What do you know about Vorson lap steel guitars?

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 24 Nov 2013 1:15 pm

Hey guys, someone I know asked me about Vorson lap steel guitars and I had no idea what he was talking about. I did a google search and found out that they are an import that look like a copy of another brand and range from $299 to $379. I was surprised to see a few of the online music stores are carrying them since I have never heard of them before. Are these new?

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 24 Nov 2013 1:48 pm

They appear to be recent imported models.
http://www.lanyao.com/files/html/Lapste ... 20Menu.htm

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 24 Nov 2013 7:18 pm

Interesting.... that website has a few more models than I saw at the online stores. Looks like they all have p90 pickups and I actually like the way they look. Really makes me wonder what the level of quality is.

Dennis Smith · Post by **Dennis Smith** » 24 Nov 2013 7:28 pm

The $380. one looks nice. The one on the web page has a different top than the one at American music. I like the one on the web better, I don't like the knobs. No sound samples that I can find.

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 25 Nov 2013 6:25 am

Dennis,
It looks like the one yo like is a different model than what's being sold online. The fancier one has an amboyna burl top with an ebony fretboard and the other one in mahogony with a rosewood fretboard so I bet the fancier one will cost more than $379. I don't see it for sale anywhere... yet.

Dennis Smith · Post by **Dennis Smith** » 3 Dec 2013 5:59 pm

Morning, played by Xuemin. On a Vorson
http://youtu.be/NMa_jJbMJGo

Billy Mostyn · Post by **Billy Mostyn** » 4 Dec 2013 4:37 am

I am importing these to Australia. I don't have any other sound clips just yet. In the New Year, should have some clips up. Still also make my own Mostyn "Sofala" lap steels. New clips of those also going up online soon. If you want to know some details about my guitars or the Vorson range, just send me an email or PM.

Dennis Smith · Post by **Dennis Smith** » 4 Dec 2013 9:42 am

There also being sold as Clearwater brand on youtube.

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 4 Dec 2013 10:30 am

Clips sound good and I like the player! Cool to see someone in China playing lap steel.

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 8 Dec 2013 2:07 pm

The Vorson with the F-holes looks attractive and I wonder if would this design makes a difference in sound rather than a solid plank?

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 9 Dec 2013 3:41 am

I would like to hear the one in the video, played nearer the center of the scale. Too "tinny" for my taste when picked by the bridge. And with all the electronics involved, it's hard to determine how the guitar itself sounds...

Very attractive guitars though....

Dennis Smith · Post by **Dennis Smith** » 9 Dec 2013 2:59 pm

The model Xuemin is playing is Flsl-999 with the nice top which I can't find for sale yet. The construction sounds like a Gibson es335 solid neck thru body with the f hole wings.
This is a nice version of sleepwalk played in open D.
http://youtu.be/C91Z0T4pHTg

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 13 Dec 2013 5:57 am

You can definitely hear the hollowbody tone on that second vid. It sounds a bit bright but that might just be his amp or eq. Very interesting though. Thanks, Dennis.

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » 13 Dec 2013 9:01 am

George Boards is selling something that looks similar to this but I think its under a different name.

Dennis Smith · Post by **Dennis Smith** » 13 Dec 2013 7:00 pm

Found a couple of other models. The 8 string is at www.dhgate.com for $1129.46

Ray Beck · Post by **Ray Beck** » 7 Jul 2014 7:20 am

I just ordered the Vorson FLSL 220 6 string, but haven't evaluated it yet. I want do a sound comparison of it to my Sierra 8 using the same sound setup. The guitar is beautiful and well made - I was surprised. It also has 4 knobs (Volume & Tone) for each pickup and a 3-way switch. Here are some pictures, including a comparison shot with the Sierra 8. The scale is 22.5" while the Sierra is 24.25" --

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 7 Jul 2014 7:38 am

asian mystery mahogany for sure. the serious cut out for the head stock is an easy way to do it, but it makes for a very flimsy platform to anchor the strings. plug it into a tuner and hit a note and press down on the very end of the headstock and watch what happens. a maple neck would fare a little better for this design.

aside from that, probably a decent value for the money.

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » 7 Jul 2014 7:44 am

Pretty guitar, and should be very versatile with all the adjustments and the active pickup.

I would be interested to know, how loud is it unplugged? With the partially acoustic chamber I would think it might be enough to practice with in a quiet setting?

Ray Beck · Post by **Ray Beck** » 7 Jul 2014 9:13 am

Bill Hatcher wrote:asian mystery mahogany for sure. the serious cut out for the head stock is an easy way to do it, but it makes for a very flimsy platform to anchor the strings. plug it into a tuner and hit a note and press down on the very end of the headstock and watch what happens. a maple neck would fare a little better for this design.

aside from that, probably a decent value for the money.

Bill: You're right - I placed the tuner on and pushed down on the headstock and the tuning went way sharp. This is going back so ZZounds. Thanks!

Ray Beck · Post by **Ray Beck** » 7 Jul 2014 9:19 am

Jim Williams wrote:Pretty guitar, and should be very versatile with all the adjustments and the active pickup.

I would be interested to know, how loud is it unplugged? With the partially acoustic chamber I would think it might be enough to practice with in a quiet setting?

Jim: It isn't loud at all, you can hear it just loud enough to practice. I am sending the guitar back, see comment by Bill above.

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » 7 Jul 2014 11:46 am

Hmmm, wonder if that would be an issue in normal playing? I mean does pressing at the first fret marker have any effect?

They also make another body style that may not have that weakness, but it isn't as nice a guitar.

Ray Beck · Post by **Ray Beck** » 7 Jul 2014 3:17 pm

Jim Williams wrote:Hmmm, wonder if that would be an issue in normal playing? I mean does pressing at the first fret marker have any effect?

They also make another body style that may not have that weakness, but it isn't as nice a guitar.

Jim: I used a significant amount of pressure when pressing down on the headstock in testing the strength of the neck. While playing, there was no problem at any fret marker using normal playing pressure on the bar. I am sending the guitar back because I don't want take a chance on having a warped neck in the future.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 7 Jul 2014 5:01 pm

if this guitar was $99...no big deal. but if you paid more for it than that....send it back.

always remember that the majority of instruments from china look nice...have nice finish.etc...but...the wood materials are usually very subpar. the superstructure of the instrument is made from the cheapest mahogany in the world. it is nothing compared with real honduras mahogany. so, they made most of the guitar from that and put some maple on the top more as an ornamental thing.

the flexing of the headstock....every time you play a note...the headstock is flexing ever so slightly and you are losing energy and that means sustain. i dont know why they dont just attach a rod from the end of the head down to the cut in the neck. that would stabilize the headstock a lot more. might cost them what...a quarter? ok maybe fiddy cent.

Ian Fleetwood · Post by **Ian Fleetwood** » 31 Jul 2017 7:18 pm

Ray Beck wrote:I just ordered the Vorson FLSL 220 6 string, but haven't evaluated it yet. I want do a sound comparison of it to my Sierra 8 using the same sound setup. The guitar is beautiful and well made - I was surprised. It also has 4 knobs (Volume & Tone) for each pickup and a 3-way switch. Here are some pictures, including a comparison shot with the Sierra 8. The scale is 22.5" while the Sierra is 24.25" --

Hi Ray,

I know it has been a while since you posted this up but any chance I could get a comment on the angle of the pick ups with respect to the body of the instrument. I have just purchased one and am seeing angled pick ups. The supplier are saying this is normal however all I can see thus far indicate otherwise.

Be interested in your comments..

Regards,

Ian

Ray Beck · Post by **Ray Beck** » 31 Jul 2017 7:57 pm

IAN,

Right after I posted this, I read a post on the forum saying this guitar, although beautiful, is constructed of Chinese mystery mahogany. He said to place it on a flat surface and while holding the body in place to place downward and upper pressure on the end of the neck in the tuner area. The entire guitar would easily move and change the tuning. The neck would eventually warp. As a result, I returned it for a refund. I therefore, don't know about the pickups.

Ray

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