Lap Steel Bow in Body

[Jon Coleman]

I have a Rickenbacker S100 lap steel the fake granite look model. I noticed it has a bow in the body, something that a neck truss rod would correct on a guitar. Are there any issues this might cause? I'm thinking scale length/intonation. jc

[Brad Bechtel]

Without photos to show how bad the bowing is, I'd say there's little likelihood that it would affect the guitar's playability.

[Alan Brookes]

They don't put truss rods in lap steels for the simple reason that distortion of the body over time makes no difference whatsoever to the sound or playability. Truss rods in fretted string instruments are to compensate for the strings becoming too high above the fretboard, but in an instrument played with a tone bar you want the strings to be high above the fretboard.

It has been suggested that the origin of Hawaiian guitar playing was badly-warped guitars which you couldn't play with your fingers against the frets, so someone improvised with a knife handle. Indeed, I remember someone turning up at a jam session with a mandolin in that condition and I played it with a tone bar.
http://picosong.com/9ynZ
Check out the recording above from 1965. Not my greatest playing, but it was nearly 50 years ago.

[Ron Whitfield]

I noticed it has a bow in the body, something that a neck truss rod would correct on a guitar.

Perfect for playing 'slide'.

[Dennis Detweiler]

Someone needs to make a double neck lap steel, but put the other neck on the other side of the guitar!

[Alan Brookes]

Dennis, that's been done many times. There have even been people who have built four-necked instruments which rotate on the frame.