A Piece of Electric Guitar History, Ready to Play
Not many instruments can claim to be part of the very first generation of commercial electric guitars — but the Harmony Golden Jubilee can. Built from cast aluminum and sold exclusively through the 1936 Sears Roebuck catalog to mark Sears' 50th anniversary in business, this lap steel was only available for a single year. That makes surviving examples genuinely uncommon, and ones that still function as playable instruments even more so.
This particular example comes in a chrome finish with a full metal body — no wood anywhere in the construction. It has a replaced tuner button, minor dents consistent with its age, and three back body screws missing. It's a piece of history with honest wear, not a museum piece, and that's reflected in the price.
If you're a collector of early electric guitar history, a lap steel enthusiast, or simply someone who appreciates instruments that tell a real story, this Golden Jubilee is worth a serious look.
This Harmony Golden Jubilee Lap Steel is in Fair condition. The guitar is fully functional, It has Dings in finish, normal play wear, tunner button has been replaced, 3 back screws missing, replaced pickup, looks like a George L's Pickup.
All-Aluminum, All the Way Through
The Golden Jubilee's body is assembled from cast aluminum halves — front and back — with no wood in the equation. That full metal construction gives the instrument a distinctive resonant character: the whole body vibrates when you play it, contributing a sustain quality that wooden-bodied instruments of the same era simply couldn't replicate. It's a different experience from a modern lap steel, and that's entirely the point.
The Art Deco styling is immediately striking. The headstock features a stylized "h" for Harmony and fern-leaf decorative flourishes that reflect the ornamental design sensibilities of the 1930s. This wasn't a plain catalog item — Sears wanted something that looked special, and Harmony delivered.
The Pickup: Early Electric History
The magnetic pickup on the Golden Jubilee dates from the pioneering days of electric guitar technology. The design uses three coils connected in series, fitted into a wood block with a horseshoe magnet — a pickup design made by Rickenbacker for Harmony. It's primitive by modern standards, but it works, and its character is entirely its own: raw, resonant, and unlike anything you'd find on a production guitar today.
This unit has a replaced tuner button, which is a common modification on surviving examples. The electronics are as-found on this used instrument — buyers should evaluate playability in person or via photos before purchasing.
Scale and Playing Feel
The Golden Jubilee has a 25-inch scale length and a 2-inch nut width, making it a full-size lap steel in both feel and playability. It's played horizontally — resting across the lap or on a stand — with a metal bar rather than fretting the strings in the conventional sense. That playing style, combined with the all-aluminum resonance, gives it the singing, gliding tone that defines the Hawaiian and early country steel guitar tradition.
Keep in mind: this is a vintage instrument from 1936. It will need a proper setup from a qualified tech before serious playing use, and some patience with its quirks is part of owning something this old.
Product Features:
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Body: Full cast aluminum construction — no wood in the body
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Finish: Chrome
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Scale Length: Approximately 25 inches
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Nut Width: Approximately 2 inches
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Pickup: Original horseshoe magnet pickup (three coils in series, Rickenbacker-made for Harmony)
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Styling: Art Deco appointments; stylized "h" headstock faceplate with fern-leaf flourishes
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Modifications: One tuner button replaced
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Known Condition Issues: Minor dents; three back body screws missing
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Year: 1936 — produced for one year only, exclusively for the Sears Roebuck catalog
Brand: Harmony
Model: Golden Jubilee Lap Steel
SKU: U-GOLDEN-JUBILEE|ISI91826C
Condition: Used
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