Lap steel with multibender - pics attached (I hope!)

Iain · Post by **Iain** » 22 Mar 2007 4:41 am

Hi

Don't know if I've managed to do this right but, if so, you should see pictures of my Bennett (British manufacturer) lap steel with a (German-made) Duesenberg Multibender fitted.

It's tuned to E7th (high to low: e b G# E D B). The three levers take the high E to F, the high B to C# and the G# to A, so it's like the 1st 2 pedals of an E9th steel, with the E to F knee lever.

Still getting to grips with it, but plan to gig it soon. More limited than a pedal steel, obviously ... but WAY more portable!

Just thought people might be interested
Iain

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 23 Mar 2007 6:10 am

Iain, thanks for sharing this. I like the look and simplicity of it, very clean. I'd love to hear what this sounds like. If you could post some soundclips, that would be great.

Terry Gann · Post by **Terry Gann** » 23 Mar 2007 11:11 am

Lain:

How difficult is it to pick while holding down the levers?
Or do you use your forearm?
Looks to me your "pedal" pressure might vary depending on what your right hand was doing.

Chuck Fisher · Post by **Chuck Fisher** » 23 Mar 2007 1:36 pm

Thats cool, minimalist is good for that multibender. I got GAS coming on... the tuning and copedant is a good idea.

Iain · Post by **Iain** » 26 Mar 2007 1:14 am

Hi

Yes, it can be a bit awkward picking and pressing, especially with the 1st 2 levers (top E and B), but I'm getting used to it (I hope!) Just a new and different skill to learn, really.
The G# to A lever is pretty much sitting under my wrist; that seems comfiest way to press it.

They don't need much pressure, and work very well - tuning is very stable.

Sound clips: sorry, I'm not that computer-literate, I'm afraid, but if you look a the Rockinger site there are sound clips there, played by its co-designer Martin Huch, in a very similar tuning to mine.

Thanks for the interest. The multibender's certainly a cool device!

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 26 Mar 2007 6:22 am

Wow, that is VERY cool!

http://www.rockinger.com/index.php?cat= ... duct=2405C

And Martin Huch makes it look easy!

Wow.

Iain · Post by **Iain** » 28 Mar 2007 2:01 am

Yes, Martin plays very well.

He's a nice guy, too: he gave me some useful advice when I was looking for a multibender (not easily available in Britain - certainly not at that time, anyway).

MUSICO · Post by **MUSICO** » 1 Sep 2007 11:29 am

Iain ¿Is someone selling ready assembled units? ¿or is that something you installed?

Jeremy Williams
Barcelona Spain

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 2 Sep 2007 9:32 pm

I bought one of these Duesenberg Multibender 4-lever units a few months ago and have been intending to build it into a lap steel, but lately I'm starting to think I should put it onto a Telecaster with a nut riser.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 2 Sep 2007 9:38 pm

MUSICO wrote:...¿Is someone selling ready assembled units?...

I bought mine direct from the manufacturer by mail order.
http://www.duesenberg.de/duesenberg/en_index.php

Iain · Post by **Iain** » 3 Sep 2007 12:00 am

I got mine from Rockinger: http://www.rockinger.com/index.php?lang=ENG

MUSICO · Post by **MUSICO** » 3 Sep 2007 8:09 am

Ooops,
My question wasn´t clear. I meant to ask....¿is anyone selling lap steels with this unit ready-installed?

Jeremy Williams
Barcelona Spain

Iain · Post by **Iain** » 4 Sep 2007 12:24 am

Not that I know of, no - I think you'd have to install it yourself.

However, maybe you've hit on a good idea there, Jeremy...

MUSICO · Post by **MUSICO** » 5 Sep 2007 1:29 pm

Frankly,
You might be right that I've hit on a good idea. A lot of steelers are mechanical geniuses...but a lot of us are TOTALLY useless.

Jeremy Williams
Barcelona Spain

Dan Sawyer · Post by **Dan Sawyer** » 10 Sep 2007 4:14 pm

Just thought i'd ask… Iain, how is the stringbender working out for you?

Iain · Post by **Iain** » 11 Sep 2007 1:21 am

Pretty well, actually: it's like having the A&B pedal and the E to F knee-lever raise in a very portable package.
Of course it's not as versatile as a pedal steel, but it can go in a double-guitar gig bag with my Tele and is much quicker to set up etc.

Can be tricky to pick and bend at same time but the more I gig it the more I'm getting used to it.

In short: I like it!

David Wren · Post by **David Wren** » 11 Sep 2007 7:02 am

Glad to see folks putting palm levers with lap steels. I've started an eight string (already had Jerry Wallace build me a P.U.) but I'm machining my parts, so it be a while before I can share pix of the finished product.

I'm taking a different approach on the copedant:
The single plam lever will lower the 2 key notes of the chord, giving a major 7th, which I think will be useful on a lap steel.

Instead of a second palm lever, I'm building a knee lever (with a "stop" lever on the opposite knee to keep the steel from sliding) which will have a double-stop... first lowering the 3rd note of the chord 1/2 note, and then going on to a full note lower.

End result will be similar to playing a E9th PSG with pedals A&B depressed (no levers used), and then using the levers together will be similar to releasing the A&B pedals for the 5 chord.

Don't know how this will work out in the end, but I sure am having fun building it

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 12 Sep 2007 11:23 am

I've been giving some thought as to what sort of body to attach my Multibender to. I was all set to put it on a lap steel, but in retrospect, with the downward pressure that has to be applied, unless you have a firm base the instrument could move. I remember building a hurdy-gurdy but when I turned the wheel the entire instrument rotated unless it was clamped down to a table. If the lap steel had a heavy stand, or you did clamp it to a table, I'm sure there would be no problem.

Those of you who have put a Multibender onto a lap top; do you have problems with the instrument moving in your lap ?

I'm now thinking of putting my Multibender onto a Telecaster with a nut riser.

Bruce Freisinger · Post by **Bruce Freisinger** » 12 Sep 2007 8:27 pm

Alan F. Brookes wrote:I was all set to put it on a lap steel, but in retrospect, with the downward pressure that has to be applied, unless you have a firm base the instrument could move.

Alan, have you watched the videos where Martin Huch is playing a Strat as a lap steel - retrofitted with a raised nut and 3 Multibender arms? It looked like he was doing pretty well keeping the thing stationary. Although, he's had tons of practice as he was involved during the design process, apparently. But it is possible to play it without movement...

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 13 Sep 2007 2:22 am

Ian, what do you think of the sound of the Bennett ?

Iain · Post by **Iain** » 13 Sep 2007 6:49 am

Alan: my lap has a ridged rubber strip along the bottom of it, so doesn't move.

Basil: I like the Bennett's sound. I keep the tone control rolled off a fair bit so it's a pretty warm tone.
Why d'you ask? Have you any thoughts on a Bennett's sound or have you not heard one?
Just wondering if you think the sound's flawed in some way on his instruments

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 13 Sep 2007 7:23 pm

Bruce Freisinger wrote:...Alan, have you watched the videos where Martin Huch is playing a Strat as a lap steel - retrofitted with a raised nut and 3 Multibender arms? ...

Yes, that's where it occurred to me that the additional weight of the Stratocaster body made the instrument more stable than a lap steel, which is why I'm thinking of putting my Multibender on a Telecaster.

Colin Alder · Post by **Colin Alder** » 13 Sep 2007 9:18 pm

I spose it would be self serving to point out that the CruzTone was designed with real estate at the tail to accommodate Hipshot Trilogy and palm pedals of various configurations... so I won't.
It's also a handy spot to set yer drink.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 13 Sep 2007 10:06 pm

Could we see a close-up of that interesting instrument ?

Colin Alder · Post by **Colin Alder** » 14 Sep 2007 1:27 pm

Here it is.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Lap steel with multibender - pics attached (I hope!)

Lap steel with multibender - pics attached (I hope!)

¿Who built it?

Re: ¿Who built it?

oops

Good idea