#OnThisDay in 1908 talented musician and bandleader Alvino Rey was born! Famous for helping to popularize electric instruments in the 1930s, Rey also owned and played acoustic instruments including this 1930 Gibson L-2 guitar.
This upscale and deep-bodied guitar with gold sparkle binding was played with a metal riser over the nut to raise the strings above the fingerboard. This helped facilitate Hawaiian-style playing with a steel bar maximizing acoustic volume for recordings and radio broadcasts.
See this guitar in our special exhibition Acoustic America, and more of Rey’s historic electric instruments on display in the Artist Gallery! Buy museum tickets at the link in our bio.
Loan courtesy of Lynn Wheelwright
Image description 1: A black-and-white portrait of Alvino Rey.
Image description 2: The 1930 Gibson L-2 guitar.
