Electric Console Steel Guitar Built by Felton W. Williams, Jr.

April 22 Steel guitars are a family of instruments and accompanying playing styles developed in Hawai’i in the early 20th century. Steel guitars are played horizontally, and a metal slide bar is used in place of fretting the strings. In addition to lap and pedal steel guitars, there are also console steel guitars such as this one. This instrument was constructed by Detroit musician and instrument maker Felton W. Williams, Jr. Williams was well known guitarist and teacher in the Church of the Living God – Jewell Dominion.

Electric console steel guitar built by Felton W. Williams, Jr.

Caption: Felton W. Williams Jr. was born on January 3, 1934, in Tupelo, Mississippi. In 1943 his family moved to Detroit, where they attended the same House of God Church as fellow steel guitar pioneer Maurice “Ted” Beard. Williams began playing lap steel in 1947, and by 1952 had played for many large church assemblies in Detroit, Toledo, Ohio, Kansas City, Missouri, and Nashville, Tennessee. In 1956 Williams began working as electrician for Ford Motor Company, a job he would have until retirement in 1994. He used his skills as an electrician to build amplifiers and steel guitars. Williams also taught steel guitar to youth from the church, and had a recording studio in his basement, where he recorded many gospel records for local singers. He was respected in the Sacred Steel community as an innovator, recording artist, studio owner, producer, instructor and inventor.; Williams built this steel guitar between 1961 and 1963. It is the first guitar he built, and was his main instrument until he could afford to buy a new guitar in 1970.
Description: 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.

Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Created by: Felton W. Williams Jr., American, 1934 - 2012

Date: ca. 1963

Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture; Gift of Felton W. Williams, Jr.

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); L x W (Case): 42 1/2 x 17 x 4 3/4 in. (108 x 43.2 x 12.1 cm); L x W (Legs retracted): 25 × 1 5/8 × 1 in. (63.5 × 4.1 × 2.5 cm)

Type: steel guitars

This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.

IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.

View manifest View in Mirador Viewer