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Topic: New lap steel |
Philip Bender
From:
Palmetto FL USA (deceased)
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Posted 23 Jun 2007 7:14 pm |
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Aloha All,
I have been working on a lap steel that I started about 7 years ago. It is made out of hard maple laminated to form the neck and more pieces added to form the body. I had planned to use a pick up from an old Console Grand that had seen better days. I was pleasantly surprised when I put strings on it and plugged the little feller in. What a tone, and great sustain. The tone control is right under my little finger, and should let me get some old fashioned Doo Wah effects.
When we get back from up north, I will get some veneer on it with some cream binding, plus gold pearl fret markers on the rosewood fret board that Maurie Junod got for me, I will get sone pics on the Forum. The shape is similsr to a Hofner bass that Paul McCartney plays.
Will be back in Sept.
Aloha,
Phil |
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Gary Boyett
From:
Colorado/ Lives in Arizona
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Posted 24 Jun 2007 3:02 am
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You are going to tease us until September
That ain't right,,, it just ain't right.... |
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Philip Bender
From:
Palmetto FL USA (deceased)
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Posted 24 Jun 2007 3:35 am New lap steel
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Aloha friends,
I will take a few pics today and put them on Forum. They wont show much, without the fret board and all, but OK, I will put some pics up.
Phil |
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Philip Bender
From:
Palmetto FL USA (deceased)
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Posted 24 Jun 2007 4:06 am Pics of new lap steel
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Aloha all,
Here are some pics of new lap steel, just for Gary Glassbar.
Phil |
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Philip Bender
From:
Palmetto FL USA (deceased)
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Posted 24 Jun 2007 4:08 am Lap steel,
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What happened, no pics ? What did I do wrong.
Phil |
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Randy Reeves
From:
LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 24 Jun 2007 4:30 am
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are you using a photo hosting site?
recheck how you typed in the URL. |
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Philip Bender
From:
Palmetto FL USA (deceased)
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Posted 24 Jun 2007 10:20 am New Lap Steel
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Hello again,
Let's try it one more time.
Phil
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 24 Jun 2007 12:17 pm
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Nice looking project, Phil.
Could you post some shot's that show the bridge in more detail, and say who made it? |
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Gary Boyett
From:
Colorado/ Lives in Arizona
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Posted 24 Jun 2007 12:20 pm
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Very cool! Thanks for the pictures. I wish I had that kind of talent. It is so much fun seeing everybody's great ideas. This forum has a lot of talented craftsmen.
I look forward to the final pictures. |
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Philip Bender
From:
Palmetto FL USA (deceased)
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Posted 24 Jun 2007 2:25 pm New lap steel
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Hello Again,
As for the roller bridge, I designed and built it when I had access to the machinery. It was made to be a 4 tuning changer, but I could not find right angle gears to make it work. About 2 weeks ago, I got tired of looking at the rough blank and decided to finish it. I had 2 pu's left over from an old Console grand that checked out OK, so I set about routing out the cavities, and you know the rest of the story. I have a few more pics to add later that show more detail.
Thanks for the comments,
Phil |
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Tom Pettingill
From:
California, USA (deceased)
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Philip Bender
From:
Palmetto FL USA (deceased)
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Posted 25 Jun 2007 1:46 pm New lap steel
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Hello again,
Here is a drawing of the tuning changer that the roller bridge came from. A detailed explanation follows.
Phil
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Philip Bender
From:
Palmetto FL USA (deceased)
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Posted 25 Jun 2007 2:00 pm New lap steel
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This changer was based on a design by Don Sweatman, but instead being mounted on the surface of the guitar, most of the mechanism was to be below the surface. When the cam was turned, a flat would come in contact with the control lever and relax the tension on the strings. A set screw would control the pre set condition of the string. After I got the design finalized, I could not find a small right angle gear set to allow operation of the cam rod from the large end of the body.
Any comments or questions?
Later,
Phil |
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Philip Bender
From:
Palmetto FL USA (deceased)
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Posted 26 Jun 2007 2:19 pm Lap steel
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Hello again,
Here is a close up of roller bridge,
Phil
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Philip Bender
From:
Palmetto FL USA (deceased)
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Posted 4 Nov 2007 11:46 pm Update on new steel guitar
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Aloha all,
Well, where to begin? The original project has bitten the dust. The addition of a new design tuning changer, new Walnut body, and a great looking P.U. from Rick Aielo, have slowed down the project considerably. The changer is causing the most trouble, requiring a redesign of the string actuators. I took the neck off of the latest lap steel that I built, and added it to a Tiger striped pc of walnut I picked up in Ohio. You can actually see a Tiger in the grain pattern of the body. I will attempt to show a picture of it soon. The fret board is in the final finish stage, with the addition of cream colored plastic frets, and gold MOP markers, it looks pretty good. I will put on some pictures real soon, and look forward to your critique.
Phil Bender |
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Philip Bender
From:
Palmetto FL USA (deceased)
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Posted 5 Nov 2007 12:45 am New lap steel
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Hello again,
Here are some up to date pictures of the new lap steel that I have been working on.
Phil
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Blake Hawkins
From:
Florida
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Posted 5 Nov 2007 7:07 am
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Phil,
It looks great. I look forward to hearing you play it at one of our jams in Bradenton.
Blake |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 5 Nov 2007 4:09 pm
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Looks like you are having lots of fun Phil  |
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Gary Stevenson
From:
Northern New York,USA
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Posted 5 Nov 2007 7:11 pm Nice design
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| As a lap steel builder, it sure is nice to see all of different designs that people come up with. I like Colin's Cruztone and really like Tom's designs a lot.Yours has a neat violin/mandolin style worked in.Of course you have a great pickup with one of Rick A's. I will bet it has great tone!! |
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Gary Stevenson
From:
Northern New York,USA
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Posted 5 Nov 2007 7:15 pm possible name
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| I just thought of possible name ie: Steel Bender or Lap Bender or String Bender |
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Olli Haavisto
From:
Jarvenpaa,Finland
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Posted 5 Nov 2007 11:56 pm
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No, it has to be Bender Bender 
_________________
Olli Haavisto
Finland |
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Philip Bender
From:
Palmetto FL USA (deceased)
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Posted 6 Nov 2007 11:19 am New lap steel
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 This is a picture of the new lap steel I am working on. The bridge is a stainless steel pc that I just finished.
Aloha, Phil Bender |
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Randy Reeves
From:
LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 6 Nov 2007 12:24 pm
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Phil. thanks for the pics and details.
I have to ask, how do you saw solid maple without those awful kerf marks and burns.
no matter how careful or how sharp I run into those things. |
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Philip Bender
From:
Palmetto FL USA (deceased)
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Posted 6 Nov 2007 4:29 pm Cutting Maple
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Hey Randy,
Except for the peg head, most of what I cut is done with a router using a 1/4 " carbide end mill cutter, but still burns if crowded too much.
Phil |
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Tom Pettingill
From:
California, USA (deceased)
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