21ST CENTURY GUITARS

The Holman-Woodell company built guitars during the late 1960s in Neodesha, Kansas (around sixty miles due south from Topeka). While they were producing guitars for Wurlitzer, they also built their own Holman brand as well as instruments trademarked Alray. The Holman-Woodell company is also famous for building the La Baye 2 x 4 guitars.
The La Baye 2 x 4 guitar model was introduced at the 1967 Chicago NAMM show by inventor Dan Helland. Unfortunately, the radical body-less design proved too far-ahead thinking for the guitar market, and the La Baye trademark officially ended that year. However, the Holman-Woodell company built a number of 2 x 4 guitars out of spare parts, and marketed them first under the Holman trademark. When new owners took over the production facilities, other instruments were released under the 21st Century trademark. It has been estimated that perhaps up to one hundred faux 2 x 4s were built, but reception of the later instruments was equal to the indifference generated by the first attempt. Source: Michael Wright, Guitar Stories, Volume One.