Hello and thanks from a new member!

Nick Mesenbrink · Post by **Nick Mesenbrink** » 12 May 2006 9:01 am

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

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 12 May 2006 9:13 am

Hi and welcome out of the closet....

Keep us posted with your search results. We love gear stories.

Nick Mesenbrink · Post by **Nick Mesenbrink** » 12 May 2006 9:21 am

Yep, I know you guys love gear stories. I've been living vicariously through this forum for quite awhile now

Nick

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 12 May 2006 11:35 am

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 !

Greg Pettit · Post by **Greg Pettit** » 12 May 2006 11:53 am

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

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 12 May 2006 12:11 pm

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.

Nick Mesenbrink · Post by **Nick Mesenbrink** » 12 May 2006 12:33 pm

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!
[This message was edited by Nick Mesenbrink on 12 May 2006 at 01:35 PM.]

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 12 May 2006 3:03 pm

Don't go spending lots of money.

Now he tells me.....

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 12 May 2006 4:30 pm

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.

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 12 May 2006 4:52 pm

Welcome Nick. Finally someone on the forum right there in Golden ready to send all of us some Coor's.

I hate this downstream beer.

Nick Mesenbrink · Post by **Nick Mesenbrink** » 12 May 2006 5:58 pm

Yeah, I just bought a house here a month ago and I was surprised to find that each house has its own tap straight from the Coors brewery!

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 13 May 2006 3:49 am

Wood Out of the scrap box.

Or ...

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 ...

Click on Bandit and the Snowman

Just watch out for ol' Buford T. ...

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:

What does Coors and making love in a boat have in common ???

But I still enjoy an ice cold "Silver Bullet" ... on a hot day, though

------------------

Slants of the Week
Hawaiian Steel Stuff
The Casteels
[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 13 May 2006 at 05:10 AM.]

Roman Sonnleitner · Post by **Roman Sonnleitner** » 13 May 2006 9:08 am

Well, maybe my own experience of building a lap steel might be of interest to you?
http://www.steelguitarforum.com/Forum2/HTML/008383.html