Electric console steel guitar built by Felton W. Williams, Jr.: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A console steel guitar consisting of a wood base with two (2) seven-string assemblies attached, the rear mounted higher than the front. There are four (4) steel tube legs that attach to the bottom of the guitar, forming a console. Between the string assemblies are power and sound controls mounted to aluminum plates. The guitar is packed in a black, vinyl-covered case with steel corners.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: ca. 1963
• Created by: Felton W. Williams Jr., American, 1934 - 2012
• Type: steel guitars
• Medium: wood, alloy steel, metal, brass, aluminum alloy, and plastic
• Dimensions: L x W (Guitar): 38 1/2 x 11 1/4 x 3 3/8 in. (97.8 x 28.6 x 8.6 cm)
• Dimensions: L x W (Case): 42 1/2 x 17 x 4 3/4 in. (108 x 43.2 x 12.1 cm)
• Dimensions: L x W (Legs retracted): 25 × 1 5/8 × 1 in. (63.5 × 4.1 × 2.5 cm)
• Place made: Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Gospel (Music)
• Topic: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
• Topic: Musicians
• Topic: Pentecostal
• Topic: Technology
• Object number: 2011.64.1a-f
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture; Gift of Felton W. Williams, Jr.
• 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 displayed image also has an explicit CC0 designation. The underlying object's rights statement is: Public domain Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.