Sedgwick County Genealogy' Trails Kansas

First Electric Guitar Got it's Start at Wichita Club

The world's first electric guitar debuted at a Wichita roadhouse called Shadowland on Halloween in 1932.

"It's really not well known," said Eric Cale, director of the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum. "It's something we've been researching for several years. But this is panning out to be a solid, documented thing."

In the 1920's, guitarmakers trying to make guitars louder built steel-bodied guitars called dobrose.

The next step was electric guitars.

The musuem plans to showcase the guitar, a 1932 Ro-Pat-In Electro Spanish Guitar, in an exhibit opening Oct. 27th. The ehibit is a prelude to a larger exhibit planned for next spring called "Wichita - Cradle of the Electric Guitar," Cale said.

The person who debuted the guitar was Wichita club and band leader Gage Brewer. During the first part of the 20th century, Brewer traveled the nation as a radio and vaudeville performer.

The guitary was built by George Beauchamp, founder of the National Resophonic Guitar Co. of Los Angeles and developer of Rickenbacker Electric Instruments, the first electric guitar company. Brewer and Beauchamp became friends.

Cale said that in 1931, Beauchamp developed a prototype Hawaiian lap-steel guitar informally called the Frying Pan, because it looked like one.

Beauchamp then developed an electromagnetic pickup to amplify their guitars. One of the first prototypes was sent to Brewer.

The Wichita Beacon newspaper featured an article on Brewer that said the new instrument "has the same characteristics as the steel guitar, but with the quality features and harmony of the pipe organ."

Brewer's club, Shadowland, was originally located on South Broadway. It burned in 1936. He relocated to North Hillside and changed the name to the Mambo Club in 1950. He owned it until 1965.

Brewer lived in Wichita until his death in 1985. He was 81 years old.

The guitar was sold at Brewer's estate sale. Cale said the guitar has since changed hands several times. It is on loan to the musuem by an anonymous donor.

The guitar - along with several other of Brewer's artifacts, including photographs, his ownership of the Shadlowland and information on Gage's career - will be featured in the exhibit. (Wichita Eagle by Beccy Tanner - Monday, 15 October 2007)