Oahu 71K Lap Steel Guitar 1935 / Big Sound!

Ain’t she purty?  Here’s a circa 1935 Oahu 71K Lap Steel in its original configuration and in Very Good Condition.  This square necked lap steel has a big, robust sound and is sure to stand out visually on stage, in the studio, or on your wall.  It comes with its original hard shell case, and its original Steel slide.

The Oahu 71K was made by the Kay Corporation in Chicago, for distribution through the Oahu company of Cleveland, Ohio, and was intended to capitalize on the Hawaiian Guitar craze of the mid-1930s.  It has a solid Spruce top, Solid Maple Back and Sides, an original Nut Riser, and is twelve frets to the body, with no cracks, splits or open seams (there are a couple of finish cracks, but nothing through the body).  When it came into the shop, there was a crack in the bridge, which has been repaired, and the bridge was lifting slightly in the back (it is held fast to the top with two bolts, beneath the pearls).  That too has been glued.  It is a ladder braced guitar and typical of ladder braced instruments, has a big, warm sound.

Here are some important specs:

Top: Solid Spruce

Back and Sides: Maple

Neck: Maple

Fretboard: Ebonized Maple

Width at lower bout:  15 1/2”

Depth at lower bout:  4”

Scale length: 25 5/8”

Nut Width: 1 7/8”

These guitars were sold as professional quality instruments, for $98 in 1935.  In today’s currency, that would translate to a $2250 guitar.  They have such a big, warm sound, that many 71Ks were converted, by having their square necks re-carved to round necks.  Oahu did make a round neck variant of the guitar, branded as a 72K.  This example is entirely original, with the square neck, open back tuners, riser nut, hardshell case and the original Oahu Steel.  Those round neck guitars seem to be selling anywhere from $2500 to $4000.

The 71K is strung with D’Addario Custom Light Phosphor Bronze strings (.11-.52) and would also sound great with a set of Monels or some flat wounds.  Stay on the light gauge side and keep it in an open tuning below E.  Currently, it is set up in open D (D-A-D-F#-A-D).

Be sure to check out the photographs of the guitar as we have tried to capture it from all angles.

This Oahu 71K is sold AS IS and is not returnable unless it arrives in a condition other than as described or photographed, here.

Price: $1900.00 plus $125 shipping (Lower 48 USA, only)