Effect of mass on tone? (custom mod of Traveler guitar)

Paul Shambroom · Post by **Paul Shambroom** » 25 Feb 2012 7:51 am

I'm looking at converting a Traveler Guitar into an ultra-portable lap steel http://www.travelerguitar.com/products/electric-2/
They make several models, the Ultra light is 3 lbs 2 oz, the Speedster is 4 lb 7 oz. Will the difference in weight make a large difference in tone? If not, I'll go with the lighter one. I'm planning to shorten the scale by cutting off the first two frets, it looks like a fairly simple modification to install a new nut (higher and with wider string spacing) at the site of the new first fret, reshape the top of the neck a bit and reinstall the end cap/string retainer.

Am I correct in thinking that the spacing for the remaining frets will remaining accurate, as if I had just put a capo on?

Final question- I am a Dobro player (GBDGBD) and am not familiar with C6 and other tunings. Is there any reason I couldn't use this tuning on an instrument with a 22 inch scale? How should I select string gauge?

Thanks for any help or advice you can give. I'm a new member, this looks like an incredibly lively and helpful forum.

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 25 Feb 2012 8:19 am

Paul. I think that removing a few frets will alter significantly the arithmetic involved with fret spacing and scale length.
I am not positive, as I have never did this.
BTW, I think we have met. I used to live in MPLS and worked at WAC.

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 25 Feb 2012 10:02 am

Welcome to the forums Paul

Am I correct in thinking that the spacing for the remaining frets will remaining accurate, as if I had just put a capo on?

It will be within a couple thousandths, close enough and nothing to worry about. There is a bigger margin of error in your cutting accuracy.

Ultra light is 3 lbs 2 oz, the Speedster is 4 lb 7 oz. Will the difference in weight make a large difference in tone?

Between those two, it looks like the main difference, extra weight / mass, is in the wings with both sharing the same maple neck through design and construction.
Given that, I'd say that the difference between the two due to mass only would be little if any.

Overall as a viable travel steel project, it will work, but to be honest, I don't think its worth the $500 starting price. The hardware on it is the minimal quality one would expect on a Chinese import and overall I think the thin 3/4" thickness is not a plus either.

Paul Shambroom · Post by **Paul Shambroom** » 25 Feb 2012 10:19 am

Hi Tom. Thanks for your input. The Ultra Lite Electric model is $300. Do you think it's just too light and thin to be a viable lap steel? I'm not aware of any headless model lap steel, that's why I'm considering this. I'm sure your right that the components are cheap. I can always replace the pickup. Does the tuner quality really matter much on a LS?

Randy- I might remember you from WAS. I had a show there in 1995. Did you work on the crew? I'll asks my wife Joan R, she was a curator there.

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 26 Feb 2012 8:02 am

yes Paul. that was me that lit your exhibition. I did all the archival framing and exhibition lighting at WAC till 2010.