Custom Hybrid Lap Steel - VARIAX + Rick Aiello potbelly

Daryl Smetana · Post by **Daryl Smetana** » 2 Apr 2008 9:10 am

I've always wanted to build something, an instrument, originally a banjo. My wife gave me a Line6 Variax 700 for my 25th Anniversary which is very cool, a modeling guitar with acoustics and electrics, resonators and even a banjo. With the Line6 WorkBench you can customize the sounds AND program alternate tunings - That is the killer KEY! So when I started playing more lap steel and using many tunings, I got frustrated with the tuning down time. After finding out that a lot of folk are transplanting the Variax electronics into high end custom guitars, I decided to try a lap steel Variax. I also wanted to explore the artistry of inlay and so last August I bought tools, walnut and started. I wanted to have the best of both worlds and desired a horseshoe pickup liky my Rickenbacher as well and found Rick Aiello who built me a potbelly, since he had stopped doing the horseshoes. The peghead inlay is gold MOP, the body binding flame maple laminate, the frets are maple/ebony/maple binding and the upper register frets are plastic binding. The access covers are walnut with magnetic closure. In late Feb 2008 I finished the build. So far on the Variax side I have available C6/A7, Dobro G, C#m7, open E A and G and standard guitar tunings - all available at the flip of a switch. Oh, and a guitar voice that matches the tuning. It is soooooo coooool to flip a switch and stomp an A-B floor pedal and be playing a National tri-cone resonator into the PA. So.....here's what she looks like

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 2 Apr 2008 9:37 am

Nice job Daryl

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 2 Apr 2008 9:39 am

that is one clean build. congrads.

Daryl Smetana · Post by **Daryl Smetana** » 2 Apr 2008 9:49 am

Tom Pettingill wrote:Nice job Daryl

Thanks Tom. I love your work and that walnut/birdseye gave me a number of good ideas for the next build. How many have steels have you built to perfect your skills?

Don Kona Woods · Post by **Don Kona Woods** » 2 Apr 2008 11:01 am

Daryl,

That looks like quite a beautiful, technical
masterpiece all rolled into one!

How much time into it?
What were the challenges?

Aloha,

Don

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 2 Apr 2008 11:28 am

You've taken an amazing idea and executed it wonderfully - congrats with a job well done!

Steinar

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 2 Apr 2008 11:32 am

Another tremendous idea of how to hot rod a lap steel. Thanks for showing us this!

Greg

Daryl Smetana · Post by **Daryl Smetana** » 2 Apr 2008 11:35 am

Don Kona Woods wrote: How much time into it?
What were the challenges?
Aloha,
Don

Not sure on the total manhours, 7 months elapsed time. Worked a few hours, a few weekdays and usually a day or both of the weekend. The challenges; no woodworking skills and no knowledge. Thank God for the internet! Found great resources...
general knowledge - http://www.projectguitar.com
parts and materials - http://www.stewmac.com
and some pioneer transplanters/builders
Rosevelt Washington - http://www.exit45.com/guitar
Jeff Miller - http://www.guitaristjeffmiller.com/guitars.htm
Quintin Stephens - http://www.dulcicaster.com/build.html
Learning to use the tools without endangering myself and making irreversable mistakes, both of which I succeeded in doing. Making and testing templates, using test/crash "dummies" or samples before attempting the operation on the "real" build, etc. The above referenced builders have documented their experiences very well, so a wealth of experience was under my mouse. I have tried to do the same, learning some website skills in the process and should you wish to view the process it can be found at
http://members.cox.net/dsmetana1/
I still have quite a way to go on annotating the pictures. Most big issues such as WAY too thick sanding sealer which becomes cloudy were correctable, just scrape and sand. Sanding thru the nitrocellous lacquer....well I did refinish part of the top by the controls. The router tip and gauge in the neck which I backfilled left a visible flaw, or "personality" as my daughter calls it. All in all, my "prototype" before taking the chance of destroying exotic woods turned out way beyond my wildest expectations and is truely a keeper. I will build again, not sure exactly what yet, but it will have an Aiello PUP. Maybe I'll build a cocobola fry pan, an interesting thought. Right now I intend to PLAY the heck out this hybrid. I'm working out arrangements of Sleepwalk in C6/A7 and The Warmth of the Sun in C#m7 to showcase both sides of this hybrid. I will post links when I have the recordings online.

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 2 Apr 2008 12:26 pm

Daryl Smetana wrote:Thanks Tom. I love your work and that walnut/birdseye gave me a number of good ideas for the next build. How many have steels have you built to perfect your skills?

Thanks, I've done a few now, they are fun to create

Sounds like you have a good mindset, know where to go for info, and then execute it, thats what it takes.
Looking forward to your next one

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 2 Apr 2008 12:30 pm

Daryl, that is freakin' awesome!

I have a buddy who swears by the Variax and uses it on all his gigs instead of shlepping multiple instruments.

Way to go!

Daryl Smetana · Post by **Daryl Smetana** » 2 Apr 2008 12:42 pm

Thanks Tom, I am an engineer, physicist, and problem solver. Once I put it in gear I can generally come up with [or find] a creative solution. The issue is always a clean clear problem statement, but life is like that anyway.

Thanks Bill, I use the V-700 for acoustic, electric, and 12 string sounds in the band and NOW have added Wally for Dobro and steels. Small arsenal and BIG sounds-easy to gig with.
D

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 2 Apr 2008 12:58 pm

Bravo, Daryl. An extraordinarily ambitious project considering your woodworking chops. Sure looks like you knew what you were doing by the time the tools hit the wood. My compliments.

Daryl Smetana · Post by **Daryl Smetana** » 2 Apr 2008 1:30 pm

Thanks, Steinar. I very much appreciate your complement. I loved your version of "God Only Knows" on the Asher website. Now THAT is impressive! Just found out about your album "Southern Moon, Northern Lights"...you'll be selling one to me for the full length version. WOW!

Don Kona Woods · Post by **Don Kona Woods** » 2 Apr 2008 10:04 pm

Thanks for your explanation, Daryl.

After your good narrative of what you did, we can all appreciate your work even more.

Aloha,

Don

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 3 Apr 2008 4:36 am

Daryl, your creation is absolutely gorgious. I've seen but never really examined or played a variax but the concept is very interesting. Is your layout of the controls and electronics the same as the Line 6?

I've heard several guys using a variax live and thought the sound was impressive, do the models translate well for slide playing... in other words do the models sound good on your guitar?

Great job. I wonder if any builders will follow your lead and produce something like this for sale? The technology seems well suited for lap steel players who need a bunch of different guitars to get the sounds and tunings they require.

Peter Jacobs · Post by **Peter Jacobs** » 3 Apr 2008 5:03 am

Great work, Daryl -- it's visually stunning and the transplanted electronics will no doubt make this a very useful tool. Congratulations on not only a great idea, but on following it through to a great conclusion.

Peter

Daryl Smetana · Post by **Daryl Smetana** » 3 Apr 2008 7:00 am

Mark Mansueto wrote:Is your layout of the controls and electronics the same as the Line 6?

I kept the expensive Variax700 gift from my wife to play fretted and bought a cheap $300 V-300 electric for the transplant. The 700 has free floating pots and switches that one can relocate at will, the 300 has vol/tone/voice sw/bank switch all on a printed circuit board and a "coffin cage" surrounding these and the circuit board for shielding. No room for the coffin, so extracted and trimmed every thing not required and shielded the cavity with conductive paint that I grounded. So, unless one can figure how to rewire ALL of that stuff, they are rigidly fixed. You can see that assy in the bottom right of the "guts" picture. I had to add an A-B switch and vol/tone for the potbelly. Not much room left after the battery box in the Ricky NS based body without infringing on the playing area. So...I used a stacked vol/tone and tucked these into the next widest part of the body. Couldn't find a 500/250 v/t stacked pot, so I am using a 500/500 and now experimenting with capacitors values to get the tone control I'd like. I must say that the transplant pioneers building full size solid body guitars had a lot more flexibility. However, if you want see way to much electronics stuffed into a full sized body, check out Rose's CV-V with PUPs, sustainiac PUP, Variax, internal wireless and midi - now thats a wiring nightmare.
http://www.exit45.com/VaxV
As far as the sounds, so far the change from a 25" to 22.5" scale has not altered the sonics, I was concerned. The walnut appears to give a little fuller/fatter tone and I tune the strings to C6/A7 with standard lap gauages. I do notice some pitch fluxuations [like a slow beat frequency] in the radically retuned voicings like open E or standard guitar tuning where I drop the C# all the way down to E. However, a little adjust in playing and it is not offensive to my ears. The tuning that are closer to the "base" string tuning sound real good. I don't plan on using the sitar, banjo, or 12 string voices on the lap, but then again....could be interesting-or bizzzzzare. But life is full of opportunities. Now I have these, it's time to work on technique and expertise. I play because I have a passion to, I love to learn, and I like continually improving. So, like a fine [or adequate] wine, better with age.

John Bushouse · Post by **John Bushouse** » 3 Apr 2008 7:51 am

Does the fact that the sound from the amp and the sound you can hear directly from the guitar on your lap get confusing when they're not the same tuning?

Daryl Smetana · Post by **Daryl Smetana** » 3 Apr 2008 11:40 am

John, room balance can be very distracting, yes. I find there is a minimum amp volume required to not mess with my head on the ambient resonance of the steel. Anything above is gravey. Late night, headphones are purfect. Not an issue in a band situation.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 3 Apr 2008 11:51 am

Daryl Smetana wrote:
I kept the expensive Variax700 gift from my wife

As well as an artist/builder.......you are also a very wise man.......

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 4 Apr 2008 6:26 am

Fantastic project!! Your dedication to get something like that together is really impressive!!

BILL

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 4 Apr 2008 7:26 am

Okay, but how does it SOUND? I'd love to hear audio examples of the various sounds you can get out of a Variax-equipped lap steel.

(Beautiful job, by the way.)

Daryl Smetana · Post by **Daryl Smetana** » 4 Apr 2008 8:31 am

Brad Bechtel wrote:Okay, but how does it SOUND?

Working on doing some examples for you all, stay tuned.

Daryl Smetana · Post by **Daryl Smetana** » 5 Apr 2008 4:59 pm

Brad Bechtel wrote:Okay, but how does it SOUND?

OK...You asked for it. I now have online [but I don't know how to serve it up...yet] the sounds of Wally. I programmed two voices adjacent on the toggle switch, each with a tuning offset from C6/A7 to C#m7. I threw together "The Warmth of the Sun". The intro/verse 1 and chorus are done in the Variax voice based on a 1935 Dobro Model 32 direct into the board. The rest if done in the 1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard voice into a Carvin 112 Nomad guitar amp (had it at home) with no volume pedal (MIA) close miked with an MXL 990 condenser. Everything can be greatly improved, not the most professional thing I've done. Did not use the potbelly, still working on the caps for the sound I want. The cut can be found at
http://members.cox.net/dls456987/TWOTS.mp3 (

oops, not a politically correct title-sorry)
I'm not savy enought yet to serve it up, so if it bombs, RightClickMouse "Save Target As" and you can play it locally. Hope it works and you enjoy!
Cheers, D

Don Kona Woods · Post by **Don Kona Woods** » 5 Apr 2008 9:36 pm

Daryl say,

I threw together "The Warmth of the Sun".

Daryl that is some very, very nice throwing that you did.

Awesome!!!

Sounds like a lot of great potential!!

Aloha,

Don

The Steel Guitar Forum

Custom Hybrid Lap Steel - VARIAX + Rick Aiello potbelly

Custom Hybrid Lap Steel - VARIAX + Rick Aiello potbelly

Sounds Of Wally