Hello and thanks from a new member!
Moderator: Brad Bechtel
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- Posts: 10
- Joined: 28 Apr 2006 12:01 am
- Location: Golden, Colorado, USA
Hello and thanks from a new member!
Hi everyone! I have been checking out this site for quite awhile now and thought it was time to finally say hello. I have gotten so much great info off this site so... thank you!
I play a Beard Gold Tone reso, and I noodle around on an old Oahu acoustic and a cheapo Artisan lap steel. However, I think it’s about time to upgrade. I routinely go back and forth between wanting a Lazy River-like weissenborn or a vintage lap. I am waiting to find that perfect guitar although from what I understand, that rarely happens. I guess that’s the G.A.S. that everyone is always talking about! I can really see how this lap steel thing can turn into an addiction, but I guess it’s better than some other alternatives
Well, I guess I better start hitting the pawn shops and garage sales. Thanks again for all the info!
Nick
I play a Beard Gold Tone reso, and I noodle around on an old Oahu acoustic and a cheapo Artisan lap steel. However, I think it’s about time to upgrade. I routinely go back and forth between wanting a Lazy River-like weissenborn or a vintage lap. I am waiting to find that perfect guitar although from what I understand, that rarely happens. I guess that’s the G.A.S. that everyone is always talking about! I can really see how this lap steel thing can turn into an addiction, but I guess it’s better than some other alternatives
Well, I guess I better start hitting the pawn shops and garage sales. Thanks again for all the info!
Nick
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- Posts: 10
- Joined: 28 Apr 2006 12:01 am
- Location: Golden, Colorado, USA
- Alan Brookes
- Posts: 13218
- Joined: 29 Mar 2006 1:01 am
- Location: Brummy living in Southern California
Don't go spending lots of money.
When I was studying to be an accountant I was told that the only difference between a qualified accountant and a qualified attorney was the library... they'd both forgotten what they were taught but they knew where to look for the answers.
Those folks out there who are debating the difference between old Fenders and old Rickenbackers are all established musicians, and the difference is minimal.
A steel guitar is basically a bunch of strings over a pickup. Anyone could build one in a couple of hours in his garage. The difference in performance comes from practice. Give me one string and a steel and I can perform Aloha-oe no matter how you tune it.
I have a Weissenborn, a Dobro, 10 lap steels and a pedal steel. But it's just self-indulgence. I was playing for 30 years on a home-made lap steel I built out of an old door. You don't need a big budget to be a steel guitarist, just a love of the art.
Go build one !
When I was studying to be an accountant I was told that the only difference between a qualified accountant and a qualified attorney was the library... they'd both forgotten what they were taught but they knew where to look for the answers.
Those folks out there who are debating the difference between old Fenders and old Rickenbackers are all established musicians, and the difference is minimal.
A steel guitar is basically a bunch of strings over a pickup. Anyone could build one in a couple of hours in his garage. The difference in performance comes from practice. Give me one string and a steel and I can perform Aloha-oe no matter how you tune it.
I have a Weissenborn, a Dobro, 10 lap steels and a pedal steel. But it's just self-indulgence. I was playing for 30 years on a home-made lap steel I built out of an old door. You don't need a big budget to be a steel guitarist, just a love of the art.
Go build one !
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- Posts: 60
- Joined: 1 May 2006 12:01 am
- Location: Ontario, Canada
- Contact:
Since the thread is still in recent rotation, you may have already seen it-- but here's a pic of my self-built lap steel:
You can make the body any shape you want-- if you prefer the "neck and body" look, that's completely up to you. All you really need is a drill press and a router. Other tools are handy, but those are the only ones that you need, IMO.
This one has some pretty nice appointments (rosewood "fingerboard" and control covers, Grover tuners) but I'm confident that you could make an instrument of very similar build quality (better than some of the 'commercial' ones I've seen) for $100 USD, not including your tools.
Greg
You can make the body any shape you want-- if you prefer the "neck and body" look, that's completely up to you. All you really need is a drill press and a router. Other tools are handy, but those are the only ones that you need, IMO.
This one has some pretty nice appointments (rosewood "fingerboard" and control covers, Grover tuners) but I'm confident that you could make an instrument of very similar build quality (better than some of the 'commercial' ones I've seen) for $100 USD, not including your tools.
Greg
- Randy Reeves
- Posts: 1492
- Joined: 18 Oct 2004 12:01 am
- Location: LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA
Hi Nick. welcome to this great site.
so you lurked with some instruments and now you're thinking of upgrading.
same M.O. as me. LOL.
once you start there's no turning back...
unless you build them yourself.
Greg's got the right idea.
I too have made a few with plans to make more.
my main ax, a lap steel, is a vintage Epiphone, however.
so you lurked with some instruments and now you're thinking of upgrading.
same M.O. as me. LOL.
once you start there's no turning back...
unless you build them yourself.
Greg's got the right idea.
I too have made a few with plans to make more.
my main ax, a lap steel, is a vintage Epiphone, however.
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- Posts: 10
- Joined: 28 Apr 2006 12:01 am
- Location: Golden, Colorado, USA
I actually was really close to building one about a month ago. I was planning on buying a premade maple lap body on ebay and doing the rest myself. I bought the "build your own lap steel" book about a year ago and haven’t looked at it till a few months ago. I was really excited to do it until I added up the cost of all the parts I wanted. I realized I could get a nice vintage for less than I was planning on spending.
I was planning on using an asher solid body as a model and go from there. I had two main problems/concerns:
The body. I really like the look of the old Tonemasters and rickys, etc instead of the 2x6 slab style. The body that I was gonna get on ebay was maple and I found a few comments that maple was very "bright" sounding which I don’t think Imp looking for.
The pickup. I was looking at using one or two seymour duncan '59s, and then playing around with the wiring using the schematics on the SD website. I’m not sure if this is within my abilities though.
Obviously I could simplify it quite a bit, but I was actually excited to take on the project. I mainly was worried that I would get it all together and it would sound like crap. Any ideas/comments? I really appreciate the feedback!
<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Nick Mesenbrink on 12 May 2006 at 01:35 PM.]</p></FONT>
I was planning on using an asher solid body as a model and go from there. I had two main problems/concerns:
The body. I really like the look of the old Tonemasters and rickys, etc instead of the 2x6 slab style. The body that I was gonna get on ebay was maple and I found a few comments that maple was very "bright" sounding which I don’t think Imp looking for.
The pickup. I was looking at using one or two seymour duncan '59s, and then playing around with the wiring using the schematics on the SD website. I’m not sure if this is within my abilities though.
Obviously I could simplify it quite a bit, but I was actually excited to take on the project. I mainly was worried that I would get it all together and it would sound like crap. Any ideas/comments? I really appreciate the feedback!
<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Nick Mesenbrink on 12 May 2006 at 01:35 PM.]</p></FONT>
- Alan Brookes
- Posts: 13218
- Joined: 29 Mar 2006 1:01 am
- Location: Brummy living in Southern California
I haven't read the book about building your own, but my budget for the project is:
Wood Out of the scrap box.
Pick-up Out of the scrap box.
Strings $4
Machine Head Out of the scrap box.
Total $4, but then you probably already have a set of strings....
I never throw anything away. I always have lots of parts.
Wood Out of the scrap box.
Pick-up Out of the scrap box.
Strings $4
Machine Head Out of the scrap box.
Total $4, but then you probably already have a set of strings....
I never throw anything away. I always have lots of parts.
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- Location: Claremont , CA USA
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- Location: Golden, Colorado, USA
- Rick Aiello
- Posts: 4701
- Joined: 11 Sep 2000 12:01 am
- Location: Berryville, VA USA
- Contact:
Or ...<SMALL>Wood Out of the scrap box.</SMALL>
Send me 15 cases of Coors ...
I'll drink 'em all ... and when I'm done ... I'll cast you a Coorspan outta the empties ...
I hear these two guys are experienced at transporting Coors ... east of the Mississippi ...
<font size=1>Click on Bandit and the Snowman</font>
Just watch out for ol' Buford T. ...
<font size=2> Coors could be bought in So. Florida ... back in the day ... but at a heafty "black market" price.
Once it was available via any grocery store ... no one drank it and made lots of jokes about it, like:
But I still enjoy an ice cold "Silver Bullet" ... on a hot day, though </font><SMALL>What does Coors and making love in a boat have in common ???</SMALL>
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<font size=2>Slants of the Week</font>
<font size=1>Hawaiian Steel Stuff
The Casteels</font>
<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 13 May 2006 at 05:10 AM.]</p></FONT>
- Roman Sonnleitner
- Posts: 759
- Joined: 27 Nov 2005 1:01 am
- Location: Vienna, Austria
Well, maybe my own experience of building a lap steel might be of interest to you?
http://www.steelguitarforum.com/Forum2/HTML/008383.html
http://www.steelguitarforum.com/Forum2/HTML/008383.html