Up for sale is my very clean Oahu Chicagoan Model Hawaiian lap steel guitar, most likely built in late 1955 or early 1956. The builders kept rather loose records at the time.If you are into National/Supro/Valco/Oahu steel guitars, then this is the one you want.This is the fanciest model of the celluloid-covered guitars, at the time. There were a number of colors of celluloid offered at the time, and this is the most common color. This is also one of the few years in which the Chicagoan featured a fancy chrome-plated pickup cover, as opposed to the plainer, cast plastic cover.Most of us feel that this string-through pickup is the best-sounding of the many pickup types used by National/Supro/Valco/Oahu over the years. To my ears, all of the other pickup types used were very “woofy” and “wooly” sounding, with little in the way of top-end detail, especially when compared to this pickup. Most of the Fender guitars had a brighter, but thinner-sounding pickup than the earlier National types. This pickup has all of the treble response of the Fenders, but with a lot more “body” or “girth” to the notes than most Fenders can manage. Only the Fender Stringmaster guitars, with two pickups per neck, could come close to the sound of these string-through National pickups.I have had dozens of instruments with this pickup type in them, and this particular one is especially strong and good-sounding. It is also unusually even in response from string to string. Some, even with extensive adjustment of the individual pole pieces, never end up sounding even from string to string. This one does, and every nicely, at that.Overall, the guitar is in excellent condition, especially considering that it is 61 years old. There are the expected few dings and scrapes in the celluloid covering, but that’s about it. All in all, the celluloid is bright, shiny and clean. The chrome plating on the bridge and pickup assembly is particularly nice and shiny, with very little pitting. Only the tuning machines show some rust buildup, but that does not impeded their functioning in any way.Even the original hard case is in very good shape. The volume and tone pots have both been cleaned and lubed with DeoxIT D5, and function perfectly with no scratching or drop-outs. The old screw-on style jack has also been cleaned with a brass brush and DeoxIT D5, so contact is clean and noise-free.The original tuning machines work very well and are smooth and even-feeling.It comes with an original Switchcraft adaptor, to convert the older screw-on connector to the more modern ¼” phone jack, as used on most guitar cables.The scale length is the standard 23”.To hear a sound clip I recorded of this delightful instrument, please click . I am playing through a 1961 Gibson Discoverer amp, with no effects. I used two microphones set about 18” apart, in front of the amp. There are no effects. To get the best possible idea of the instrument’s sound and “presence”, I recommend listening with headphones or very good speakers. The recording was done at my desk, and does not do justice to the instrument, but it gives you an idea of the ballpark we are talking about..TERMS, PLEASE READ CAREFULLY: Buyer pays selling price plus shipping and insurance. I typically ship with USPS or FedEx, though other arrangements can be made at the buyer's request. No fee is charged for packing or handling. I will gladly ship anywhere in the world, but beware, international shipping charges can be steep, and the buyer is responsible for all duties, taxes, VAT, brokerage and storage fees on their end. Please contact me with any questions.