First Hawaiian Conservatory of Music c 1925 | HOLD | The First Hawaiian Conservatory of Music was a mail-order guitar instruction company headquartered in the Woolworth Building in New York City. It was established in the early twenties and operated at least into 1930. Advertised heavily in such wide-circulation magazines of the era like Popular Mechanics, the FHCM offered a free guitar if the applicant signed a contract for a years worth of lessons. The guitar received by students were pretty consistent but for variations in the bridge; birch body (except for one poplar body we'd owned) stained a bright orange, poplar neck, concert size and most with a foil label pasted over the finger board showing positions for slide playing. These guitars have a big following due to the folk lore surrounding slide guitar monster Blind Willie Johnson, who is allegedly playing one in a vintage photograph.
This example is pretty much all original. When we received it, the gold instructional paper was still on the fingerboard. The body is birch, stained orange. The neck is poplar and the fingerboard is maple, now dyed black. The four position markers were under the paper. The top and sound hole are bound in white celluloid. The end pins are likely maple with pearl dots on top, and are original to the guitar (one looks like an old replacement). The bridge is maple painted black. The end pin is missing.
The body measured 13 1/2" across at the lower bout. Scale length is ~ 25" (short scale). The fingerboard measures 1 13/16" across at the nut and string spacing is 2 1/8" at the saddle.
Recent repairs include a neck reset; paper removed from fingerboard and board dyed black; frets leveled and dressed; a small section of the back was reglued to the side; original tall 'Hawaiian' nut removed and a new ebony nut made; new saddle; some water staining on the lower bout, bass side. Overall, a really clean, original example.
The action is set at 4 & 6/64", and the guitar plays very easily. We've never been disappointed in the FHC sound, and this one really sings; punch mids, ringing highs and a surprisingly warm and open bass.
Check out the sound clip.
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This example is pretty much all original. When we received it, the gold instructional paper was still on the fingerboard. The body is birch, stained orange. The neck is poplar and the fingerboard is maple, now dyed black. The four position markers were under the paper. The top and sound hole are bound in white celluloid. The end pins are likely maple with pearl dots on top, and are original to the guitar (one looks like an old replacement). The bridge is maple painted black. The end pin is missing.
The body measured 13 1/2" across at the lower bout. Scale length is ~ 25" (short scale). The fingerboard measures 1 13/16" across at the nut and string spacing is 2 1/8" at the saddle.
Recent repairs include a neck reset; paper removed from fingerboard and board dyed black; frets leveled and dressed; a small section of the back was reglued to the side; original tall 'Hawaiian' nut removed and a new ebony nut made; new saddle; some water staining on the lower bout, bass side. Overall, a really clean, original example.
The action is set at 4 & 6/64", and the guitar plays very easily. We've never been disappointed in the FHC sound, and this one really sings; punch mids, ringing highs and a surprisingly warm and open bass.
Check out the sound clip.
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