Lap steel sitar video

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 16 May 2014 11:18 am

I pulled out the lap steel sitar I made from that Rogue lap steel last year and shot a little video to demonstrate the sound. I hope to have a better instrument built someday, because I can't stand playing the Rogue.

Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6M7LA6BjPY

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 16 May 2014 11:31 am

It sounds pretty good. I'll bet a longer scale guitar with those saddles on it would sound even better. I think those Rogues are only 20" or 21" scale length.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 16 May 2014 11:40 am

This is not a personal attack on anyone who plays a Rogue or Artisan, but it is very difficult to be inspired playing these instruments, if only because it is nearly impossible to make them really sound good. They always sound slightly out of tune--just harsh tone-wise.

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 16 May 2014 11:58 am

cool sound - 1 question - i know nothing of sitars - but i thought it was a "sitar bar" that made that sound - i've heard many studio guys keeping them in their pack-a-seats.
speaking of which - when i took Paul Franklins advanced seminar in Dallas a few years ago, he let us look inside his pack-a-seat...he had maybe 20 different slides of various sizes/materials/uses, including sitar bars. it was interesting.

Mike - what happened to the "bass steel" project?

John Mulligan · Post by **John Mulligan** » 16 May 2014 2:19 pm

Nice playing and a funky sound. It reminds me of the funky licks on a Joe South record...was it "Games People Play"?

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 16 May 2014 2:27 pm

Hey Mike:

You know that thing about "Lemons & Lemonade" That's exactly what you did thinking outside the box and willing to experiment and take a shot to see what happens.

Very nice tune and a realistic sitar sound. I have a Coral knockoff sitar and yours sounds every bit as good..

Keep the ideas flowing!

Lenny

Michael Brebes · Post by **Michael Brebes** » 17 May 2014 8:20 am

Another bridge option:
http://www.allparts.com/SB-5810-010-Dan ... _3343.html

Ron Bednar · Post by **Ron Bednar** » 19 May 2014 8:38 am

Mike...That thing sounds awful!

I had the same reaction to hearing those old "sitar bars"...remember them?
A one trick pony that thankfully fell by the wayside.
Like them, a buzzy nut or bridge does not a sitar make.

However I did play around years ago with sympathetic strings on a reso...I could only get them to do the pathetic part though.

But there are some amazing instruments out there and great music being done on them, like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdhwZL9VMPg&noredirect=1

He explains the guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1lUO5WgQ6I&noredirect=1

Cheers, Ron