If Money was no object - Lap Steel Guitar

Stefan Robertson · Post by **Stefan Robertson** » 12 May 2016 8:54 am

I was reading this post from the pedal steel section and thought it would be an interesting conversation for us Lap Steel Guitar guys.

If money was no object what Lap Steel Guitars would you get?

What tone bar, picks and amp?

Mine would be as follows:

A custom Gibson 12 string eh 150 body style replica with Charlie Christian pickups in tobacco sunburst.

An MSA Superslide in tobacco sunburst with Lfrets added

Both have to be customised and setup like how Bill Hatcher set mine up.

Tone bar would be a Shubb SP1 custom length a bit longer and heavier. Fully Chromed out.

Fingerpicks made by Dunlop brass - same
Thumpick made of real mother of pearl handcrafted and finished with a high polish.

Amp - custom built vintage look 50w that has a customisable amp modelling and presets setup for the top 50 most influential jazz and Western swing artists.

And a built in tuner preset to be tempered for my Bebop Tuning.

There is my outrageous list.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 12 May 2016 10:28 am

Vintage: 1930s Rick Fry Pan A-22 or a Bigsby (any kind, non-pedal, pedal, lap)

New: Clinesmith, MSA SuperSlide

Amp: I'm pretty happy with my current amps: Quilter, 1967 Fender Vibrolux Reverb, 1959 tweed Deluxe, a Nashville 112, but I'd probably go for a tweed Bassman or a tube Standel.

James Kerr · Post by **James Kerr** » 12 May 2016 10:28 am

Here is mine..............
1972 Hacker Tranny Radio Vintage look 2 Watt output.
Lap Steel built by me. National Dynamic Copy.
Finger Picks (whatever is laying around)
Don't know what a Tone Bar is, I just use a Shubb Bar.
Â£4 Tuner from Fleabay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL_gjP_mjGM

James.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 12 May 2016 10:32 am

Don't know what a Tone Bar is...

I like that. A bar is a bar, period. Let's stop making up new terms in the steel guitar world.

I have a couple of BJS bars I like a lot. For lap steel I use a Dunlop 918. Finger picks: I like Kyser.

Scott Duckworth · Post by **Scott Duckworth** » 12 May 2016 11:06 am

D8, with pretty, solid wood (no laminate), and legs....

John Mulligan · Post by **John Mulligan** » 12 May 2016 11:46 am

If money was not and obstacle? Probably a custom Tom Pettngill. Amp? I would have to think about it but probably something wonderful that only people on this forum ever heard of and looks great.

Dustin Rhodes · Post by **Dustin Rhodes** » 12 May 2016 11:57 am

D-10 Clinesmith - Billy Robinson's C6 on one neck and Tom Morrell's E13 on the other.

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 12 May 2016 12:20 pm

Fun Thread! ... If I didn't roll my own, one of Todd's consoles in some killer birdseye would be awful hard to resist

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 12 May 2016 1:05 pm

Whatever steel I'm gonna absolutely love right now but later on, feel vaguely dissatisfied about, and start looking at and imagining owning different guitars. Sigh.

David Matzenik · Post by **David Matzenik** » 12 May 2016 1:45 pm

Playing the Hawaiian repertoire, my choices would always be guitars with horseshoe pickups. To my ear, they have never been surpassed.

Vintage would be an 8 string bakelite Rickenbacher.

New, I would like an aluminium 8 string frypan by Ray Coole in Australia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDu6FRirtMU

But I am perfectly satisfied with the guitars I have. I am not fussy about picks and bars, probably Dunlops.

For an amp, I would have to do a lot of experimenting which I have never had the opportunity to do.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 12 May 2016 2:25 pm

I mentioned a couple of dream guitars above, but in general, I'm very happy with the guitars I current have. Oddly enough, the plain and simple ones that I paid very little for sound the best to my ear! I think I've finally learned my lesson. You don't have to pay a lot of money for a good sounding guitar.

Stefan Robertson · Post by **Stefan Robertson** » 12 May 2016 2:43 pm

Hey Doug

I think that you're right when it comes to the player's ability. However for me the tone is what connects me to the instruments sound. There is something about the Lap Steel Guitar that has a vintage single coil sound that is simple but closer to my heart.

I honestly more and more can't stand the twangy string cause its the wrong gauge for the tuning or scraping sloppy playing anymore.

The tone and playing should be clean even if its put through effects. So that each note can be heard and enjoyed.

Also I need 12 strings. Once you use that having less feels like I'm missing out cause I know what's missing for my goal.

Anyway back to the topic. Pickups I must say Charlie Christians/MSA/George L's.

And in all fairness as an all around I think the George L's have so much range that I'm free to choose pretty much which is nice when supporting artists in different genres.

John Limbach · Post by **John Limbach** » 12 May 2016 4:02 pm

1934 Rickenbacher A-22 Frypan and vintage Traynor Bassmaster revoiced for lap steel. Oh, wait a minute. I already have those. Never mind.

Unfortunately you can't buy talent!!

Former Member · Post by **Former Member** » 12 May 2016 9:15 pm

Any lap steel that sounds just like Pat Martino!
Of course I'd have to add in the cost of Pat actually playing it.....
Currently I'm envisioning a 10 string Pettingill semi-hollow body with narrow hollow neck channel, with some big ass Benedetto PU right against the neck..
--Nice old Polytone
--Thumb pick only
Still need the Pat part..

Ralph Czitrom · Post by **Ralph Czitrom** » 13 May 2016 3:02 am

- Any guitar by Tom Pettingill, long scale Clinesmith cast aluminum with horseshoe pickup
- Michael Hillman's tone bars

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 13 May 2016 4:50 am

An 18 karat gold version of this combo ...

Steve Green · Post by **Steve Green** » 13 May 2016 5:28 am

Guitar - Fender Custom Shop replica of Leon McAuliffes' Quad Stringmaster . . . . if money was no object, they WOULD build it.

Amp - Don't know enough about different amps to make a decision, but I'm really pleased with my Roland Cube 80XL.

Bar - Never tried a Zirc, but lots of folks seem to like them and I like the way Billy Robinson's sounds.

Stephen Abruzzo · Post by **Stephen Abruzzo** » 13 May 2016 6:30 am

Ralph Czitrom wrote:- Any guitar by Tom Pettingill, long scale Clinesmith cast aluminum with horseshoe pickup
- Michael Hillman's tone bars

Absolutely...in spades....exactly that way too.

As to an amp......FYD Desktop Studio OD Special...I think that's the model.

Peter Lindelauf · Post by **Peter Lindelauf** » 14 May 2016 10:54 am

Duesenberg Fairytale. Or a Pomona 6. Hard to decide.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 14 May 2016 3:47 pm

I would like a 1929 National Tricone Style 4.

Ken Pippus · Post by **Ken Pippus** » 14 May 2016 4:15 pm

The Style 3 is prettier. It's on my list of ones that got away. Lily of the valley.

John Mulligan · Post by **John Mulligan** » 14 May 2016 4:49 pm

Oh yeah, also a Clinesmith and a Ricky Panda. If money were no object I would have more lapsteels. It's fun to find and buy them and then try to master the individual nuances of them. I have four now and no two sound alike. I would continue in that vein if I were richer. Keep collecting and finding great guitars.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 14 May 2016 8:41 pm

Ken Pippus wrote:The Style 3 is prettier. It's on my list of ones that got away. Lily of the valley.

I prefer the Style 4. Love the headstock and I dig the over-the-top engraving.

Jouni Karvonen · Post by **Jouni Karvonen** » 14 May 2016 10:49 pm

I could live with John Morton 7 string, only because NRP does not make 7 stringer hollow necks.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 15 May 2016 7:32 am

All right, snark aside ....

1. Clinesmith aluminum
2. Pettingill custom
3. Mahogany resophonic from most any good maker

Does anyone covet a guitar that looks like it was salvaged from a fire?