Audiovox 436 Steel Guitar, 1935

This 1935 Audiovox 436 steel guitar, designed by Seattle inventor and luthier Paul Tutmarc (1896-1972), was an early entry into the electric guitar market in the 1930s. 

In 1931, Tutmarc co-invented a successful electric pickup with inventor Arthur Stimson. When they tried to get a patent on the pickup, their application was rejected because the patent office felt that the design too closely resembled that of a telephone receiver. This rejection delayed Tutmarc’s plans to make an electric guitar, but Stimson moved to California and sold the design to Dobro, who in turn built the successful All-Electric guitar based on the Tutmarc-Stimson pickup design around 1932. 

Guitar manufacturer Rickenbacker built its “Frying Pan” model electric guitar to compete with Dobro's All-Electric. Only after Tutmarc saw that Rickenbacker enjoyed commercial success without a patent did he then begin producing his Audiovox line in earnest. The Audiovox guitars, including this 436 model, proved to be quality guitars in their time, but they ultimately didn’t sell well and few of them exist today.