Take Maple, Mahogany, a Dash of Tru Oil, and Lots of Love

[Tom Pettingill]

This is actually the first / original proto of the Deco design I did.
When I first completed this one, I loved it so much, I quickly built the chambered maple version and the mahogany twin.
On those two, I refined the headstock a bit with wider routes and a slightly steeper angle for the tuner ears. Also the chrome Tele plate was dropped in favor of the matched wood control covers.

Though all of this, the poor proto sat neglected and jealous of its younger siblings.
Can't have that, so ... I cut the ears off, re-cut the headstock angle, widened the routes, made a new set of ears for it, and oiled her back up.

.

[Gary Stevenson]

Tom! your design is just damn gorgeous.I love the alternating colors.I am just going to have to copy yours just for my own use and not for resale.Your little pc of wood on the tele-plate must cover where the switch was. Again great design and execution!!!!

[John Dahms]

It's beutiful. A tip of the hat to the old National deco models done tastefully and cleanly. You have reason to be proud.

[Tom Pettingill]

Gary ... I love the steels you've been turning out. At the rate you have been getting them done, the next should be finished by lunch tomorrow

Thanks John ... most definitely lots of New Yorker influence in it

[Bill Creller]

Beautiful guitar. Do the ears for the tuners hamper your left hand when you use the bar down at the first two frets?? I know JB didn't like the Stringmaster tuner pan being close to the nut.
Nice contrast by using a dark and light wood. Deco is cool!!

[Tom Pettingill]

Thanks Bill

Its 25" scale, that gives a little extra room. Also the head / ears are angled down making the ear end flow a bit better than it looks.
Using the overall horizontal string path as a reference, there is aprox 2 3/8" clear from the first fret, over the nut, to where the round ears begin to protrude above the string plane.
At that point there is a gentle rise to about 3/16" above the string plane, reaching its highest point aprox 2 3/4" from the first fret.
First fret to tuner post is 3 3/8"
LoL ... Hope some of that makes sense

[Gary Stevenson]

After looking at your headstock, I realized that the cut out for the tuners is a great idea.You will see what I mean when I post my latest with a similar head.I love the attention to detail and I know that its not easy to get those nice eased edges. What makes them stand out is that they are so even! thats one of the places you are really fussing and it shows.I have been hacking wood for 40 years and I have always prided myself in do nice interior finish work. My father built guitars and violins (Strad) copies, but I don't pretend to be in that league. But short story is YOU are!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bill Creller]

That's the most attractive guitar I've seen lately. I haven't done a long scale yet, but I'm thinking about it, like 24 1/2, which I have a fret board for.

[Tom Pettingill]

Gary .. you are too kind
I do try and pay attention to the details though.
Like my uncle Donald used to say, if you don't start square, you will never finish square

Bill ... well ... ya can't let that fretboard go to waste

[Jim Frost]

Beautiful work Tom. I love the simple yet ingenious design. But then I like all of your work. Great to see such beautiful use of woods on the lap steel.

[Alan Hamley]

Hi Tom,

Thats one beautiful looking instrument. Thanks for posting for us all to have a look at your fine workmanship.

Cheers

Alan

[Peter Jacobs]

Hi, Tom - I've said before how much I admire your steels. I love the way you took elements of older designs and made them your own. Great attention to detail and beautiful use of wood, too.

[Brad Bechtel]

Great job, Tom! Thanks for sharing.

[Tom Pettingill]

Thanks all, the kind words are much appreciated

Last night I was reminiscing while going through some early pics I had snapped during the early design / build phase.
I remember the moment it came together, that moment of clarity that is all too fleeting.

I have it up on Ebay and I am almost having second thoughts now.
But, the reality is is that I have another just like it and its mahogany / maple twin. Not to mention a couple other nice steels I've built.
If I don't thin the herd, I won't have room to build more and I certainly have no plans to stop building

I just have to believe that whoever the new owner is loves it as much as me and makes beautiful music with it.

[Gary Stevenson]

As I was putting the finishing touches on the 8'th "Steel Weaver", My wife asks me if I am building another and like you I realize I may have to part with some. I have given my third one to my friend who I used to be in a band with.And I am loaning one to a young fellow, who might be a future steeler. We'll see.So now I am down to six and I hate to part with the prototypes,but I have narrowed down to two or three that I play the most.And I still want to make one like Tom's beauties!!! So many plans so little time.

[Tom Pettingill]

So many plans so little time

Ain't that the truth ... I've got plans to do an 8 string or two, a multi neck, and for some crazy reason I've been contemplating doing a Jr Brown Guit-Steel ..

[Gary Stevenson]

Ooh-ooh Tom. You have just got to do the get-steel like Jr's.If I could play reg guitar I would build one also.But alas I shortened my left first finger by a quarter of an inch on my own shop table saw Lucky that I play lap steel, LOL it does not bother that, but can press the strings in on that finger ie: too damn sensitive.But I hope to see yours come together.Can't wait to see the wood combo you come up with!!!

[Brian Hoskins]

That looks fabulous. Any chance we could get a sound bite?