Wizard of the Strings (Vintage 1968 Harmony Roy Smeck Lap Steel Guitar)
![Vintage 1968 Roy Smeck Lap Steel Guitar](https://www.myrareguitars.com/guitar-pictures/1968-harmony-roy-smeck-lap-steel-guitar-featured-300x202.jpg)
Among the popular performers of Hawaiian (and most other types of) music on the Vaudeville music hall circuit was Roy Smeck (1900-1994). Smeck was a talented instrumentalist who played guitar, banjo, ukulele, and lap steel guitar, earning the sobriquet “Wizard of the Strings.” Smeck made quite a few recordings and starred in part of the first “sound on disk” movie that was released in 1926. Like many other performers, Smeck endorsed a number of instruments by various manufacturers over the years, but is probably best known for the line of Harmonies introduced in 1927 with the pear-shaped Vita-Uke. Smeck’s name would be associated with Harmony instruments until near the end of the company’s run in 1973.