An Original 1916 Gibson Style 'U' Harp Guitar made in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Same as the one used by Jimmy Page (see last photo). Single bound, finest quality, scientifically graduated, "scroll-shaped" carved 'select' straight-grain cherry sunburst stained spruce top. Ivoroid bound, oval sound-hole inlaid with variegated woods of conventional design. Single-bound two-piece arched mahogany back and mahogany sides. 'Finest selected straight grain' Mexican mahogany neck with a nut width of just over 1 3/4 inches, a scale length of 24 3/4 inches and a very thick V-profile. Single-bound, convex ebony fretboard with 19 original thin frets, pearl dot position markers and black dot side-markers. 9.5” fretboard radius. Black faced (front and back stinger) head-stock with "The Gibson" inlaid diagonally in mother-of-pearl. Three-per-side open-back strip tuners with white plastic oval buttons. 'Finest selected straight grain' Mexican mahogany 'harp' neck, specifically shaped head-stock with ten sub bass string 'drums' set perpendicularly through nickeled islets. Nickeled turnbuckle straining-rod running from head of instrument to laminated head-block beneath sounding board. Six-string guitar and Harp guitar with a one-piece, upright, hard maple bridge with ebony top. Heart-carved shape on lower portion. Double 'trapeze' German silver tailpiece with specific ebony elevated string attachments with ebony colored pegs inlaid with pearl. Trapeze tail secured to bottom edge of body with four screws in a diamond pattern. String anchor made entirely of celluloid. Original Gibson oval white label inside sound-hole with "Guitar", style "U" and serial number 297XX written in pencil. The extreme length of this instrument is 45 inches, the body width is 18 3/4 inches, the extreme length of the sub-bass strings from the nut to the bridge is 34 inches and the body depth is just over 3 1/2 inches with the extreme depth being 6 inches.

This guitar is in good player grade condition. It bears the marks of a 106-year old instrument in the form of scratches, wear and dings. The neck is straight, no jagged frets. The action is very low and it sounds unique. The original bone nut has been raised(shimmed) at some point and the bridge was perfectly slotted to achieve proper height and radius. The inside of the back joint has been cleated to prevent separation.

Housed in the original five-latch, shaped, black hardshell case with purple lining . The tuning on the bass harp strings goes up chromatically from (high) G# to G,F#,F,D#,D,C#,C,B,A# (low) and the tuning key is included in the case's compartment. New Ernie Ball 13-56 Bronze set tuned to standard tuning on the guitar side.

Weight: 11 lbs

*Missing the original elevated tortoiseshell pick-guard. It was secured to the treble-side of the body by two German silver clamps (patented July 4, 1911) and two pins into the treble-side of the neck.