Steel Guitar of the future ?? Lasers , No Strings !!???

Eddie Cunningham · Post by **Eddie Cunningham** » 15 Jul 2008 6:40 pm

In the August issue of Popular Science a Stephen Hobley does a "show & tell" of his Laser Harp !! 10 "strings" of laser beams off mirrors played by his hands !! Could be made into a steel guitar , maybe !??! Plans are free and costs $1500.oo for electronics and parts !! Check out his web site at WWW.stephenhobley.com !! Some weird sounds and sights !!! Some of his stuff is on You-Tube . Something on the idea of the 1930s "Theramin" !! Check it out !! Eddie "C"

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 15 Jul 2008 7:14 pm

No Fun! You just have to change strings, once in a while!

Jim Robbins · Post by **Jim Robbins** » 15 Jul 2008 7:51 pm

Blacklight has better tone.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 15 Jul 2008 9:07 pm

Batteries included. Some assembly required.

Dave Diehl · Post by **Dave Diehl** » 16 Jul 2008 3:23 am

It's like that song of Justin Tubb's.... Whats wrong with the way that we're doing it now!

autry andress · Post by **autry andress** » 16 Jul 2008 4:45 am

This might take our "How to tune up" Issues we fuss about on the forum away from us. Just a thought ????

steve takacs · Post by **steve takacs** » 16 Jul 2008 7:51 am

Eddie, your guitar playing is "out of this world". I'm sending this to some friends with knowledge of electronics in the hopes one will try to build one. Great job! Are you also a steel player ("Normal Steel")? steve t

Joe Drivdahl · Post by **Joe Drivdahl** » 16 Jul 2008 8:01 am

This is the worst idea I've heard since they put computers in automobiles.

Just my opinion, but there are places where technology does not belong. This coming from a half-a$$ed computer programmer / teacher of technology. I just think some things are better off without going 'high tech.'

Roger Edgington · Post by **Roger Edgington** » 17 Jul 2008 6:44 am

Can you get it with a pad? Can you get a 12 string uni? Is it tuned TI or JI? At least it shouldn't have any cabinet drop.

I can appreciate the new technology but, I'm too old to change to an "electric slide guitar". Hmmm...How heavy is it? I enjoy being mechanically connected to the strings and feeling them change tension and working on technique to achieve a decent sound. That's too close to a synthesizer for me but my grandson would probably love it.

Bo Legg · Post by **Bo Legg** » 17 Jul 2008 10:20 am

We’re getting laser and lazier everyday.

Don Drummer · Post by **Don Drummer** » 18 Jul 2008 7:08 am

It is comforting to point out that despite all the things that a digital keyboard can do imitating other instruments it still can not come close to anything resembling a Pedal Steel. Don D.

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 20 Jul 2008 5:39 pm

I go along with most everything said. I will offer the following:

There ARE things that can be improved, without taking away from what we love to do and hear:

1. Zero Hysteresis.

2. Zero Cabinet drop.

3. Zero Noisy under carriages.

In other words, the ONLY sound that should come out of a PSG is the sound coming out of the PU.

4. Tops of the strings that are 100% co-planar flat at the nut. And can easily be adjusted from the TOP of the guitar, if the player decides to change gauges. Which includes a digitally created calibration device to insure accuracy of the above.

5. Eliminate (through digital processing and computer control) premature string breakage.

6. Legs and pedal rods that are totally adjustable in length for children players all the way up to 6'+ players.

7. Knee levers that are easily adjustable front and back as well as left and right. This is of special concern with vertical levers when it comes to height as well. Also, vertical levers that do NOT pivot horizontally. Rather they go straight up and down and are long enough to be used WITH the other regular knee levers.

8. Pedals that are comfortable to play while wearing soft sole shoes or particularly for those that play in socks or barefooted. Egonomics IMO, is sadly lacking here. It has been far too long in coming.

9. Digitally lighted fret boards, that can be adjusted for brightness in variously lit (or non lit) places.

10. Switchable and digitally lighted right end plate tuning compartments, so the "correct" tuner can easily be seen in dimly lit quarters.

11. Built in jacks for connecting digital electronic tuners that include a 3 way switch:

A. Tuner connected only to the PU.

B. Tuner AND PU connected to amp.

C. PU straight to the AMP.

12. Built in "match box" with vol and tone controls, with the ability to bypass it entirely on demand.

13. 36 frets. Rather than the common 24 to 29.

14. More esthetically appealing knee levers like the Sho-Buds. Also, more comfortable to engage knee levers.

15. Infinitely adjustable bellcranks for 100% exact timing of all pulls on the same pedal or knee lever, except in those few cases where that is NOT desirable; such as RKR on the standard E9th tuning.

16. "Split" tuning capability on EVERY string where a separate rod is NOT necessary to split.

17. Minimim of 4 raise/4 lower changers.

18. String ball and windings that in NO way mars the soft aluminum* changer.

19. Nylon tuners where the allen wrench goes deeper INSIDE the tuner.

20. Esthetically appealing storage place ON the guitar for the tuning wrench. And the wrench is made dual purpose: 1. For the nylon tuners and 2. For the "split" tuners.

21. Digital Volume Pedals that have NO affect on the pure raw sound from the PU, save the level.

22. Digitally and computer designed cabinets and mechanics that drastically reduce weight without changing the sound in ANY way. This of course goes for amps as well.

23. Keyless guitars that have as much sustain (and/or overtones) as Keyed guitars (everything else being equal, especially beyond the 12th fret.

24. P/P sound without the slop in raise rods; AND a minimum of 4R/4L changers adjustable from the END plate.

25. Colored fret boards that do not look gawdy.

I personally believe, most PSG manufacturers have spent too much time on esthetics; rather than in trying to cure the above. Others will disagree.

c.

* It was learned early on that a hard material for the changer (the part the string is connected to) did not give the sound that soft aluminum does. So it is a two edged sword. Or as some say, "Between a rock and a hard place!" (pun intended

)

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 20 Jul 2008 8:55 pm

Carl, a steel like that would be GREAT, BUT---With all those features, it'd probably cost nearly a thousand dollars for a D-10!!

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 21 Jul 2008 8:02 am

I hear ya brother Steve!

Have you checked the price of a new MSA or Anapeg?

People WILL pay for anything they want, regardless of the price, if the "gotta have it" is there.

c.

Antolina · Post by **Antolina** » 21 Jul 2008 3:13 pm

Ridiculi... plural of or more than one ridiculous

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 21 Jul 2008 3:44 pm

Carl,
You won't do

!!!
(Northern people can PM for an explanation)

God truly blessed us with you!

Jim Kennedy · Post by **Jim Kennedy** » 22 Jul 2008 12:47 pm

I have been giving thought to some type of electronically controlled pull system. Steppers or relays that could be easily adjusted, and still be activated with pedals and knee levers. I have a buddy who is a retired design tech for Ford aerospace and he thinks it is possible. Just food for thought.

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 22 Jul 2008 1:19 pm

Yes Jim,

I am in total accord with you. And I have thought about it for many years. In fact, one time I visited Bobbe Seymour's place, right after he opened it.

He showed me all kinds of things that Shot Jackson and others had tried in this very scenario. But for a myriad of reasons they never came to fruition.

Vacuum, hydraulics, electical power, etc, are just some of the things that have been tried, but it did not fly.

But it will. "There is a time and place for everthing". So it is going to happen. It is not a question of "If", ONLY a question of "when".

Servo motors, one for EACH string seems to be a very viable application on a PSG, in my mind. Thinking about this suggests NO pullrods, NO crossrods, NO bell cranks, no tuners, etc, etc. And it would be a thousand times more precies using digital electronics to monitor it, and act instantly on demand from the player.

It would simply have each Pedal and knee lever connected to a control circuit which would then translate through space age "servos" that would emulated EVERY nuance of feel and/or movement that the player did, AT the changer, with NO physical connection between the two other than wiring.

They have been doing this on commercial aircraft for eons, since there is NO way a pilot could operate a rudder by himself on a jumbo jet. Yet the slightest touch of the rudder pedal (by the pilot) is duplicated precisely to a device that weighs tons and stands 3 stories tall.

This goes for alaerons (sp), stabilizers, flaps or anything else.

AS technology is driven generally by need and competition in industry, it sooner or later finds its way into everyday living.

Such WILL be the case in the PSG of the future I predict.

May Jesus bless those who seek to make life better and more joyful; as well as easier for all of us,

c.

Jim Palenscar · Post by **Jim Palenscar** » 22 Jul 2008 6:01 pm

It is very difficult to shield the servos well enough so that you can't hear them electrically with the current technology (at least in a stepper motor configuration).

Jerry Dragon · Post by **Jerry Dragon** » 29 Jul 2008 6:35 am

I don't know much about steels but I was wondering if you could get away using solenoids for some of the pedals? Go ahead and laugh, I can take it.

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Steel Guitar of the future ?? Lasers , No Strings !!???

Steel Guitar of the future ?? Lasers , No Strings !!???

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