Carson J. Robison

[SuperDudD]

Hello,

I have a Carson J. Robison 4-string small body tenor guitar. I know that it was made in the 30's and as far as I know is all original. If I'm not mistaken it was made by Gibson for Montgomery Wards in either '35 or '36. I have this link with some more information regarding the guitar. http://books.google.com/books?id=vPK-cb ... t&resnum=1
I have also attached a photograph. It has some wear and tear and is missing one of the tuning knobs. Any information you might have would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[VintAxe]

Hey SuperDudD.

Have you seen this post on the Forum discussing the 6 string version yet?

[SuperDudD]

Yeah, I was just looking at that...I've found alot of info on the six strings but its almost as if the 4 string don't exist.

[VintAxe]

SuperDudD, I think the information you find pertaining to the 6 string in general applies to the 4 string.

If you look at fretted instrument literature from the 1930's, you see an enormous number of instruments that are no longer produced today. In the 30's, the ethnic groups in America still practiced the culture of their home country and instruments related to their musical traditions were made available to them. As American culture became more homogenized, the demand for these unique instruments evaporated and their voices were lost.

The reason you can't find information on specific tenor guitars these days is because very few people play tenor guitars. Only the 6 strings still have relevance in our culture. Not to say your tenor isn't valued by someone, but the demand for the tenor will be much less than the demand for the 6 string. When was the last time you saw someone play a tenor on TV? Only sophisticated musicians know they exist.

[Spud1950]

Here you go. An extensive web site about tenor guitars.History,makers,tunings,etc.Lots of info.There's a link in the menu, "Vintage Tenor Guitars",which takes you to the site of a collector and has contact info.He may very well be able to give you info on your guitar. There's also a link to tenor guitar chat room where you might also be able to get info on your guitar.