Carlo Robelli-brand hollow body electric guitar used by Pete Cosey: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A black Carlo Robelli-brand jazz archtop hollow body 6-string electric guitar used by Pete Cosey. Guitar has f-holes on either side of the bridge. Four clear unlabeled pickup control knobs located off lower f-hole are numerically graduated. Bridge, pickups, and tuners are gold-tone metal. Frets are silver-tone metal; neck of guitar has decorative nacreous material between frets. On body of guitar above where neck meets body is a pickup selector switch labeled [RHYTHM / TREBLE]. Beneath strings and pickups is a black floating pickguard. Front of headstock has [Carlo Robelli] and decorative motif inlaid in nacreous material. Back of headstock has black and gold sticker that reads [MADE IN KOREA].

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1970s
• Manufactured by: Peerless Guitars Co., founded 1970
• Used by: Pete Cosey, American, 1943 - 2012
• Subject of: Carlos Robelli
• Type: guitars
• Medium: wood and metal
• Dimensions: H x W x D: 40 3/4 × 16 15/16 × 5 1/2 in. (103.5 × 43 × 14 cm)
• Place made: Busan, South Korea, Asia
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Blues (Music)
• Topic: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Topic: Music
• Topic: Musicians
• Object number: 2021.105.2.1
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Karumah, Dunni, Ishmak, Aribania and Mariama Cosey in memory of Baba Pete Cosey
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Unknown - Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.