| Author |
Topic: building a lap steel |
Carroll Hale
From:
EastTexas, USA
|
Posted 29 Jan 2008 10:56 am |
|
need some suggestions on what pickups, material for nut/bridge, etc.....volume/tone controls, tuning keys and any other parts necessary to make my first lap steel.......I am a pretty good woodworker, so that part is not a concern......will start w a simple one and move on to a better one later...
any help appreciated...
where to find parts...
where to find simple plans for a lapsteel.
thanks,
ch |
|
|
|
Terry Wood
From:
Lebanon, MO
|
Posted 29 Jan 2008 1:16 pm
|
|
Carroll,
Some place I saw a book advertised on the internet how to build your own lap steel guitar.
You might check that out.
Terry |
|
|
|
Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
|
|
|
|
Randy Reeves
From:
LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA
|
Posted 29 Jan 2008 1:16 pm
|
|
basic parts:
http://www.stewmac.com
pickups...there are many great makers. I have used Lindy Fralin and Jason Lollar. both have web sites.
plans: you imagination...a lap steel, more or less, is wood, strings, bridge, nut, tuners, and a pickup. one end to the other is 22.5 inches (nut to saddle).
there have been some really exciting lap steels produced by members of this forum.
c'mon...show him. |
|
|
|
Tom Pettingill
From:
California, USA (deceased)
|
Posted 29 Jan 2008 1:51 pm
|
|
Looking forward to seeing your project when its done, its a lot of fun building them.
How many strings? What kind of tone are you looking for?
For 6 string pickups, P90 type pickups work great and are fairly plentiful in a lot of price points.
For 8 string, Lollar, Vintage Vibe, and Jerry Wallace all offer some well respected pickups.
You can use a lot of different materials for nuts ... aluminum, brass, Corian, bone.
I've been using mostly bone and like it a lot. Its easy to shape and work with and has a nice bright clear tone.
For six strings, I've used off the shelf Strat / Tele hard tail bridges with very good results. I've also made a few out of aluminum channel, angle, and round rod that sound great too.
Stainless steel or brass works too.
8 string bridges will need to be made, though Hipshot does make an 8 string hard tail and Trilogy.
For a plan, I think Bluestem has a full scale free plan they offer for download.
If you do a design of your own, it helps to draw it out full scale first.
Start with a centerline and go from there.
_________________
Some misc pics of my hand crafted steels
Follow me on Facebook here |
|
|
|
Philip Bender
From:
Palmetto FL USA (deceased)
|
Posted 29 Jan 2008 7:39 pm lap steel
|
|
Hey Carroll,
Here is a pic of my latest guitar, 8 string with 6 tuning changer. It is about 80% finished.
PB
 |
|
|
|
Philip Bender
From:
Palmetto FL USA (deceased)
|
Posted 29 Jan 2008 7:54 pm lap steel
|
|
hey carroll,
I just now found some other pics of my lap steel.
PB
The last pic is of the last guitar I finished before the changer came along
PB
PS, Now working on a 10 string dual cam changer w/ a 6 to the 6th combination changer, that is 6x6x6x6x6x6x6 combinations, WHEW!!!
PB |
|
|
|
Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
|
Posted 29 Jan 2008 9:21 pm
|
|
Hey Phil, great to see you so busy  And having fun too
Regards BILL |
|
|
|
Randy Cordle
From:
Illinois, USA
|
Posted 30 Jan 2008 6:29 am
|
|
Hi Carroll,
You may be interested in my website:
http://www.bluestemstrings.com/
There is a complete lap steel building guide with all the information you could possibly need as well as free plans in PDF format. Have fun building your lap steel, it's really quite addictive.
Randy
_________________
www.Bluestemstrings.com |
|
|
|
Carroll Hale
From:
EastTexas, USA
|
Posted 30 Jan 2008 9:49 am what can I say..............
|
|
W O W.........
....... you guys are toooo much....
thanks for all of this........
I cannot wait to get started....... |
|
|
|
Chris Drew
From:
Bristol, UK
|
Posted 30 Jan 2008 11:59 am
|
|
Good luck with your Steel Guitar project, Carrol...
Do let us know how you get on, & post us some pics of your progress too!
What scale-length are you going for?
Do you have any ideas for the fretboard?
Randy, your Bluestem steels look sweet!
Nice work on the site too... a definite "add to favourites"!
I'm interested about the "real" frets on that pictured guitar, is the neck thin enough to play it "regular"?
Chris. |
|
|
|
Philip Bender
From:
Palmetto FL USA (deceased)
|
Posted 30 Jan 2008 9:26 pm Fret board
|
|
Hey Chris,
The frets on the forementioned guitar are sanded flush ivory colored binding strips, and the neck is 1.5 inches thick.
thanks,
PB |
|
|
|
Chris Drew
From:
Bristol, UK
|
Posted 31 Jan 2008 12:47 am
|
|
Philip, I meant the guitar on Randy's site, the bluestem.
In the pic they look like regular frets ( at least on my monitor! )
Yours look sweet by the way!
Really nice choice of shape & proportion, I like the curve & point on the fretboard end.
Have you considered turning some wooden knobs? They'd really suit the look of your guitars. |
|
|
|
Carroll Hale
From:
EastTexas, USA
|
Posted 31 Jan 2008 5:56 am
|
|
| Chris Drew wrote: |
Good luck with your Steel Guitar project, Carrol...
Do let us know how you get on, & post us some pics of your progress too!
What scale-length are you going for?
Do you have any ideas for the fretboard?
Randy, your Bluestem steels look sweet!
Nice work on the site too... a definite "add to favourites"!
I'm interested about the "real" frets on that pictured guitar, is the neck thin enough to play it "regular"?
Chris. |
I have not made any firm decisions, but right now, the 22 1/2" scale sounds good...I think that is what is on my dobro...????....plan to use 3/8 string spacing (cause I got fat fingers)...have lots of wood scraps (cabinet making is a hobby) so I have plenty to choose from or I could try something completely new.....live in east tex....trees trees trees everywhere.........may just go out and cut a tree for firewood.......pick out a good straight piece.........not sure on pickup/electronics....will stay simple for this first one.......KISS.....think simple is best for me at this time.......can get more complex with each new guitar......
thanks for the help..
may be a while....will post some pics then....(If this old dumbarse can figure out how to do it)
ch |
|
|
|
Philip Bender
From:
Palmetto FL USA (deceased)
|
Posted 31 Jan 2008 8:00 am new lap steel
|
|
Aloha Carroll,
Thelap steels that i have built all use a neck laminated out of 3/4" hard maple, set on edge, glue with carpenters glue, and clamp until cured, time varies with humidity and temp.The first one I built is still alive and kicking, and seldom needs to be tuned. My primary theory is that a rectangular member is stronger across it's long side, so if the glue is correct, a laminated neck should be stronger and last longer than the solid variety.
Aloha,
Phil Bender |
|
|
|
George Piburn
From:
The Land of Enchantment New Mexico
|
Posted 31 Jan 2008 10:47 am edit
|
|
edit
Last edited by George Piburn on 19 Jun 2012 8:30 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
|
Randy Cordle
From:
Illinois, USA
|
Posted 1 Feb 2008 5:40 am
|
|
Hi Chris,
All my lap steels use real frets. They look good and give a nod to the lap steel origins. Flat fretboard and string height of 7/16" above frets would not be very comfortable to play in conventional guitar style!
Randy
_________________
www.Bluestemstrings.com |
|
|
|
Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
|
Posted 1 Feb 2008 9:38 am
|
|
Chris.
If you have never built a lap guitar before then I suggest that you start out with a VERY simple proto type guitar made from pine and angle aluminum that you can get from any building supply place. Do some cutting and screwing on parts and just get your feet wet. When you finish that then take that experience and move on to better and more expensive materials with your design that is now based on your experience. You won't regret it. |
|
|
|
Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
|
Posted 1 Feb 2008 10:54 pm
|
|
I wouldn't use wood from a tree, that hasn't been at least kiln dried. Wood that's even a little green yet will possibly end up with splits/small cracks, and sometimes will warp.
I have a blank machined for one made of mostly purple heart wood. Made the thing four years ago with (supposedly) dry wood. It has some fine cracks running longitudally in the top where the fret board will cover it. I'm waiting for it to settle down before finishing it.
I agree with George about using West System epoxy glue. ( hey, it's holding my boat together!!)
Made by Gougeon Brothers down the road from me in Bay City Mi. |
|
|
|
