A website dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of Australian
country music.

Country Music
The Music Of
Our Country

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The Tex Morton White Guitars

As well as being one of the most talented and charismatic characters in the history of Australian show business, Tex Morton was always looking for new challenges.

During the ‘30s and ‘40s he found one such opportunity by selling guitars and lessons by mail order. For just 14 pounds 10 shillings you could order a package, which would have you playing like Tex, in no time!

The white guitars with the cowboy and lariat transfer, were made for Tex by Harry West in a small factory in Ferntree Gully in Victoria. Harry West was the father of Sid and John West, later proprietors of Wayne Music in Melbourne. 

Among the workers was one Les Partell, who became very well known himself as the founder of the Trailblazers Show and a widely recorded country music artist. Les now lives in Kempsey, NSW.

 The small painted guitars were known by some, as "butter box guitars", a reference to their plywood construction, reminiscent of the plywood boxes used to transport packets of butter at that time.

There's no record of how many guitars were made but with Tex's ability to sell, it would have been a substantial number. Today only a handful survive to remind us of those early days of Australian country music.

They serve as a tribute to Tex Morton, the versatile and talented man who will always be recognised as “The Father of Australian Country Music.”