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early '70s Mary Osborne Solid Body Prototype
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Serial #: NSN
Body size at lower bout: 13". Scale length: 24 3/4" Nut Width: 1 3/4"
Materials: Solid maple body with walnut centerstripe, solid maple neck, rosewood fingerboard
Hardware: 100% original chrome hardware includes twin adjustable humbucking pickups, Tunematic style bridge and stop tailpiece; Schaller M-6 tuners, laminated beveled edge pickguard, dual tone and volume controls with black bonnet knobs, 3 way pickup selector switch.
Notes: Jazz pioneer Mary Osborne (1921-1992) was an early champion of the electric guitar, and among the first generation of female instrumentalists to achieve national prominence. A musical prodigy from Minot, ND, she learned Django Reinhardt solos as a teenager, and her career path was set after hearing Charlie Christian in an early combo, before his discovery by Benny Goodman. Mary bought her first electric guitar, a Gibson ES-150 (shown below) the very next day.
After an apprenticeship with territory and all-girl bands, Osborne moved to New York in the early '40s, where as a regular at Minton's Playhouse, she landed gigs and recording dates with luminaries such as Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, Ben Webster, Art Tatum, and Billie Holiday. Mary later joined her husband, trumpeter Ralph Scafiddi, in the Joe Venuti band, and appeared with Stuff Smith, Mary Lou Williams, and Mel Torme among many others. Featured as a member of the Esquire All-Star Jazz Band, Mary also appeared daily on the CBS radio network for over a decade.
When Scafiddi became a rep for the Mosrite Guitar Co., the couple moved to Bakersfield, CA, where by 1975 they had founded their own business, Osborne Guitars. Having been a celebrity endorser for Gretsch for many years, Mary knew the business well, and personally specified the neck dimensions, profile, and overall balance of the instrument that bears her name. A thoughtfully designed instrument, the Osborne combines key features of some of the most successful electric guitars. The short scale, double cutaway body is reminiscent of the Les Paul Jr., while the back is gently contoured in the style of the Fender Stratocaster. Mary's influence is particularly evident in the generous 1 3/4" fingerboard, a favorite with jazz players, but a rarity on solid bodies to this day. With a slim depth, slightly flattened D profile neck, the Osborne is effortless to play, with original medium frets in the style of the early 50's Gibsons. The twin humbucking pickups are rich and sweet, and at 7lb, 7oz. the instrument balances comfortably on the strap or the lap.
Face with intense corporate competition, Scafiddi and Osborne soon folded the guitar business and refocused on amps and electronics until around 1980. Consequently, original Osborne guitars are exceedingly rare, with perhaps no more than a dozen or so produced in total. This guitar is the only known example without a serial number, and is documented by a family member to have been her personal guitar, which we would assume to be a prototype from the early 1970's. An entirely hand-built California instrument, the Osborne has been preserved in exceptionally fine all original condition, showing only a few superficial nicks in the original dark walnut sunburst finish. The instrument is accompanied by a very rare Osborne Stinger amp (SN#0S-543), a compact, single channel, solid state, enclosed speaker design, in impeccable original condition.
The package also includes extensive documentation, including a letter of authenticity from the Osborne family; a set of photos from Osborne Sound Labs; full issues of Acoustic Guitar Magazine (July, 1998) and Vintage Guitar Magazine (February, 2011) with feature articles on Osborne's career; a rare interview in Hot House Jazz Nightlife Guide (NYC, August, 1991) which documents Mary's last NY gig at the Village Vanguard; a selected Mary Osborne discography; and an unopened cassette copy of Mary's 1981 recording 'Now and Then', featuring Tommy Flanagan, Jo Jones, and Charli Persip for the Stash label.
An indomitable performer, an incomparable package, and one of the rarest chapters in modern guitar history. Call now.
Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, recrowned and polished as necessary; trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted; bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation set; string slots at nut and bridge inspected and recut as necessary; bridge foot contour inspected and fit to top as necessary; bridge radius inspected and recurved as necessary; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished.
This instrument is strung with light gauge nickel strings (.011). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 5/64" to 6/64" at the 12th fret, with low relief. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.
Case: Original black fiber case.
