Lap steel guitar advice needed

Jeff Murrell · Post by **Jeff Murrell** » 19 Apr 2013 3:16 pm

Hello,

I am new to the world of steel guitars and I am looking to purchase my first guitar. The level of talent and experience here is phenomenal so I thought I would ask your opinion before purchasing. I will primarily be using the guitar for rock/blues styles of music. My budget is fairly small, I would like to stay around or below $400. The following four options are what I have come up with.

1) Get an inexpensive lap steel such as an Rondo's SX/Rogue Jersey Lightning/Peavey Power Slide and save for a better steel.

2) Purchase a Tremblay

3) Post a lap steel wanted ad here on the forum

4) There is one console steel advertised on this site that looks good and is within the range
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=244477

Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated. I am looking forward to entering the world of steel guitars.

Jeff

Stephen Abruzzo · Post by **Stephen Abruzzo** » 19 Apr 2013 5:35 pm

Tremblay......well regarded from the players that have them. IIRC, Forumite Steve Cunningham may have some YouTube clips playing his Tremblay.

Get value for your $$$$$.

Jeff Murrell · Post by **Jeff Murrell** » 20 Apr 2013 6:33 am

Stephen,

Thanks for your input. I will check out some of the clips.

Jeff

Wayne D. Clark · Post by **Wayne D. Clark** » 20 Apr 2013 11:53 am

Jeff/ You could check with Robert Allen, he makes the Melbert. 6 string, 8 string, double neck. I purchased an 8 string console from him s/n 0186. It was in the $500.00 how ever I must say he had built it for a fellow, and the fellow decided he wanted different wood, so Allen advertised it here on the Forum and I got lucky, I grabbed it. it is one fine insterment, I still have it and plays great. Here is his address [melbertsteels@gmail.com]
He lives in Tenn. Hand made, one at a time like all American Built Lap Steel are.

Wayne D. Clark · Post by **Wayne D. Clark** » 20 Apr 2013 12:13 pm

F.Y.I JEFF. Music on the Mountian, 461 Rock Crusher Rd., Livingston, Tn 38570 {931=823 0005} Have fun Jeff. By the way Jeff I have only met Bob Allen via Email when I purchased my guitar from him. But I like what He made and I'm happy with what I bought.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 20 Apr 2013 12:19 pm

Jeff, sounds like at least some distortion will be part of your sound, as such the make/model of your steel will be much less important until clean playing comes into your focus. Some of the cheapest steels make for good bluesy rock.

Dennis Smith · Post by **Dennis Smith** » 20 Apr 2013 4:44 pm

For blues/rock I would go with a old Supro/Ohau with the string through pickup. Those are some of the strongest pickup going and guitar center has a few for under $400. and if you don't like it take it back.
I like the older guitars better.

Jeff Murrell · Post by **Jeff Murrell** » 21 Apr 2013 6:36 am

Thank you guys for all of the great advice. I love hearing different thoughts on the subject.

Wayne - Bob contacted me via e-mail about building one. Seems like a good option that was not on my list. I appreciate your vote of confidence for the quality.

Ron - It is great to hear someone take the contrarian view to most forums and say that a low end instrument will work. Often times I think this is true. I played a Squire Classic Vibe Tele at a local guitar store the other day that was better than some of the Fender Teles they had! I do a lot of clean playing as well as distorted, so I would like to have something versatile. It is hard to find these low end lap steel models in store to try though.

Dennis - I will take a look at the used Supro/Oahu's and put them on my list to look for locally.

Thanks again for your input.

Jeff

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » 21 Apr 2013 8:12 am

I'm not a rock / blues player at all, and I don't have a whole lot of experience either but just my .02 worth, if I knew my area of interest would always be rock / blues I might lean towards the powerslide in that it has a more rock design, and has a three point strap for playing standing up if you want or you can play it in regular electric guitar position with a slide. If you are going to run distortion / effects I think the sound quality is a little less critical than for "pure" playing...no offense intended. BTW, I live in Meridian, MS where Peavey is headquartered, but have no affiliation with them.

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 21 Apr 2013 12:00 pm

All good suggestions, not a loser in the bunch.

Just to add, if you can live with either the blue or black pearloid finish, Music 123 and Musicians Friend both have the Rogue Jersey Lightning on sale for $159 with free shipping. By all accounts here on the forum its a good starter steel and being a standard sized humbucker means there are a lot of different pickup options to tailor your sound if you so desired.
http://www.music123.com/folk-traditiona ... eel-guitar

John Soshnik · Post by **John Soshnik** » 21 Apr 2013 1:06 pm

Hi all,

I'm in the same boat as Jeff -- looking into buying my first steel guitar. I'm currently playing a friend's Magnatone, but am interested in acquiring an 8 string. I have seen many mentions of Dynalap, but it appears that they are still out of business (?). But I am appreciating all of the advice being given to Jeff here and will piggy back on that for myself.

Cheers!
John

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 21 Apr 2013 4:50 pm

The DynaLap's are deffinitely it for an overall sweet cheap steel, if at all possible, but if the OP wants best of all worlds then the old Ricky Bakelites are still the way to go. They do the biker blues thing better than any, and the rest is history.

Robert Burgess · Post by **Robert Burgess** » 22 Apr 2013 3:05 am

Definitely check out the new George-Boards range, he is a great guy to deal with and makes probably the best lap and consul models for the price(imho) having cut my steel teeth on a cheapy which quickly wore off I got an American walnut S-8 GB model and never looked back, this thing lives and breathes plugged in.

Jon Sawyer · Post by **Jon Sawyer** » 22 Apr 2013 7:42 am

I am also a beginner on the steel and I LOVE my Melbert 6 string, with EMG pickups; great tones for blues and rock, which is also my preference.

My Bro also loves the 8 string Melbert I gifted him (seen here: http://www.musonmt.com/9.html).

Highly recommended. http://www.musonmt.com

Cheers!

Jeff Murrell · Post by **Jeff Murrell** » 22 Apr 2013 8:28 am

I wanted to thank everyone for all your help! I found a kind soul locally that wanted to sell his guitar to someone that was going to play it rather than sell it. It is a 1954 Fender Dual 8 Professional Lap Steel Guitar. I am going to take lessons with forum member Josh Yenne so that I will not squander the gift I have been given.

Jim - I have an old Peavey Raptor that was just as good as many Strats that I have played so I know Peavey can make some great products. It is hard to find one of these in a store to try, however.

Tom - Thank you for your suggestion. Someday I would love to have one of your masterpieces. They are awe inspiring!

John/Ron - The DynaLap sounds great although hard to come by now that they are not making them?

Robert - I looked at the Georgeboards. Unfortunately they were out of my price range at the current time.

Jon - Good to hear more support for the Melbert guitars.

Thanks again,
Jeff

Dennis Smith · Post by **Dennis Smith** » 22 Apr 2013 11:53 am

Jeff, how about some photo's. You got a great guitar to learn on and play.

Jeff Murrell · Post by **Jeff Murrell** » 26 Apr 2013 8:13 am

Here is a requested pic. I was in the middle of restringing the top neck.

Jeff

Bobby Woods · Post by **Bobby Woods** » 28 Apr 2013 8:19 pm

For what it's worth... About 10 years ago I picked up a Supro Lap Steel (6 string) at a guitar show for $125. This guitar has a PU with offset poles so that the first 3 are on one side and the other 3 are on the other. I use a dobro strap, run the guitar through a distortion pedal and then through my regular steel guitar amp. It has a killer tone and this old pickup makes the pickups in my Emmons sound weak which they certainly are not. You won't find one every day, but when you do they don't cost much and they will certainly do what you seem to need. Good Luck

Paul Arntson · Post by **Paul Arntson** » 28 Apr 2013 10:14 pm

I second the "best tone for rock" on the Supro.
You can find them under many brands, just look for the rectangular pickup string thru with 3x3 offset holes. Another one that is sometimes a sleeper is the silvertone with the P13 gibson pickup, all the ones I have seen have the same sheet metal bridge assembly with two knobs and a bridge cover build in.
Wish I still had both of these....

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