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GUITAR
[Musical Tools and Equipment, Stringed]


Accession Number: 2017.36.1

Physical Description: Guitar with black body, dark brown fingerboard, and black head. The Shutt Mandolin-Guitar Co. made this instrument. Albert Shutt (1877-1963) was a musician, music teacher, songwriter, and instrument designer from Topeka, Kansas. Shutt taught students to play the guitar, banjo, mandolin, and violin. He published over two dozen musical works, which usually had a patriotic theme. Beginning in 1906, Shutt patented nine different inventions for stringed instruments, including several new mandolin designs, an elevated pickguard, a tuner, a compensating bridge, the Mando-Bass-Harp-Guitar, a glass tone bar, and the Shutt mando-banjo. Shutt's instruments were made to order in his Topeka home. The Shutt Mandolin-Guitar Co.'s biggest competition was Gibson, and it was unable to surpass them and go mainstream. Shutt worked until his death in 1963.

History of Object: Albert Shutt (1877-1963) was a musician, music teacher, songwriter, and instrument designer from Topeka, Kansas. Shutt taught students to play the guitar, banjo, mandolin, and violin. He published over two dozen works, which usually had a patriotic theme. Beginning in 1906, Shutt patented nine different inventions for stringed instruments, including several new mandolin designs, an elevated pickguard, a tuner, a compensating bridge, the Mando-Bass-Harp-Guitar, a glass tone bar, and the Shutt mando-banjo. Shutt's instruments were made to order in his Topeka home. The Shutt Mandolin-Guitar Co.'s biggest competition was Gibson, and it was unable to surpass them and go mainstream. Shutt worked until his death in 1963.

Date: 1914

Dimensions (in cm): 98.50 (H) 41.00 (W) 8.00 (D) h: 38 3/4 inches w: 16 inches d: 3 1/4 inches

Marks/Inscriptions: [sticker inside of guitar body:] Shutt Professional Instrument / Fully Guaranteed / Made during month of [blank] 19 [handwritten] 14/ Style [handwritten] B#3 No. [handwritten] 3005 /THE SHUTT MANDOLIN -- GUITAR CO. / Topeka, Kansas, U.S.A. / Patented March 8, 1910 / Sept. 19, 1911 / Other Patents Pending //

Index Terms

Associations and Subjects

    Individual: Shutt, Albert
    Theme/topic: Composers
    Theme/topic: Musical instruments
    Theme/topic: Inventors
    Origin, Place of: Topeka (Kan.)
    Origin, Place of: Shawnee County (Kan.)

Creators and Contributors

    The Shutt-Mandolin Guitar Co.

Status: Cataloged

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