My Most Valuable Lap Steel. Please Share Yours

Lap steels, resonators, multi-neck consoles and acoustic steel guitars

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Lee Holliday
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Post by Lee Holliday »

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Difficult to choose, I have discounted value as it is more in what I treasure, and the little maxim in the middle is the No1, all are fantastic and take you somewhere else and change the mood depending and what you want to play
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C. E. Jackson
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Post by C. E. Jackson »

Lee Holliday wrote:Image

Difficult to choose, I have discounted value as it is more in what I treasure, and the little maxim in the middle is the No1, all are fantastic and take you somewhere else and change the mood depending and what you want to play
Thanks Lee. Very nice guitars and a true comment.

C. E. Jackson :)
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Don Kona Woods
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My Most Valuable Steel Guitar

Post by Don Kona Woods »

My most priced possession was a 1933-1934 A-25 Black Crinkle Rickenbacher frypan steel guitar.

This steel guitar was purchased from Dirk Vogel over 35 years ago who acquired a collection of Rickenbacher frypans from the widow of the legendary Dick McIntire.



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Tom Snook
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Post by Tom Snook »

WOW! Hey Don,that is the coolest of all Ricks!Do you have the original case?(dumb question)I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'd love to hear Jeff Au Hoy play that beauty :D
ALOHA
I wanna go back to my little grass shack........
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Don Kona Woods
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My Most Valuable Steel Guitar

Post by Don Kona Woods »

Hey Tom,

This frypan steel guitar did not come with any case.
Jeff Au Hoy would take this steel to a new level.

However, you can hear this steel being played by a great steel guitar player, Alan Akaka, on Facebook.

In my post here, I stated WAS my most valuable. It is now belongs to Lion Kobayashi in Japan. The instrument was sold recently to him and Alan was the middleman in delivering it to him in Hawaii. Alan gives a demonstration of what the instrument sounds like.

Take a listen:

https://www.facebook.com/alan.akaka/pos ... 86899474[u][/u]
Glenn Wilde
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Post by Glenn Wilde »

Lee Holliday wrote:Image

Difficult to choose, I have discounted value as it is more in what I treasure, and the little maxim in the middle is the No1, all are fantastic and take you somewhere else and change the mood depending and what you want to play
Hello Lee, that's a beautiful collection you have there, i actually have a couple that you have. I have a '36 National Duolian and a Cole clark like you, i love them both.
Glenn Wilde
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Post by Glenn Wilde »

Lee Holliday wrote:Image

Difficult to choose, I have discounted value as it is more in what I treasure, and the little maxim in the middle is the No1, all are fantastic and take you somewhere else and change the mood depending and what you want to play
Hello Lee, that's a beautiful collection you have there, i actually have a couple that you have. I have a '36 National Duolian and a Cole clark like you, i love them both.
Glenn Wilde
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Post by Glenn Wilde »

Sorry for the double post. I have been through quite a few vintage steels over time and got rid of a few that i shouldn't have but, I'm still blessed with some great guitars that inspire me all the time. My current favorite is this beauty
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It's a mid to late '30s Oahu 66k that i got on eBay around a year ago. It just has a huge,warm sound and once i found the right string/tuning combination its just great. The wood is old growth Honduran mahogany and all solid, gorgeous and I'm proud to own it.
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Oh yeah, i have it in high bass F and love playing old Hawaiian and blues on it.
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Lee Holliday
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Post by Lee Holliday »

Glenn,
I favour the Duolian over the Tricone as it is less precious I guess and stays out on the stand, the Cole Clark is a fantastic guitar, lovely Aussie woods & woodworking although could do with a tone control to open up it,s potential, I notice Cole Clark have done that with there new ones with the addition of the hollow construction etc.
Lee
Glenn Wilde
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Post by Glenn Wilde »

Lee Holliday wrote:Glenn,
I favour the Duolian over the Tricone as it is less precious I guess and stays out on the stand, the Cole Clark is a fantastic guitar, lovely Aussie woods & woodworking although could do with a tone control to open up it,s potential, I notice Cole Clark have done that with there new ones with the addition of the hollow construction etc.
Lee
I understand, is that a style 2? I think i see the flowers. I couldn't afford a real National so i bought a Republic Tricone, which is a real nice guitar in it's own right but it ain't no National, and its a round neck. My Duolian came as a square neck and i had a luthier make a round neck for it, i am gonna put the original neck back on it now i have the Republic.
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Lee Holliday
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Post by Lee Holliday »

Glen my Duolian still has the original Square neck which I really like, The Tricone is a strange one, built in 1936 (they were not making them then) and with a style 35 Headstock and style 3/4 fingerboard, whatever they had in the factory I guess.
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Marc Muller
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Post by Marc Muller »

see here

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hear here:

https://youtu.be/_IXzAAKrsFE
Glenn Wilde
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Post by Glenn Wilde »

Lee Holliday wrote:Glen my Duolian still has the original Square neck which I really like, The Tricone is a strange one, built in 1936 (they were not making them then) and with a style 35 Headstock and style 3/4 fingerboard, whatever they had in the factory I guess.
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Absolutely killer style 2,3,4. What a dish!
Glenn Wilde
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Post by Glenn Wilde »

Marc Muller wrote:see here

Image

hear here:

https://youtu.be/_IXzAAKrsFE

Great frypan, that you with the Boss?
I dig it alot, WOW!
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C. E. Jackson
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Re: My Most Valuable Steel Guitar

Post by C. E. Jackson »

Don Kona Woods wrote:My most priced possession was a 1933-1934 A-25 Black Crinkle Rickenbacher frypan steel guitar.

This steel guitar was purchased from Dirk Vogel over 35 years ago who acquired a collection of Rickenbacher frypans from the widow of the legendary Dick McIntire.



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Don, that is a great looking Rick, sounds great, and I know you hated to part with it. Thanks for the photos and comments.

C. E. Jackson :)
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Allan Revich
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Wow!

Post by Allan Revich »

That black frying pan Rickenbacker is simply spectacular!

All my boys are valuable to me though, none spectacular, but all are sweet.

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Current Tunings:
6 String | D – D A D F# A D
7 String | D/f – f D A D F# A D
https://papadafoe.com/lap-steel-tuning-database
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C. E. Jackson
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Post by C. E. Jackson »

Allan Revich wrote: ....All my boys are valuable to me though, none spectacular, but all are sweet.

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Allan, thank you for the photo of your great steels and the thoughtful comment!!!!

Your comment is one I can understand and appreciate. Although I have my top favorites from
my collection, based on sentiment or value, I periodically play different ones from the collection.
All seem to have some good features and sounds, and also some features and sounds that
could be improved, in my opinion. I don't believe I have any one steel that I would classify as
perfect. I have heard and looked at many modern steels, but in my opinion, have not seen or
heard one which I think is perfect.

Thanks to all Forum Members who have contributed comments and photos of great
steels to this post.

I enjoy looking at, and playing different vintage steels.

C. E. Jackson :)
Jim Dulfer
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Post by Jim Dulfer »

It's not a Gibson or an exotic Rickenbacker and not even my most valuable steel but I like the deco look of the set (both in minty condition) and the cool color!


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Michael Hogan
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hard choice

Post by Michael Hogan »

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Michael Hogan
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or

Post by Michael Hogan »

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Michael Hogan
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I love nationals

Post by Michael Hogan »

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John Rosett
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Post by John Rosett »

I have a very nice '48 Gibson Console Grande, but I love playing this '41 Epiphone 8 string(Pictured here with my favorite mandolin.)
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"it's not in bad taste, if it's funny." - john waters
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C. E. Jackson
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Post by C. E. Jackson »

Jim Dulfer wrote:It's not a Gibson or an exotic Rickenbacker and not even my most valuable steel but I like the deco look of the set (both in minty condition) and the cool color!


Image
Very nice, Jim. I also like the color, the headstock design, the bridge, and the
strings anchoring through the body. Thanks for the comment and photo.

C. E. Jackson :)
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C. E. Jackson
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Post by C. E. Jackson »

Thanks for the comments and photos of your vintage steels, Michael. I
can see where you would have a hard choice deciding which one you like
best. I also like the Nationals. Great collection.

C. E. Jackson :)
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C. E. Jackson
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Post by C. E. Jackson »

John Rosett wrote:I have a very nice '48 Gibson Console Grande, but I love playing this '41 Epiphone 8 string(Pictured here with my favorite mandolin.)
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Thanks for the comment and photo, John. I have vintage Epiphones and
enjoy playing them. I don't play mandolin, but really enjoy watching and
hearing them played.

C. E. Jackson :)
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