The Steel Guitar Forum

This guitar is working out great. Here's another sound sample: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/fbda29cwdeolyhcvoovrm/Here-Comes-the-Sun-480-Spring-2023-copy.mov?rlkey=vbwzwu21d4914gfyjtibeiu8h&dl=0 I recorded it last Spring and would have posted it on YouTube but it was blocked. The bass line is ...

That will be interesting to see, and hear, Tony. Go for it!

Tony, The 1-10 string width at the bridge is 3 15/16" (measuring from the outsides of the strings). String spacing at bridge: 3/8" on center +/- 1/32" (wider on lower strings). Space between strings at bridge: 5/16 +/- 1/32. (The original plan was for 3/8" of space between the ou...

I finally made a pretty good sound sample on the "striped bass" (as my brother calls it). The Pink Panther theme. The keyboard backing track took a while, and then sound problems with my MacBook. I'll be making a video when I can get some better recording gear. https://soundcloud.com/steve...

Gospel Dobro, including Amazing Grace in G tuning:

https://www.amazon.com/Mel-Bay-Gospel-D ... =4&depth=1

Sam didn't mention that the 1 x 4 and 1 x 3 5/8 bars are hollow and very light. Probably just an oversight.

This build was a challenge in many ways, but Bill is an adventurous guy and he likes that. He's patient too when things come up that have to be dealt with and sticks with it until the job is completed up to his very high standards. First he had to work out what the scale of the guitar should be to g...

A few X slants in E tuning:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-pGPQCdjf0

That would be very painful now with my arthritis.

That should be easy, I'll just copy what you did. Look for my video in the year 2525.

That's awesome! Congratulations on your idea and making it a reality. And thanks for the demonstration of how to play lap steel bass.

Bill H is taking on the project. It's going to involve "thinking outside the box we're thinking outside of".

Thanks for the interest and input, and Aloha to all...

By the way, one of my best puzzles made it to print yesterday. If any crossword fans would like to see it I could send you a copy.

It does look sorta like a "word search" puzzle. Not enough vowels though. The only words I see are GAB, and BAG, FEE, and FEED backwards.

Everyone seems to be recommending the standard bass tuning, but that's out of the question. That tuning was made to be played with the fingers, not a bar. The reason for the chromatic tuning is to avoid having to keep picking up and moving the bar to play single notes, therefore being able to practi...

George and Bill H, Thanks for that input. I'll take some time to absorb it.

Chris, Yes I've watched that video probably ten times - great player.

Bill Groner, I think I remember that as sounding too metallic, not appropriate for Hawaiian, if I'm correct.

Nic, Yes the idea is to play bass in a Hawaiian context on a steel. I like the traditional upright bass sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhKLNbVpIvQ but prefer the sound of acoustic electrics, like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_p3Crn6nhM And I think the sustain and slides you get...

I have a Tradewind tuned to C6 with a high G, but can't play it because of bone-on-bone arthritis in the left thumb, and probably tendonitis in the wrist. Slants and quick side-to-side movements can be painful. My main instrument now is a Bill Hatcher 12-string, that I practice Hawaiian Slack Key mu...

Thanks for that, Glenn. I did a search and found a couple of threads on the Forum. (I thought I had seen all bass threads before.) Doug Beaumier posted a link to a Buddy Merrill video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcipRLzk4zM&t=106s and the tuning and string gauges that he found in a catalog:...

I've been playing lap steel for over ten years, just for the fun of playing and learning about music, and never thought of myself as a musician. Lately I've been thinking I'd like to see if I can get good enough to perform. Because of limited skill and arthitis, it would have to be as a backup playe...

I agree with Lee that Tuba Skinny's songs are pretty much all foot-tappers, but I think those two are on a different level, hair-standing-up-on-the-legs level. It just shuts up everything else that's going on in my mind and makes me want to work with more discipline on what I'm trying to do. Thanks ...

Something about this music is very powerful to me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn-VjRY5pGw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk_zJD90xd0 It's pure, natural, joyful, the result of commitment, great skill and hard work, and totally unpretentious and unfazed by all the fakeness and craziness in the w...

Roy Thomson's collection is awesome, especially his version of "Sleigh Ride", which he didn't list in the titles posted here:

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... ab2c490de4

I like the traditional look of the frypan design and bought this Trade Wind a few years ago. It even has a faux horseshoe pickup. It’s a hollow body and has a unique tone.