What is the best vintage 8 string lap steel?

David DeLoach · Post by **David DeLoach** » 5 Jan 2025 4:29 am

What would you guys say is the best vintage 8 string lap steel?

I love my 1940 6 string Panda, but I've heard the 8 string pickups on the old Richenbachers can be hit & miss for the outer strings.

Tim Whitlock · Post by **Tim Whitlock** » 5 Jan 2025 9:12 am

I would say the Clinesmith in your avatar would be as good or better than any vintage lap steel. Otherwise, a Fender S8 (trapezoid or Stringmaster style) might be the best way to go. Another nice option is the Rickenbacker SW8.

D Schubert · Post by **D Schubert** » 5 Jan 2025 6:24 pm

I have a couple of Supro 8-strings, black and white, short scale, from the late 50's that I'm fond of. Tone is darker than my 2x8 Fender Stringmaster. I play C13 (with high G) and E13 (with low E) tunings. Not sure I'd say that any of those guitars are "best" but both are good. The shorter scale is more comfortable to me.

David DeLoach · Post by **David DeLoach** » 6 Jan 2025 4:07 am

Tim Whitlock wrote:I would say the Clinesmith in your avatar would be as good or better than any vintage lap steel. Otherwise, a Fender S8 (trapezoid or Stringmaster style) might be the best way to go. Another nice option is the Rickenbacker SW8.

Yeah, I love my two Clinesmith 8 string lapsteels! The reason I ask is I'm playing with a guitarist who is very much into playing old songs on old guitars and presenting a vintage vibe.

Nic Neufeld · Post by **Nic Neufeld** » 7 Jan 2025 8:07 am

I kind of prefer my 50s Magnatone D8 to my Fender Stringmaster T8 (57, med scale) tonewise. But both are good guitars! They can also double as ballast, put them in the bed of your pickup when it snows...very heavy to carry around!

Tim Whitlock · Post by **Tim Whitlock** » 7 Jan 2025 9:52 am

David DeLoach wrote:
Tim Whitlock wrote:Yeah, I love my two Clinesmith 8 string lapsteels! The reason I ask is I'm playing with a guitarist who is very much into playing old songs on old guitars and presenting a vintage vibe.
Got it. I love to see a beautiful vintage steel in an old timey music setting. I love my Panda 6, too, and have heard about the issues with the 8 string Pandas. I have owned two Ricky console D8s - a DW16 and a 208. Both were nice instruments and the outer strings were not a problem. They generally go for less than a comparable Fender, when you can find them. Otherwise, hard to beat a old Dual Pro. Just ask Chris Scruggs!

Barney Roach · Post by **Barney Roach** » 7 Jan 2025 1:47 pm

This MAGANTONE Jeweltone 8 string has exceeded my expectations in every way! And I have
two friends that I must acknowledge for getting it:

I asked my friend Rick Schmidt what I should consider for a vintage 7 string Lap Steel
. . and he wisely answered: "Do not discount getting an 8 string."

'Why?' I asked in complete honesty . . . .

"Because you can string it up as a 6 string, a 7 string, or an 8 string." ( I never considered that!! )

So I consulted another incredible friend- Dr. Richard Shatz- hoping he would let go of an old Gibson EH-185. Nope.

But- he did highly praise these Magnatones, and pointed me in the right direction to find one.

I believe it to be a VERY early one, as it has never been serialized, and did not yet have the REAR cast aluminum piece.

I took this picture of LAP STEEL FAN Mr. Pat Quilter at a San Diego Guitar / AMPFEST in mid- Sept. 2024.
Pat told me he had never seen one before.

I feel exceedingly lucky to be the one to have it!

Thank you again Rick and Richard!

And I would love to hear from someone that REALLY knows these early ones!

Greg Forsyth · Post by **Greg Forsyth** » 7 Jan 2025 2:40 pm

David,

I bought the Ricky 208 from Tim that he refers to and I agree with him that the 8 string pickups sound good thru all 8 strings.

However if you find an 8 string with pickup problems there are several people who can rebuild the pickup with great results. Sentell Pickups in Sacramento does a great service, and Forum members Nick Fryer and Scott Swartz have awesome reputations as Pickup Masters.

You gotta love Pat Quilter. He's building a fine line of analogue amps that have great tone and versatility!

Fred · Post by **Fred** » 8 Jan 2025 4:54 am

I have a Rickenbacher D-16. It has 6 string bobbins with two extra magnets added to the ends with extra wire wrapped around them. This was the factory method for a while. The outside strings are fine.

Remagnetizing the shoes will usually fix any unevenness in response. I haven't had to do this.

I don't know if the D-16 (or any Rick) is the best vintage 8 string, but I love it.

Noah Miller · Post by **Noah Miller** » 8 Jan 2025 5:02 am

Remagnetizing Rickenbacker shoes does not fix uneven response in the 8-string pickups. The problem is that the outer strings are sometimes wider than the coil, so their vibration is not picked up. Sometimes you get lucky and it's not a problem, but when it is, the only solution is to change the string spacing.