COLLECTOR FEATURE

Striking a nostalgic chord with vintage guitars Steve Evans “Pioneer Days” guitar, 1951; There was a time when artwork shows a wagon train youngsters dreamed of being with mountains, clouds and a distant sunset. This shaded a cowboy or cowgirl. Their brown finish guitar was made desires were fueled by the of birch, a wood often used action-packed cowboy movies for making cowboy guitars. and fascinating radio shows of the 1930s through the 1950s. The guitars shown in this During that era, big mail- article were made in America, order catalogs offered “cowboy but cowboy guitars were also guitars.” Sears & Roebuck gui- produced in Canada, Austra- tars were made by the Harmo- lia, Germany, Holland and ny Company and came with stencil painted . art, while models sold by Montgomery Interest in cowboy guitars declined Ward and Spiegel were made by multiple around 1955 when and rock manufacturers (Kay, Regal or Richter) and & roll music hit the stage. Some people “Plainsman” guitar, 1940, depicts Wild featured vivid silk-screen painted artwork. actually painted over the artwork of their Bill Hickok on horseback in a forest of The attractiveness of cowboy guitar art cowboy guitars or simply discarded them. pine trees. often has to do with the smallest of details. Today, cowboy guitars are usually un- This art was fashioned after a scene from the 1936 Gary Cooper movie “The Look inside the trailing wagon of the “Pio- playable because of their advanced age, but Plainsman.” neer Days” scene. This portion of the art some nostalgic folks choose to hang them shows the silhouette of a woman wearing a on their walls to artfully remember the bonnet and reading (her Bible?). Maybe she good old days. is praying for protection and courage for To see a short video showing the cowboy their trip West. guitars in my collection, or to see the “Prai- Take a look at the art of the “ rie Ramblers” guitar featured in a bluegrass Cowboys” guitar. It shows a bright red music video, visit YouTube.com and search campfire with the rest of the scene stenciled for “Antique Trader Cowboy Guitars.” in cream-colored paint. This two-color To view these guitars in person, visit the scene appears to be illuminated by the fire Jacksonville Guitar Museum, 1105 Burman during the night. It’s really beautiful! Drive in Jacksonville, Arkansas. ■

Early 1940s “Lefty Cowboy on Horse,” “” guitar, “Red Foley” guitar, 1941, This 1938 “Rodeo” guitar’s made by Kay and sold through Spiegel. 1955, shows Roy playing made by Richter, shows art shows one cowboy The cowboy resembles guitar by a campfire and a cowboy on horseback riding and roping, another wearing chaps and a big cowboy hat. Trigger standing in the standing by a waterfall waving his hat while riding Note original owner’s pick-shaped background. This guitar with trees and mountains a horse that is reared up initials “O.S.B.” has a spruce top with in the background. on hind legs, and a third maple back and sides and Inscription reads “Smooth cowboy off in the distance was made by Harmony. Trailin’ Red Foley.” riding a bucking bronco.

2 ANTIQUE TRADER • www.AntiqueTrader.com • September 17, 2014 COLLECTOR FEATURE

“Lone Ranger” guitar, 1937, “Buck Jones” guitar, 1940, “Prairie Ramblers” guitar, “Jerry the Yodeling Cowboy” shows the Lone Ranger shows Buck on his horse, 1958, was made by Kay and guitar, 1940, named after Jerry riding Silver while the horse Silver, with an inscription sold through Spiegel. The Smith. Jerry had played in is rearing up on his hind legs, reading “Good Luck, Buck Prairie Ramblers with Patsy a movie when this and Tonto riding his horse, Jones & Silver.” This guitar Montana singing lead had the guitar was produced, but he Scout. In the distance is a was made by Regal and sold popular record “I Want to be was better known for having a steam engine train silhouetted through Montgomery Ward. a Cowboy’s Sweetheart.” cowboy radio show on WHO by the moon. in Des Moines, Iowa.

“Branding Time” guitar, 1941, with Del Oro This 1940 “Singing Cowboys” scene Early 1940s “Corral Scene” guitar with name on peghead, made by Kay and sold shows five cowboys singing and playing vivid silk-screened artwork. Made by through Spiegel. The art shows a cowboy guitars around the campfire. Made by Regal, this guitar is red, but the same art lassoing a steer; the cowboy and horse Harmony and sold through Sears with was available on a dark green guitar. look a lot like Buck Jones and Silver. Supertone label inside.

Steve Evans entered the retailing business in 1975 at the age of 18 by opening the Jacksonville Guitar Center in Jacksonville, Ark. He has been collecting vintage guitars since then, and has co-authored “Cowboy Guitars” (Centerstream Publishing, 2002; available online through Booksamillion.com and Amazon.com). Evans has dedicated one end of his retail building to the Jacksonville Guitar Museum, displaying his vintage guitar collection, which, in addition to vintage Fender, Martin and Gibson guitars, includes more than 150 circa 1930s-1950s Cowboy Guitars with Western artwork and a few hundred plastic toy guitars. Evans can be reached at the Jacksonville Guitar Center, 1105 Burman Dr., Jacksonville, AR 72076; 501-982-4933; http://www.cowboyguitars. net/jvllguitar. Shop/museum hours are Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

September 17, 2014 • www.AntiqueTrader.com • ANTIQUE TRADER 3