The Steel Guitar Forum

Excellent workmanship Ryan, real works of art.

Thanks for the compliment Bill! & Thanks for the FYI on Allparts Loni!

Now then, I'm fixin to string this puppy up and test it. Provided it functions to my liking when I get the string on it today, I'll have it on Ebay very shortly(today/tomorrow). This project came about from unused scraps and miscuts around the shop...when life gives you lemons, make a weird lap steel? I did abandon my 'no paint' philosophy for this one due to poor contrast between wood types and jointery lines that didn't jive well on the back. It contains koa(1/2"body top/pickup cover/pot cover), purpleheart(fingerboard/back strips that are unseen), mahogany(2pc.neck), hard maple(5 neckjoint fins on the belly)and sugarmaple(back of body). It will get a polished brass nut & a creatively shaped pseudo truss rod cover to hide that slot. It's got only a 20 1/8" scale length, tone control(that's all it had room for). The lil koa pot cover will be slimmed down to even up with the body too. Anyways, I'll have all of it's info & specs on the auction, just wanted to let you serious steelers know first. It's certainly a one-of-a-kind eyecatcher and conversation starter for any collection.

Voted most likely to evoke the responses, "What the hell is that?"...or..."Does it work, & how?"...or...
Is it real?" Which lap steels already seem to get.

Peace,
Ryan

"

Ryan,
OK,I told you where to get odd tuner sets, now you need to let me know where to get some of that good ACID!

I like that one a lot, but the speed knob doesn't do it any justice. I think you have to think outside the box on that one.

Steinar Gregertsen wrote:I think I've said it before,- this guy must be the Salvador Dali of lap steel design.

Indeed! Crazy and cool Ryan!

Fred

Mike Neer wrote:I like that one a lot, but the speed knob doesn't do it any justice. I think you have to think outside the box on that one.

I agree - spend some extra $ and get a wooden one from THG knobs - http://www.thgknobs.com/
I got two in Koa for my Asher, they do beautiful work.

Steinar

Again, thanks for the input and compliments guys. You've got me really considering another angle on the knob. I think I may turn my own knob of figured koa an then consider doing some carving on it that somehow reflects the body carving? More work on something I was about to cinsider done, but good advice. Everything else is custom on it, why not widdle up a knob too?

Ryan

PS. Loni, I'll never tell. I could suggest a place where mushrooms grow?...nah

Ryan: I think you would attract a lot of customers if you made 8-string instruments.

Wow, I like the instrument pictured above. Not joking, it's strangely stimulating my appetite for something raw from the sea--like an eel with a good oily skin, squid, or an oyster from the shell.

shades of an alien or VENOM (spiderman's alien costume). very cool!

Some kind of gnarly looking knob, that you can hook your pinky around for volume swells would be nifty.
Just plain outstanding work!
Salute!
-andy z-

Ryan - I am so digging your work!. These steels are just beautiful. Thanks for sharing your vision.
Peter

Your lap steels look amazing. My only concern about the amphibious one is that the scale length may be too short to have any real sustain. Perhaps you can post some sound clips when it's done. Also, you might want to try another one in that style that is at least 22-1/2". I also suggest experimenting with "lap steel" rather than "guitar" pickups because they are slightly different IMO and tend to have more output. Jason Lollar seems to have a few options.

I love your ideas, though, and think it's great that you are pushing the envelope.

The DiMarzio humbuckers have plenty of output, and can be wired in series or parallel. Wired in series, they have a lot of output, which is my favorite way of using them.
I favor them over the horseshoe types I build, for wood bodied guitars.

Just my 2bits

Ryan, one pickup that you should really try in there is a Joe Barden. They are mini-bucker, dual blades that sound like single coils.
I put them in two of my lap projects and they are awesome!
www.joebarden.com


-andy z-

Hey guys, a brief FYI of a new koa/bubinga lap I just posted to Ebay.

Auction on eBay.

My site has new galleries updated too; I don't intend to use the kodakeasyshare gallery I posted a link to previously. I will utilize the gallery on the Products page to preview coming guitars available via ebay. Hopefully the galleries work for you all?..it does require the latest Flash player, and one may have to reopen their browser or refresh after installing it. Please feel free to let me know of any hangups with the site too...And thanks again to those of you who've shared good info about steel hardware and electronics!

www.rukavinaguitars.com

Hope everyone is well! Peace,

Ryan Rukavina

Ryan, I was frankly a bit put off by your guitars when I first saw one but I've changed my mind as I've seen them develop. I really dig what you're doing. You're really exploring new ground with these organic shapes - reminds me a bit of the arts & crafts movement circa 1900. The black guitar above is truly mind-boggling ... like Jeff says, something washed ashore from the sea.

RE the knobs, Mike nailed it: you need knobs that relect the organic aesthetic of your instruments ... turned wood and possibly shell would look great on the black guitar. Or, if you want to go all the way, how about something like these? ....

http://www.eclectic-ware.com/Eclectic-w ... knobs.html

Best of luck with these unique instruments.

They look great and no doubt will keep getting more far out.

They have to play as good as they look. Bridge string spacing is an issue for me. On a 6 string lap steel, 3/8" minimum between each string. Otherwise your picks can not get in and do their job clean. That's my 2 cents.

I like what Jeff Au Hoy had to say.

Thanks guys, much appreciated! I'd like to do some more wild carving like that again soon, it was plenty of fun.
I just tacked another 6 string up, and am pushing to finally have an 8 string rolling soon. Despite what my site
currently says, I'm giving a Wallace TrueTone a try in my first 8, and will likely only complete one this month.
Here's the 6 and the ebay post...



Auction on eBay.

Peace,
Ryan

Hi Ryan,
That's the nicest one yet! Worth more than your asking!

Your instruments are just incredible looking. They will appeal to players and non players alike just as works of art. Keep at it!

Man, those are some really cool looking guitars! Please continue to post pics of your work as you make new ones.

Howdy all,

Thanks again for the kind remarks guys!

This is a preliminary pic of my first diversion from 6 strings. A one piece ash 8 string, with a TrueTone and chrome Schallers... Solid, with a 22 1/2" scale length, string through body design w/straight string pull from nut to tuner, an unbleached bone nut, walnut fingerboard, maple fretmarkers, MOP dots, and cocobolo fingerboard binding & logo medallion. I'm in the process of finishing a bridge and deciding on what to do about knobs; I'll probably cap the black ones w/figured wood vs using plain chrome...similar to the last one i posted a picture of, but w/black bells vs speed knobs. Projected sale price is $750-800 w/gig bag, and I ought to have it together, strung, tested, and for sale within the next day or 2.

Ryan

No crazy carving, but 8 strings are indeed very cool guys...TrueTones sound great too.


http://cgi.ebay.com/RUKAVINA-ELECTRIC-8 ... ewItem[url][/url]

I really like the mount ring around the pickup the ebay guitar. Very nice design and workmanship. Those little things like that detail really make it work of art.

BILL