Lap Steel T-Shirts

[Nate Hofer]

Guys, I need your opinions and help. If I produced lap steel T-shirts do you think anyone would be interested in buying them?

I'm a graphic designer by trade and love great T-shirts. It bugs me to no end that there are not hardly any good lap steel T-shirts out there. So I've been brainstorming on a few ideas. But I need a focus group to tell me what they think or give me more ideas.

So right now I have either standard 8-string tunings and then the first names of the old swing guard. (Do I have these names right?)

Visually I love the visual boldness but there's a joke in each concept too - I mean it's only going to speak to other lap steelers (maybe peddlers too.)








(Joaquin's tuning or at least one he's known for.)

Thanks,
nate

[Ron Whitfield]

The tunings are cool, and the names are OK, but I'd have the high on top and comas instead of &s except at the last, otherwise it kinda look's redundant.
The real kicker would be individual HoFer's pictures with their name and maybe a famous quote. Custom orders?
To get decent sales from a niche market you gotta make'm pop!

[Nate Hofer]

Custom orders would be cool if there was a low cost way to do that. Iron ons I'm afraid wouldn't cut it.

The tunings actually do run high to low. (Murph's tuning with the high B at the bottom may throw some folks - understandably.)

Heh. Okay, well it was fun to try!

[Mike Neer]

I'd wear it.

I'd like Sol, Jules, Barney, Feets

Speedy, Buddy, Vance, Jimmy, Moon

Also, Leon, Joaquin, Herb, Noel

[Ron Whitfield]

The tunings actually do run high to low. Okay, well it was fun to try!

duh..., I failed to look beyond the word, high, my bad. I like'm. Definitely worth a try, but right now isn't the best time to test the market on this forum, not sure what the lurker rate is but we're in a real contribution rut.

[John Faulkinbury]

They look good to me also. I like the tunings.

[John Bartlett]

Good job!

I'd buy it and wear it too.

But, I'd like it in 8 string, E7 tuning -

E, B, G#, E, D, B, G#, E,

And, I like the Sol, Jerry, Bob and Leon.

One of each! Let me know!

[Brad Bechtel]

How about two for the resophonic players?
D
B
G
D
B
G

and

Buck&
Josh&
Jerry&
Rob

Great idea, nice execution. I'd be interested.

[Jim Rossen]

Like the steel geek teeshirt idea. Would favor something with a bit more graphic interest- maybe copy the lettering style of the name a well known maker, or include a stylized image of a steel or part there of- maybe a Stringmaster tuner assembly7 Groovy tab image? Stringmaster cartoon with scores of necks disappearing into the horizon?

[Earl Hensley]

I would wear one like ::

Speedy, Jerry, John, Don, Jimmy, Curley,


these may not be lap but they were some of the greats
now gone.

[Wayne D. Clark]

I Like the idea, and I would buy one or two. How about two or three standard tunings 6 and 8 string like C6th, E7th, E9th, ect. and "I'm A STEEL PLAYER' your going to get ALLLLLL sorts of ideas from this sight.

[HowardR]

I don't know about wearing a T shirt with a bunch of guy's names.....people might think that I'm......happy......not that there's anything wrong with it.......


Here's my candid opinion.....I applaud your idea & effort, but I feel that it falls short......t shirts with messages are fun, quirky, and say something.....they send a message and project the thing that you are into.....

Aside from steel guitarists (and not even all steel guitarists) other people will not know who Bob, Noel, Speedy, Curly, Buddy, Sol etc...are.....same with the tunings......I think that your idea could be improved with the addition of an image.....for example, an image of Jerry at the steel.....or an image of Jerry and a steel guitar and the addition of one of his quotes.....or a catch phrase....

The same thing with the tunings.....an image of a steel and the tuning written out horizontally as reading it it vertical form is more difficult and involves effort.....

[Earl Hensley]

I designed a t-shirt for John Hughey that he did very well with. It said;

"Thou shalt not steal,
But thou should steel"


with a photo of a steel guitar in the middle.

Just an idea.

[John Faulkinbury]

Earl, I like that good idea !

[Wayne D. Clark]

Earl I like that idea also. The steel guitar makes a connection with the Prase or the Tunning.

Looking back on Solomon's "T" shirts, I think identifying the tuning like C6th or E9th or what ever would identify their significence to those who may not be have a clue as to what those letters mean.

[Kirk Eipper]

The Tunings are cool.

[Nate Hofer]

Thank you everybody. I'm encouraged by the awesome feedback.

Like the steel geek teeshirt idea. Would favor something with a bit more graphic interest- maybe copy the lettering style of the name a well known maker, or include a stylized image of a steel or part there of- maybe a Stringmaster tuner assembly7 Groovy tab image? Stringmaster cartoon with scores of necks disappearing into the horizon?

Actually I also thought about the SM tuner assembly too. Heh. The goal for now is to refine these two simple ideas and then see where it goes from there.

@Wayne D Clark:, Howard R, Earl Hensley, John Faulkinbury:
I hear ya, but I feel pretty good about the visual simplicity. I don't want to be too literal. Like great music and art I want to try to keep some mystery to it. And I think it's great if only steel guitarists and some other musicans get it. I like to think of it kinda like a code. Most people won't get it! But that makes it all the more fun and cool for those that do!

How about two for the resophonic players?

Resophonics! (Slapping myself on the forehead.) But of course!

Actually, I like Brad's idea too because it gets at setting up themes. So, I may move forward with something of the following:

Dobro:
Buck&
Josh&
Jerry&
Rob

Lap steel:
Leon&
Joaquin&
Herb&
Noel

West coast guys (Both lap and pedal):
Speedy&
Vance&
Joaquin&
Mooney&
Tom

Hawaiian to country lineage:
Sol&
Jerry&
Herb&
Bob

Hawaiian:
Sol&
Jules&
Barney&
Feets

What about the ladies of steel: (admittedly I'm foggy on this)
Letritia&
Marian&
Cindy

For now, I'm leaving out most of the heavy hitter of pedal steel. I wanna focus on normal steel guitar for the most part.

Tunings:
• C6 (as shown or maybe high E variation?)
• E13 (This one is Leon's)
• C6/A7 (Also a staple - maybe stick with the Murph version since I'm such a fan)
• Standard Dobro G
• Perhaps Speedy's "I'll Never Be Free" tuning Wildcard option.

[Russell Baker]

I'd be in for a few of the C6 for 6 string.

Not everyone plays an 8!

[Nate Hofer]

True! High G or E?

[Russ Wever]

no tom morrel ?
~rw

[Russ Wever]

( dupe )

[Mike Anderson]

Beofre you start screening more tees Solomon - and I love 'em and would do a Hawaiian and a C6/A7 - it's "Feet", not Feets.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sons_of_Hawaii

[Jim Cohen]

I could be interested in one that simply says:

E9/C6

No picture, don't spell out the strings, just leave it at this. Still has mystery and if folks are curious, they'll ask what it means. Then... WHAMMO! They'll be sorry they ever asked! LOL.

Might like it even better on the pocket of a polo shirt with a collar...

[Jim Cohen]

Also, how about:

SACRED STEEL:

Willy,
Calvin,
Chuck,
Darick,
Robert

[Nate Hofer]

no tom morrel ?
~rw

Woowee. Good catch Russ!