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Topic: lap steel |
Bob Evens
From:
Loganville,GA 30052 USA
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Posted 25 Sep 2001 8:25 am |
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I recently got hold of a "Kalamazoo" lap steel. It needed new tuners and strings. I replaced the tuners and just put on a cheap set of strings. I think it needs the electrics cleaned but,...the tone is super! I has a volume and tone knob on the body and the jack plug is located on the player's side. I am wondering if anyone has any information on or about the name brand. I would guess it to be somewhere in the 40's? What would be the proper tuning A7, G ??? Any idea of the value??
I appriciate any info. |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 25 Sep 2001 9:28 am
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| "Kalamazoo" was made by Gibson. The dating you give is probably correct. As far as tunings are concerned, it's entirely up to you. What style will you be playing? You are always safe with E Major or C6th. As for value...I'm sure others will fill you in on that as I haven't have a clue. All depends upon the actual condition, of course. |
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patrick donovan
From:
orange, texas, usa
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Posted 25 Sep 2001 9:30 am
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Kalamazoo, as in Kalamazoo, Michgan was the name used on Gibson's less expensive instruments. It was used on flattops, archtops, electrics, etc. and apparently on lap steels. They were built in the Gibson factory.
Regards, Patrick |
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Tim Rowley
From:
Pinconning, MI, USA
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Posted 25 Sep 2001 8:59 pm
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Robert,
If you will phone the Heritage guitar factory on Parsons St. in Kalamazoo, MI (the former Gibson factory) there may be an old-timer there who can nail down the year your Kalamazoo was built by the serial number (assuming it has one). You can get the phone number from area code 616 information. Failing that, call Elderly Instruments in Lansing MI at (517)372-7890. They have appraisers there who can probably tell you everything you want to know about your instrument. If the pots are original you can often find their date of manufacture by the numbers stamped on them, then add a year or so to roughly determine when your guitar was built. Not having seen your steel I would think it probably has the small Kalamazoo single-coil pickup, not the P-90. I would roughly guess the value of your steel in decent condition (depending what replacement tuners you put on it) at $130 to $200 retail and considerable less on trade-in value, but why sell it? Clean the pots, play the thing and enjoy it to its fullest potential!
Proper tunings are whatever you like, but most of the lap steel players used a tuning with E on the first string, such as E major, E7th, A major, A high-bass, A6th, A7th, C6th, or C# minor. These are the tunings you will find on the old sheet music. 9th tunings and G tunings were seldom seen, although G is the common dobro tuning.
It's amazing how good many of the old lap steels sound through today's modern amplifiers, but if you want the old sound go get you a small tube amp and crank 'er up. Now that I said that, actually such well-known steelers as Don Helms, Leon McAulliffe, Herb Remington, and others of that era used a bigger amp, the tweed Fender Pro amp with a 15" speaker. They were a nice loud amp with a big fat tone. Later steelers favored the tweed Fender 4-10" Bassman for quite a while. These amps are hard to find today. But you know what, I betcha your steel sounds just fine through most Fender tube amps or a common solid-state Peavey Bandit!
Tim R. |
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Ian McLatchie
From:
Sechelt, British Columbia
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Posted 26 Sep 2001 6:03 pm
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Robert:
There were a couple of Kalamazoo lap steels, the most popular being the KEH model made in the late '30's. They're guitar-shaped, with a dark brown maple body, a five-sided control plate and a black oval pickup. I had one of these, but with the Cromwell brand name, and it was an instrument I was especially sorry to let go. A really good player, and a pretty guitar. If this is the model you have, there should be a serial number stamped on the back of the peghead. Post the serial number, and I or someone else can tell you the date. |
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