lap steel with a pair of knee levers

Jim Pitman · Post by **Jim Pitman** » 29 Nov 2022 2:55 am

The portability of a lap steel is its' attraction over the pedal steel.
Wouldn't you love to show up at a gig, pull the instrument out of its' case and play, yet still have a couple pitch changing mechanisms?
I've never been a fan of wrist levers as I feel they interfere with picking.
It's good to keep your volume pedal leg stationary.
Your right leg would be secured to the bottom of the steel with something as simple as as trap. The pair of levers on the left would fold up into the body for case storage and transport.
I'm a G tuned bluegrass dobro player from way back. I'd tune GBDGBD and lower the middle G a half step going right. I'd raise the top D a full step going left. This copedent comprises a sub for the most common bar slants I do currently.
I'll pursue building this when I retire.
Other makers - feel free to run with the idea.
Opinions?

K Maul · Post by **K Maul** » 29 Nov 2022 11:51 am

Jim- I put together a ten string console from ShoBud, Miller and MSA parts I had collected over the years. Three knee levers in a Helms-ish E6 tuning. I use it with a retro HonkTonk Swing band called the Twangbusters around VT,NY&CT.

Jim Pitman · Post by **Jim Pitman** » 29 Nov 2022 3:57 pm

So cool Kevin. We don't need no stinkin pedals!
I Heard your band the Twangbusters are really good.
I play with your old bandmate Danny Coane once in a while.

Bobby D. Jones · Post by **Bobby D. Jones** » 30 Nov 2022 5:06 pm

That is a neat setup guitar, No pedal bar, No downward pull on the the guitar body to detune strings. No pedal bar or pedal rods to attach or remove setting up or tearing down.

Tor Arve Baroy · Post by **Tor Arve Baroy** » 19 Dec 2022 12:21 am

I customized a Melobar lapsteel recently for this purpose.
It is a 6 string E-tuned guitar. I added a palmleversystem from Certano. But, I felt it interfered to much with my picking hand. So, I had a machinist friend of mine make a couple of extra parts to make one of the levers a Knee-lever. Ill post some pictures shortly.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 22 Dec 2022 5:42 am

i built a lap steel with a knee lever of my own rube goldberg design that worked well. i countered the knee pressure to the right with a T nut on the left underside of the guitar that i could easily screw in and easily remove a long bolt. any pressure on the right knee was countered by the left knee against the bolt. the result was very stable.

i am building another lap now with a couple of hip shot units on it that will be activated with the right knee and plan to do the same thing with a long bolt making contact with the left knee.

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 22 Dec 2022 5:49 am

This guy is working with some ideas. A friend had a proto model and brought it over for my opinion. It needed more development but was nicely engineered.

https://www.toneacane.com/

John Swain · Post by **John Swain** » 22 Dec 2022 7:06 am

I would love to have 3 singlec string lowers on my 10 string lap steel. Has anyone designed a lowering mechanism instead of a raise ?

Jim Pitman · Post by **Jim Pitman** » 22 Dec 2022 11:36 pm

John, I would think a "pull release" changer would be sufficient for a lap steel with only a couple or a few changes in which case, sure, lowers are achievable.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 25 Dec 2022 7:03 am

John Swain wrote:I would love to have 3 singlec string lowers on my 10 string lap steel. Has anyone designed a lowering mechanism instead of a raise ?

i came up with a lower for a lap i am making with palm and knee levers. its a simple design. sort of the same as a bigsby with out the full length shaft. i am only doing one string, so easy to make a block with a short shaft. a return spring to assist the natural return of the string pulling back to pitch on its own. i will add some screws for positive stops if i need them. this will be on the 4th string of a 6 string guitar and will be lowered by the palm/wrist. the stainless handle is off a cooking utensil. you can see the name still on it! 50 cents at a thrift store.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VztAko0sGAg