Great Granddad's Guitar

[Danno]

I have had my great granddad's guitar since 1980. He passed away in the mid 1950's so I never had the chance to meet him. I'm trying to learn more about the man after opening up the case after many years and looking at the wear.

I googled the model number 1887861 and found out it was made by the Shireson company. The date "11-15-32" is right below the model number.

Is anyone familiar with this guitar? I've read it is a Hawaiian guitar. I told dad he must have had extremely strong hands. He confirmed that was indeed the case.

A few pictures:

[Danno]

A few more if the mods don't mind:

[Danno]

This one I feel is the most amazing:



There appears to be not a hint of gloss until the neck meets the body. What the heck was he playing? Dad says he loved to play a song called "Spanish Fandango" and another called "Tenting on the Old Camp Ground" which was an old Civil War song I'm now learning.

Thanks for any insight you guys might have. The guitar sounds incredible and has a smell I'm sure these relic companies wish could be bottled. It is definitely set up for slide playing. Dad recalled seeing him set the guitar across his lap and playing with a steel. I can't imagine what 1930's era string were like and what they did to a man's fingers!!

[tombm3]

I don't see the pics

[Hiker]

Scherison Brothers (note the spelling) were instrument builder in Los Angeles (like Weissenborn) from 1911 to 1937...

[Danno]

Sorry for the confusion guys - yahoo Geocities is about to be no longer and apparently decided not to host my pictures.

Perhaps links would be a better option?

http://www.geocities.com/dstout66/ggg1.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/dstout66/ggg4.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/dstout66/ggg3.JPG

The neck wear:

http://www.geocities.com/dstout66/ggg11.JPG

[Danno]

Originally Posted by Hiker

Scherison Brothers (note the spelling) were instrument builder in Los Angeles (like Weissenborn) from 1911 to 1937...

The patent submitted contains the name "Schireson, Nathan W.":

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/1887861.pdf

I'm new to all of this but the name "Shireson" returns a fair number of sites and images - one of which is almost identical to granddad's guitar.

Yahoo is having server issues right now. Sorry!

[steve gibson]

You are a very lucky man to have that guitar in your hands-very cool.

[Papa Joe]

Talk about MOJO,Wow!!!You are one lucky guy to be the "keeper" of that jewel.Play it, and play it often,Play nothing but old timey music on it.I know a bunch of those old songs and would be proud to pass them on.Just close your eyes and feel your great grand daddy comin' out of that guitar..
Yeah strings were huge wires back then.Most of us could only find Black Diamond strings.
Play that guitar!!!!

[Ed McG]

Spanish Fandango would be a good tune to learn on that guitar, nice tribute to great grandad. You could find versions by both Elizabeth Cotton and Mance Lipscomb.

Ed

[Scott Auld]

Can you put them on Photobucket or somewhere? No can see.

[MickM]

Originally Posted by Scott Auld

Can you put them on Photobucket or somewhere? No can see.

Yea please! The patent drawing has piqued my curiosity. The link gives me the Yayhoo equivalent of an out of order sign taped to the break room snack machine.

[Sidney Vicious]

I see the pictures perfectly - great guitar!

[Ormond]

Black Diamond strings - wow, does that bring back memories.

[sean79]

Very cool. The pics didn't work for me last night - glad I tried again. Is your great granddad from Kansas?

[Danno]

Thanks guys. Wow thanks so much for the feedback! I do feel very honored to own this guitar. Mom and dad felt I should have it a few years ago and I guess I never really thought about it much.

Now that my boys are getting older and I'm at that age where those "where do I come from?" questions start calling. The real story is what an incredible guy this man was. He lived with my grandparents and my dad while Pop was growing up. He always made time for my dad and all three men would "camp fish" every friday night at a nearby lake. Dad adored him. Wish I could have met him and my granddad but all got started in fatherhood kinda late.

Needless to say I cherish this guitar. I am gathering all the info and pictures I can in hopes of submitting a story to Fretboard Journal or other publication that might appreciate a story from a great-grandson.

My father's family hails from western Kansas around a town named Studley - it's right between Hoxie and Hill City. Used to go see grandma out there in the summer times and I reckon heaven must look a lot like that part of the country - grain elevators included.

Originally Posted by Papa Joe

Talk about MOJO,Wow!!!You are one lucky guy to be the "keeper" of that jewel.Play it, and play it often,Play nothing but old timey music on it.I know a bunch of those old songs and would be proud to pass them on.Just close your eyes and feel your great grand daddy comin' out of that guitar..
Yeah strings were huge wires back then.Most of us could only find Black Diamond strings.
Play that guitar!!!!

Thank you Papa Joe. Yes, please pass along any song you feel would have been from great granddad's time. I listened to "Tenting at the Old Camp Ground" - wow, that's a heartbreaker. I'm really bending dad's ear for music titles he recalls. Dad says he played a banjo too so I wonder if that is why the wear is so high up the neck. A lot of those Civil War era songs were probably played on and perhaps written for banjo.

Have a feeling I'm gonna get the best history lesson ever.

[Scott Auld]

Pics look great, maybe I just couldn't see them from work. That's a keeper!

[blue metalflake]

A fantastic thing to have

[musicalmartin]

Originally Posted by Ormond

Black Diamond strings - wow, does that bring back memories.

+1

[jkingma]

That's a beautiful guitar. Must be a true joy to hold, it let alone play it.

[Danno]

Picked up a slide down in Tampa last weekend - one of those "Booze Blues" slides in old medicine bottle blue. Tuned the guitar to open G last night and had a go at it. I have lots to learn but what an amazing sounding instrument. I play bass at my church and one thing that struck me was the low E string - it sounds like a flatwound string-equipped bass almost. A very low, dead thunk sound. Really unique. Don't know if I have the wrong type of string on there ($2 set of Musician Friend strings) but it sounds really sweet.

Hands smell like old dusty wood and old metal.