Lap Steels with Tuning Locks

[Justin Shaw]

I haven't been able to find the name of this online. I'm looking for those really early pedal steels where the pedal was just for changing the tuning for the entire song, not for adding changes on the fly. Ideally I'd like to find a lap steel version if those exist. So like a lap steel with a tuning lock.

Does anyone know what these are called? Everything I tried on google brought up the wrong thing.

[Bill Sinclair]

Try Googling "Rowe Stringtone" and see if that's what you're after. I'm open to selling one the that I have. One of those projects I'll probably never get to.

[Jon Light]

I'm not sure if either of these is what you are talking about but there's the Rowe Stringtone (antique) and there's the modern Hipshot DoubleShot . You can google them. Flip a lever and change your entire tuning to a different one.

[Lee Baucum]

There was such a gadget developed by Herbert Hise. One lever with three positions, allowing you to have three tunings.

[Justin Shaw]

OK thank you all. I'm wondering now if I'd be better to just buy a few triple necks. Hmm. Thanks again!

[Jon Light]

There was such a gadget developed by Herbert Hise. One lever with three positions, allowing you to have three tunings.

I totally forgot that name...or I conflated it with the Rowe.

The HipShot, at over $600 is not for the faint of heart. But videos of Jerry Douglas and others relying on it to turn their resoguits into two guitars, dependably, are quite impressive. There is apparently a reso model and a 'tele' model which I assume is suitable for lap steel.

[Jack Hanson]

I'm wondering now if I'd be better to just buy a few triple necks.

A gaggle of single-necks, a few guitar stands, a Deluxe34 with double brackets, an amp, and a cable with a silent plug on one end works for me.

[Michael Lee Allen]

Being in Canada puts you at a disadvantage with much less available to you without importing.
Earliest would be the Dickerson/Magnatone pushbutton "MultiMatic". Good luck finding one, and getting it to work.
Same for the Epiphone "VariChord".
Then there was the National "ElectraChord" from 1948, I've only seen it advertised and only a few were made. The patents are in the name of one of Herbert Hise's associates. Hise made some similar instruments under his own name.
The National 1088 "Triplex Chord Changer" six string with a built-in three tuning change lever.
Hise built after-market "tuning cams" in pre-set tunings sold through a few music jobbers, also a few models for eight string steels that were usually custom ordered or an added option on some Carvin or Bigsby steels.
Rowe-DeArmond StringTone units were all six string, three different versions with three tunings each. Many of these are out of adjustment or tampered with and will need to worked on to function properly. You will have some trial-and-error with string gauges, scale length, and string tension.
MLA

[Justin Shaw]

A gaggle of single-necks, a few guitar stands, a Deluxe34 with double brackets, an amp, and a cable with a silent plug on one end works for me.

Cool pics! Those stands are pretty cool. Maybe I should get a few more singles and just have a funky looking pile of em on stage.

Being in Canada puts you at a disadvantage with much less available to you without importing.

Agreed and the import taxes and exchange rate are brutal here too. If I'm patient things pop up locally though. Thank you for the summary of names you sent it would have taken me forever to find and compile that list!