Anyone ever build a semi hollow lap steel?

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » 14 Mar 2014 4:29 am

Anybody ever home build a lap steel with a larger than normal closed acoustic body with sound holes as a practice guitar? Just curious, might be nice sometime when you didn't want to plug the amp up. I realize it would be hard to get much volume.

Noah Miller · Post by **Noah Miller** » 14 Mar 2014 6:15 am

The Cole Clark Violap is just that - halfway between a Weissenborn and an electric lap steel.

Peter Jacobs · Post by **Peter Jacobs** » 14 Mar 2014 6:15 am

I have a custom-built steel that's chambered, but does not have sound ports -- I wanted it that way for weight relief and because I like the tone of chambered guitars. I find for practice by myself, it's loud enough (but not if I'm playing along to music). It's the blue one in my avatar.

I think if it were built/braced lightly enough to be louder acoustically, it would feedback like crazy when I plugged in.

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » 14 Mar 2014 7:19 am

Yes, Vorson makes a semi hollow similar to the one in the photo, but I just wondered if anyone had ever scratch built something like this. Would almost be like a big dulcimer with a steel neck on it.

Ermanno Pasqualato · Post by **Ermanno Pasqualato** » 19 Mar 2014 12:13 pm

Maybe this?
I began to build such model recently
You can play unplugged and with a floating pick up that you can rise to get an electric sound or down to get a pleasant acoustic sound.
Unplugged it has a natural reveb

Ermanno

Ermanno Pasqualato · Post by **Ermanno Pasqualato** » 19 Mar 2014 12:14 pm

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » 19 Mar 2014 1:47 pm

Very nice

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 21 Mar 2014 1:08 pm

This is my main practice guitar... a home made cigar box experiment project I did a few years ago. It's actually hollow with a small sound hole in the upper right hand corner to let out some sound. It's perfect for practice or to haul around since it's a 22.5 scale and has about the same sustain as a regular acoustic. The box is cedar and it sounds surprisingly good and the volume is low enough to hear but not bother anyone in the next room. After this picture was taken I added a pickup under the saddle.

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Jim Pitman · Post by **Jim Pitman** » 26 Mar 2014 12:50 pm

This lap is chambered.

I find it accentuates that luscious mid-range on an electric instrument. It's also great in that you can practice without amp.

Peter Jacobs · Post by **Peter Jacobs** » 26 Mar 2014 1:04 pm

Mark and Jim - kudos to both of you -- those are terrific instruments. Jim, excellent craftsmanship on that steel, and I agree, a chambered guitar has a certain something!

Mark -- really impressive work on that cigar box. I might have to get up the nerve to build one myself -- nice work on the neck! I'm a fan of necks that are the same width as the fretboard.

JOZEF SMITH · Post by **JOZEF SMITH** » 30 Mar 2014 10:34 am

Elva West made a few hollow body lap steels.
He lives in anaheim hills in California.

Kurt Kowalski · Post by **Kurt Kowalski** » 30 Mar 2014 3:22 pm

This one made by Blattenberger has a chambered body

Kurt

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 30 Mar 2014 3:34 pm

My new "Tuckelite" cast aluminum Hawaiian steel is chambered ...

John Mulligan · Post by **John Mulligan** » 30 Mar 2014 5:52 pm

http://www.tremblayguitars.com/archive/ ... c003&img=1

Bought this a few years ago, it sounds great.The box is mostly hollow.

Wayne Carver · Post by **Wayne Carver** » 30 Mar 2014 6:29 pm

I know you asked about homemade but I thought of the Fouke Industrial. I've never played one but it looks like it would work unplugged. The hollow part is open at the tuners on this model:

http://www.industrialguitar.com/hol.JPG

Make a reso/electric. One reso pickup going to an acoustic guitar amp and the electric pickup going to an electric guitar amp. Should work unplugged too. Or one with an acoustic guitar pickup and and electric guitar pickup.

http://www.industrialguitar.com/345_0331.jpg

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 31 Mar 2014 4:28 am

why not just get a used baby taylor or martin traveller guitar, or some other cheap short scale acoustic and put a nut extender on it for acoustic practice?

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 31 Mar 2014 9:32 am

Man, I like the look of that Blattenberger.

Peter, the cool thing about the cigar box is that I only have about $12.00 into it. $5 for the box from ebay, scrap wood for the neck and the tuners were tear-offs. I bought gold string ferells to match the tuners. It was a fun project. When I get time I'd like to do another one.

Peter Jacobs · Post by **Peter Jacobs** » 31 Mar 2014 10:51 am

Love it, Mark. What kind of wood did you use for the neck (if you know)? Any more pics? (If you can't tell, I'm trying to talk myself into a project).

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 7 Apr 2014 6:00 am

I've built several over the years. By the way, check out the Duane Marrs Cat Can models, which sound quite loud even when not plugged into an amplifier.

Basically, a hollow lap steel is a dulcimer, and will sound exactly like a dulcimer. You could put a nut riser on a dulcimer and play it as a lap steel except that most dulcimers have three or four strings.
I've been building dulcimers and lap steels since 1963. I always build them with at least 5 or 6 courses, and some of them I've built as convertables, that can be played as a dulcimer or a lap steel.

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » 7 Apr 2014 12:25 pm

Nice Cigar Box there Mark.

Russell Adkins · Post by **Russell Adkins** » 7 Apr 2014 11:24 pm

I am in the process of building a lap steel guitar similar to the one pictured , using walnut and oak woods 8 string , should have it done in a few weeks .

Jim Pitman · Post by **Jim Pitman** » 8 Apr 2014 7:44 am

Wow Ermanno!
It's very "violinesque" in construction. I've often considered doing that myself.
Would you have a sound sample of it being played acoustically?

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 8 Apr 2014 10:58 am

Thanks, Jim.

Peter, the neck is made from two pieces of 1x clear spruce sandwiched together. The box is cedar. I have some pictures that I took during construction if your interested.

Peter Jacobs · Post by **Peter Jacobs** » 8 Apr 2014 12:42 pm

I'd love to see more pics, Mark -- pls post here, PM or email me. Thanks!

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 9 Apr 2014 4:17 am

Peter, I'll dig up some pic's but in the meantime check out the original thread from when I built it in 2010:

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... sc&start=0

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Anyone ever build a semi hollow lap steel?

Anyone ever build a semi hollow lap steel?

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