The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi, I have a very nice commission to make a 12-string non-pedal lap steel. It will be like a 12-string guitar, with string pairs to get a chorus sound We are in doubt about a suitable scale length and string spacing, between the two strings within the pair and between the string pairs. Any suggestio...

Checking all hardware after sanding the lap steel: http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/userpix1403/8522_preview_1_1.jpg Oil finish: http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/userpix1403/8522_oil_finish_1_1.jpg http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/userpix1403/8522_oil_finish_2_1.jpg http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/userpix1...

Hi Xavier,

Thanks for sharing!

I see what you mean, Xavier, the back has a very tight curve where the soundbox ends.
Did you do that for a special reason?

Mine looks like this:

Hi Xavier, Great work! And thanks to share the alcohol trickwith us, I wil try it out. One thing I still don't get is your problems with bending the back. Was it difficult for this Weissenborn because of the resonator construction? With a normal Weissenborn I have never much problems with bending, I...

Hi David,

Scale length is standard short for lapsteel 22.5"
Tuning will be according to the customer:
from the bass to the treble side: (with string thickness)
C (036)
E (030)
G (024)
A (020)
C (016)
E (015)
G (011)
D (018)
F#(026)
A (020)
C#(017)
E (015)
G#(011)

Hi Keith, Hope this makes sense! You can wire up the two coils working together as a humbucker, or just use one coil as a single coil. Normal you use a switch to do that. You can also do it with a 500K potmeter, in that case you blend one of the coils with the other. If the potmeter is turned up you...

Thank you Doug!

Hi, just wanted to share some pictures of a 13-string lap steel I make for a customer at the moment. Custom made Stringmaster style pickup set by Jason Lollar with a blend pot. Still needs a cover. Enjoy! http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/userpix1403/8522_WP_20140628_020_1.jpg http://bb.steelguitarforu...

Hi people! I am glad to announce three very nice recordings on a recently build Weissenborn! The three pieces can be found on my website here: http://www.fernsguitars.nl/weissenborn/weissenborn_style3_int.php (more pictures will be added soon) The recordings are made by René Tweehuysen, a Dutch slid...

I remeber I sold one of my first electric lap steel to a German guy who played Death Metal. He was really enthousiastic, and told me he used it on stage to make "several noises not possible on a regular guitar".
Oh, and he was really trying to play blues to, in his spare time...

Fern

Hi, Like Frank replies, it is very personally indeed. It looks like the more strings, the more personal the instrument gets, and the more difficult it gets to advise people. Most of the customers from my workshop who order 7 or 8 string (even one 13 string!) instruments have some experience with 6 s...

James,

The Vox makes sense!
Thanks for sharing!

Fern

Hi, On making the fretboard: be a bit accurate, at least for the looks. Check if the space between frets to the next position is smaller. A bad positioned fret that gives therefor a bit more space between the followup position looks really bad. If you look at your fretboard from position 1 to the la...

People! Thanks for all the great reply! Great pictures, Chas! I will probably make at least one simple bass lap for my shop, just to see the reactions. It is nice to have some background. Brad, I will check out John Paul Jones CD, thanks. When it is done anyway, I will let you now at the forum (but ...

Hi!

Anybody ever thought about a bass lapsteel?
Just wondering!

Fern

James, Just had the time to listen to your recordings, you have a nice sound, what amp do you use? Thanks for the Mosrite picture, it looks very familiar. Anyway we had it in the late 90's in a shop I used to work at that time... The owner used to go (he still does!) to the USA to buy vintage stuff ...

Nice!

I only saw once a guitar like this, no idea about the brand, though it was probably 70's and blue color...
Back then we had a lot of fun with it in Amsterdam!

As an experiment I just attached two strap holders on a lap steel of mine for a customer to play standing Dobro style.

Fern

Hi Alan,

Hoe gaat het?

I just read your steel-lap-steel story aftrer a long time, it is coming out as a great experiment!

I bet it is a nice break out of the regular work for the people working at your company too!

How does it sound?

Fern

Hi Alan,

Very nice double neck you made there!

I just came across this 12 string at this forum, and it sounds interesting.

AJ you mention acoustic dual corses work better, what kind of acoustic dual core do you play?

Fern

Great idea!

Fern

Hi, I totally rely on Lollar his pickups. I can not tell the originals are better than Lollars, but the Lollars are kind of best quality new pickups. At least I get impression that Lollar knows what is needed for a lapsteel pickup or regular electric guitar. I also have the impression that the Lolla...

Hi, Thanks, Andy for mentioning the website. I am Ferdinand, the builder of the instruments. For the last five years I have been building professionaly on the instruments. I run a small workshop in the center of Amsterdam. As for the sound samples... For the moment I am very happy to have at least S...

Alan!

I am impressed!
Ga zo door!

Hi, I made a demonstration lap steel for Jerry Douglas, he prefered a very wide 3/5" string spacing. Lollar had to make a custom pickup for that! I did a 3/8" spacing at the nut and just 22.5" scale. * add: I prefer to use the D'Addario Chrome flatwound string for lapsteels. For six s...