

1947 BR-9 LapSteel introduction specs:

graduated 3-bout body, brown plastic pickup/bridge cover, 2 white radio knobs on same side, pickup with non-adjustable poles, open-block fingerboard markers with numbers, beige finish, brown fingerboard and trim.

1950 BR-9 LapSteel specs:

adjustable pickup poles.

BR-9 discontinued 1959.

1948 UltraTone LapSteel.

Model: UltraTone (BR1) LapSteel
Available: March 1946 to 1959

March 1946 BR1/Ultratone LapSteel introduction specs:

straight line bass side of body, rouned extension around knobs on treble side, maple body, pickup with non-adjustable poles, 3 knobs, coral bridge/pickup cover with lyre design and "UltraTone", plastic fingerboard back-painted silver, fingerboard widens along bass side, dot fingerboard markers, coral rectangular tuner buttons, gray and silver peghead cover, white finish. In late 1946 model renamed "Ultratone" instead of BR1.

1950 UltraTone LapSteel specs:

adjustable pickup poles.

1953 UltraTone LapSteel specs:

straight body edge around knobs, flower on pickup cover, fingerboard back-painted blue, bass edge of fingerboard parallel to strings, some with "Century" at end of fingerboard, no peghead cover, curlicue peghead ornament, logo straight across peghead, dark blue finish.

1955 UltraTone LapSteel specs:

peghead cover with floral design, seal brown finish, beige fingerboard.

1956 UltraTone LapSteel specs:

bound top, clay-colored tuner buttons, ivory top finish, natural mahogany back and sides finish.

1958 UltraTone LapSteel specs:

humbucking pickup, flower design on pickup cover.

UltraTone discontinued 1959.

UltraTone available with 7 strings 1947 to 1955.

Model: SkyLark (EH-500) LapSteel
Available: 1956 to 1968

1956 SkyLark LapSteel introduction specs:

korina (African Limba wood) body, square end body with straight line on bass side, slant mounted pickup, control plate has shoulder to include knob, body beveled around fingerboard, open block markers with numbers, peghead points slightly to treble side, raised plastic logo reads upside down to player, natural finish.

1958 Skylark Deluxe LapSteel specs:

introduced 1958 (discontinued 1959) with dot markers, "Custom Deluxe" stenciled on peghead. 8 string models also available.

SkyLark discontinued 1968.

Model: RoyalTone LapSteel
Available: 1950 to 1952

1950 RoyalTone LapSteel introduction specs:

symmetrical body with pointes on upper bout, maple top, 2 tone dark brown and black pickup cover, natural top finish, brown back and side finish.

RoyalTone discontinued 1952.

1956 Century-6 lapsteel.

Model: Century-6 LapSteel
Available: 1948 to 1968

1948 Century-6 LapSteel introduction specs:

straight line bass side of body, rounded extention around knobs on treble side, maple body, pickup with non-adjustable poles, 3 knobs, silver fingerboard, no peghead cover, curlicue design on peghead, peghead points slightly to treble side, oval tuner buttons, black finish.

1955 Century-6 LapSteel specs:

P-90 soapbar pickup matching finish, plastic bridge cover does no hide pickup, 3 knobs, beach white (beige) fingerboard finish, dot markers, 1 color plastic peghead cover, "bittersweet" (salmon or clay colored) body finish.

1966 Century-6 LapSteel specs:

slightly asymmetrical body with square end, mini-humbucking pickup with no poles, rectangulare metal pickup cover, control plate extends up neck, dark fingerboard, red and yellow markers, logo reads upside down to player, red finish.

Century-6 discontinued 1968.