Silver Lake Vintage Guitars

Larson Brothers Maurer Model 595

1930s Larson Brothers Maurer Model 595 with period case in excellent original condition.

Carl Larson (1867–1946) and August Larson (1873–1944) were born in Sweden and emigrated to Chicago in the late 1880s. They worked as luthiers for guitar makers before buying Maurer & Company from Robert Maurer in 1900. They opened a retail shop on Elm Street.

The brothers patented techniques in guitar building, such as laminated bracing, metal support rods, and guitar top and back under tension. The guitars were sold under the Maurer name in addition to Euphonon, Prairie State, Stetson, and Stahl. They also built mandolins and harp guitars.

In 1934, Les Paul was playing under the name Rhubarb Red. He was introduced to the Larson brothers by Doc Hopkins of the Cumberland Ridge Runners. Paul said that the brothers were unaware that he was the same person as Rhubarb Red. They insisted that Paul was a better guitarist. He wanted the brothers to build him a maple wood guitar with a half-inch solid maple top and no holes. They responded that without holes no sound would come out of the guitar. Paul was adamant, and for $45 he got his guitar, to which he added two pickups. It became one of the first electric guitars.