Airline "J.B. Hutto" Res-O-Glas Guitar 1965 Red

Airline
"J.B. Hutto" Res-O-Glas Guitar
1965
USA

Original hardcase
All stock (original switch in the case)
One clasp on the case has come off but it is included in the case.

Sometimes referred to as the "J.B. Hutto" model, this Airline guitar ranks as the most sought-after Res-o-glas Airline thanks largely to its use by Jack White of the White Stripes. Airline guitars were manufactured by Valco in the '50s and '60s, and many closely resemble other Valco-made guitars from brands including National and Supro. Guitars made of Res-o-glas - a type of fiberglass - like this model are the most collectable Airline guitars.   

Years of Production: 1964 - 1968
Technical Description:
Semi-hollow body with “Res-o-Glas” molded fiberglass top and back.
Maple body core and neck.
Rosewood fingerboard; 25 inch scale.
Red body
Bolt-on steel-reinforced neck with zero fret and pearloid block inlays.
Asymmetrical headstock with embossed plastic "Airline" logo.
Two large single coil pickups
Three-way selector switch, two volume and two tone controls on upper bass bout, master volume control on lower treble bout.
Wooden floating bridge.
Nickel tailpiece, pickup covers, and Kluson tuners.
White plastic pickguard with black border.
White plastic knobs with silver caps.

Notable Airline Players:  David Bowie, Jack White, J.B. Hutto

One of the first guitar manufacturers to venture beyond wood for the construction of its guitars was Valco, which in 1962 introduced the National and Supro lines of fiberglass-bodied electrics. These were the famous “map-shaped” single-cutaway instruments constructed of a material Valco called “Res-O-Glas,” which was simply the company’s trade name for fiberglass. Eventually, there were nine Res-O-Glas guitars, all carrying the National name and available in just four colors: Duco Seafoam Green, Red, White, and Black. Although dubbed the “map guitars,” this was less a specific design decision than it was a coincidence based upon the aesthetics of the early 1960s, which spilled over into many products, up to and including the automobile, which had suddenly sprouted huge tailfins and unique body lines. In 1967, Valco bought the Kay Guitar Company and when Kay went out of business, so did Valco along with it. Oddly enough, the Res-O-Glas guitars were the first to offer a contact pickup in the bridge — that’s three decades before such transducers made their way into hybrid guitars like the Parker Fly line. It’s hard to believe, but in its day, the top National model was more expensive than a top-of-the-line Strat.