Plexiglass lap steel

[Brian Henry]

Hi, does anyone know if a piece of plexiglass 1/2  thick flex if used as a body for a lap steel?



CELL CAST ACRYLIC/PLEXIGLASS CLEAR SHEET 1/2 " x 4 " x 24 "

[Bill Groner]

It will flex. Cut a piece, put it on your leg in the middle of the plexiglass and see if you can bend it by pressing on each end. I'll bet you can.

[Brian Henry]

Thank you Bill, I’ll try that. Perhaps a 1” thick piece may not flex!

[Bill Groner]

Brian, I think you might get away with 3/4"? That's just a guess. I'd go with C6 tuning so the strings aren't too heavy. Perhaps if you made a box and put pieces underneath along the perimeter it would stiffen the 1/2" up? I don't know what look you are after, but if you like the look of screws showing through the plexiglass you could mount the sides by drilling and tapping the legs so to speak and counterboring or countersinking the screws in your top piece. Making a box, would most likely enhance the sound somewhat? Just a thought.

[J D Sauser]

They made a few Plexy Pianos for Richard Kleidermans and the like "entertainers". Even thou a piano has a metal scale frame, they never went into history as good sounding. But they looked "cool" and that was 'bout all they did.

Just like billet aluminum neck steels never matched the tonal response of CAST aluminum steels like the original Fripans, Plexi is just too "pasty". I will suck up your overtones like a sponge and will loose tuning (bend in).
You want MASS yes, but brittle. Even later (WWII and post) less fragile (less prone to break) bakelite formulas used on Rickenbacher's B-series guitar have seen less acclaim for that very reason.

Some trials were made with glass stringed instruments too. No success there either. Did we know that glass is not completely "frozen" at livable temperatures? Bah! Older building's glass panes will be wider on the bottom than the top... as it slowwwwwwly "melts" down.

... J-D.

[Jerry Overstreet]

Darvin Wilhoite has or had a transparent MSA pedal steel. He might be able to tell you what material it is made from and it's strength.

[J D Sauser]

Darvin Wilhoite has or had a transparent MSA pedal steel. He might be able to tell you what material it is made from and it's strength.

Yes, MSA-Micro build a plexi model PSG. It was intended for demonstration purposes, from what Maurice told me. MSA's have their bodies screwed to a 360deg bolted frame. It should hold tuning (from the frame)... the tonal characteristics are for the owner to comment on.

... J-D.

[Terry VunCannon]

I don't know the details, but there was this.