Woody Guthrie

According to Stephen Pate in the Hunting for the Woody Guthrie’s Guitars article, he wrotes that:

The Gibson L-00 can be seen in several pictures from 1941 on. It is famous for the “this machine kills Fascists” label that Woody put on many of his guitars. Since Woody toned down any criticism of the Nazi’s until after Hitler invaded Russia on June 22, 1941 we can safely date the picture after June of 1941.

http://njnnetwork.com/2012/07/hunting-for-the-guitars-of-woody-guthrie/

Here is a photo of Woody with a Martin 0-15.

According to Stephen Pate in the article Hunting for the Woody Guthrie’s Guitars:

1930s Slingerland May Bell guitar

Woody Guthrie started his musical career in 1937 when he moved to Los Angeles and started to performing on KFVD radio with Jack Guthrie, with his cousin. The US was deep into the Great Depression and by 1937 the Great Plains had been reduced to the Dust Bowl.

One of the oldest guitars played by Woody Guthrie is a May Bell guitar, circa 1930. This guitar turned up in Seattle in 1966 with the handwritten notation on the label – “Property of Woody Guthrie OK. It was bought for $2, fixed up and re-sold for $200.

The 1930s May Bell guitar (above) he played was worth upwards of $70,000 in 2006. It was purchased by the George Keiser Foundation as part of the Woody Guthrie Archives kept in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

http://njnnetwork.com/2012/07/hunting-for-the-guitars-of-woody-guthrie/