by cockroach » 16 Sep 2016, 10:38
I've seen photos and video clips from the mid 1930's, when a few firms got really into electrifying every stringed instrument they could find by fitting the then new fangled magnetic pickups (often the Rickenbacher/Vega horseshoe magnet type)
You could get a regular 6 string archtop guitar, 4 string tenor guitar, banjo, mandolin, violin, and lap steel/Hawaiian guitar - all fitted with such pickups, plus there were a number of amps available- often sold with the instrument and lead etc as a set...
There were also a few double neck acoustic guitars around back then too!
The Burns prototype double neck shown on this thread is interesting, but would have needed a bit more development in the practicality of the design if they had decided to produce it as a regular model.
I had a nice doubleneck a year or two ago, it had nice necks, and with some work , I got a very nice playing action on both necks, and both guitars sounded good, but the sheer physical size, weight and balance issues meant that I eventually sold it on...18 quality machine heads weigh a LOT!