Rondo 6 String Lap Steel Review with Audio And Pics

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 27 Jan 2008 11:32 am

I got my Rondo lap steel a few days ago and it's a blast. The quality is much better than I expected and I'm very happy with the tone. There's a review on my web site with lots of pics and other stuff that's just too much to put in a post here. I have to give this instrument an enthusiastic thumbs up!

Rondo Lap Steel Review

The song I recorded with the Rondo has a lot of pedal steel, drums and guitar parts on it so be patient and there's a verse of lap steel on it! From 2:40 to 3:52 is the Lap Steel part.

Kansas City Blues

Greg

Bob Borzelleri · Post by **Bob Borzelleri** » 27 Jan 2008 4:48 pm

Greg...

Thanks for the thorough review of the SX. I'm getting to a point in life where it either takes quite a bit or not too much to impress me depending on how things went earlier in the day. In this instance however, it looks like someone came up with a very playable lap steel for about the price of a well made hard case. Oh wait, it comes with a well made hard case, too. From your pictures, the SX looks like it is better detailed than many of the lower priced lap steels out there, and it's sure less expensive.

Mine will arrive on Friday. Given the earlier comments from some folks about the pickup poles being off center of the strings, I was about to order a rail pickup in advance to replace the stock PU. After listening to your recording though, I will now wait. If the strings are over the poles like yours shows in the photos, I am likely to leave it the way it came. Thanks again for the review.

...Bob

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 27 Jan 2008 11:04 pm

I was impressed by the recording and the lap steel. What a deal ! The case alone is worth what you paid. I'll have to get one.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 27 Jan 2008 11:20 pm

Further to my previous post, I went onto the Rondo website and couldn't find it. The ones on eBay are about $250.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 27 Jan 2008 11:34 pm

Found it.... ordered one.... great price.

Here's the website link.

http://www.rondomusic.com/LG1na.html

This looks like an ideal candidate for adding palm levers to.

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 28 Jan 2008 5:35 am

Alan,

I started to leave my bottom string at C# all the time. Lots more goodies that way. I'd like to have a simple solenoid system that could raise each string 1/2 tone with little pushbuttons, conveniently located. No servo, just on/off and fast, maybe by rotating the tuning keys like the toggle on the hipshot with mechanical stops. I find myself bending the strings more than slanting the bar. I would use these for chords, and not for E9th type sounds

Useful half tone raises:

String 1. Sus 4, 4 chord root
String 2: 6 chord 7th (same as low C#)
String 3: dominant 7th note
String 4: augmented

(String 2 and 3 together for diminished)
(String 3 and 4 don't know what it is but it sounds awesome)

String 5: Root for 4 chord and allows a 4 chord maj 7th
String 6: I'd move this back to C and use the pushbutton to get the C#

Greg

Bill OCallaghan · Post by **Bill OCallaghan** » 28 Jan 2008 9:24 pm

Greg - Thanks for the review, very thorough and informative. This is something thats going on my wish list.

Enjoyed your Kansas City Blues.

Bill