Archtop lap steel, why yes, why no???
Moderator: Brad Bechtel
Archtop lap steel, why yes, why no???
I am picturing a non-cut away L5 style archtop with a squareneck and 8 strings. is there a reason this would or would not work? i figure it would have a neck position pickup, rosewood/ebony bridge and tailpiece.
Basically, exactly the same as a roundneck but, with a
Thinking of doing an organ trio
Basically, exactly the same as a roundneck but, with a
Thinking of doing an organ trio
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Maccaferri Hawaiiennes were "archtops" in that the thin tops were "bent" and "domed" over braces. They weren't carved like an L5.
7 string Hawaiienne
Modern Indian lap-style "guitars" as played by Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Debashish Bhattacharya are truly archtops, but I'm not sure whether they're pressed plywood or carved.
7 string Hawaiienne
Modern Indian lap-style "guitars" as played by Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Debashish Bhattacharya are truly archtops, but I'm not sure whether they're pressed plywood or carved.
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Re: Archtop lap steel, why yes, why no???
There's an easy way to try it out. Just put a nut riser on a regular archtop. If you like the sound then you can invest the time in building your 8-string version.AJ Azure wrote:I am picturing a non-cut away L5 style archtop with a squareneck and 8 strings....
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some might consider that it would sound to dark with the neck pickup. I've always been a huge fan of that "woman" sound, though, regardless of what something is "supposed" to sound like.
I think Alan hit the nail on the head. Do a cheap "practice run" by slightly modifing another guitar, before you invest the time and money into a big project.
I think Alan hit the nail on the head. Do a cheap "practice run" by slightly modifing another guitar, before you invest the time and money into a big project.
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May I direct you to this thread:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=115470
HowardR brought this Benoit over when it was finished and, while I didn't have a lot of time to play it, it was beautiful and, as I recall, very nice sounding, as well.
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=115470
HowardR brought this Benoit over when it was finished and, while I didn't have a lot of time to play it, it was beautiful and, as I recall, very nice sounding, as well.
I know all of (and have drooled over) Howard's resos. However, I am thinking Charlie Christian / Wes Montgomery tone and that's not coming out of any reso.Mike Neer wrote:May I direct you to this thread:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=115470
HowardR brought this Benoit over when it was finished and, while I didn't have a lot of time to play it, it was beautiful and, as I recall, very nice sounding, as well.
This is mainly for an organ trio concept and a regular lap steel is not going to feel or sound the same. nor look the same
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Thanks guys! They are vastly under-rated guitars I also installed a bridge peizo(sp) on the blond with a stereo jack. True jazz-style, nothing is mounted to the top!
The way these innovative necks are constructed, I'm sure there'd be no need to have a square neck. They're as strong as steel! I use 16-56 strings. I think they would make great archtopped lapsteels.
The way these innovative necks are constructed, I'm sure there'd be no need to have a square neck. They're as strong as steel! I use 16-56 strings. I think they would make great archtopped lapsteels.
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Recently, I spent an afternoon with Glenn Ross Campbell, of "The Misunderstood" fame. He has an archtop lap that he built himself with a modified neck that takes eight strings... Strung up in a special tuning of his own designed especially to play jump blues, and I'll tell you he gets the T-Bone Walker licks, as well as some fine jazzy harmonies, with hardly a slant in sight.
I am aware that he has an account - so if you're reading Glenn, I'd love to see a good photograph of it on here!
I am aware that he has an account - so if you're reading Glenn, I'd love to see a good photograph of it on here!
Commodore S-8
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- David Mason
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Archtop vs. flattop is (or should be) a choice of which one gets you your preferred selection of frequencies. There was a period in jazz guitar, mid-60's to 70's-something, where a lot of people were playing "Charlie Parker licks" with real even timing and volume, no inflection and a really dark, dead tone. Dut-dut-dut-dut... NOT Kenny Burrell or Barney Kessel, and John McLaughlin and Pat Metheny effectively broke that mold. But overall, it seemed to me at the time that flattop players had more zing available from their choice of guitars. Flattops are just REAL LIVELY for jazz, IMO.
And the best acoustic slide guitar I ever had (sigh) was some old Epiphone 12-string that I set up with six heavy-gauge electric strings. $50 and it could EAT dobros for morning snacks, out-BLAST anything acoustic... DOWN, fiddle! Ha! Poor little weenie-tone mandolinist... best of all,
And the best acoustic slide guitar I ever had (sigh) was some old Epiphone 12-string that I set up with six heavy-gauge electric strings. $50 and it could EAT dobros for morning snacks, out-BLAST anything acoustic... DOWN, fiddle! Ha! Poor little weenie-tone mandolinist... best of all,
Although you can pretty much re-EQ anything these days, archtops seem to naturally swallow up the high frequencies, and I'd rather do that at the end of the signal path with electronics.Fee-Fie-Fum-Fo - I smell the blood of a ban-jo!
I was young once...
Last edited by David Mason on 27 Jul 2018 6:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Paul Seager
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I love the idea of an 8 string, squareneck archtop! I have an experimental instrument, neither squareneck nor 8 string. It's an old German Hopf guitar, built in the 60's probably - there are dozens of this type of instrument available on local Ebay's built by Framus, Klira and many other companies and they are called "Schlaggitarren", basically hard strummers! They are solidly built but lack truss-rods so inevitably subject to neck-twists over time. It makes little difference if you are converting it to a lap steel though! The guitar didn't cost me much and I bought it purely for its look.
Mine has been tuned A6 in the past but currently it's tuned open G as I am teaching myself some Bluegrass stuff. Even though the guitar is tough, this is as adventurous as I get with tunings. I have day-dreamed about having a squareneck built for it but nothing more than day-dreaming; basically I don't have enough time to play the many instruments I own!
The pickup is a Shadow floating bridge type. Not the loudest but it was a quick mount and replaced the old bridge. It sounds ok through an amp, although the guitar is nothing special acoustically. The piece of foam under the strings, behind the bridge is to stop the strings ringing, which was both loud and annoying.
Please let us know how your idea progresses!
\ paul
Mine has been tuned A6 in the past but currently it's tuned open G as I am teaching myself some Bluegrass stuff. Even though the guitar is tough, this is as adventurous as I get with tunings. I have day-dreamed about having a squareneck built for it but nothing more than day-dreaming; basically I don't have enough time to play the many instruments I own!
The pickup is a Shadow floating bridge type. Not the loudest but it was a quick mount and replaced the old bridge. It sounds ok through an amp, although the guitar is nothing special acoustically. The piece of foam under the strings, behind the bridge is to stop the strings ringing, which was both loud and annoying.
Please let us know how your idea progresses!
\ paul
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Ah but to your question, why yes, why no?
Yes because they look so good and its nice when they lie there on your lap (I am still talking guitars!)
No, I guess I'd be nervous about their fragility but then there are 12 string acoustics and I think Gold Tone make an 8 string resonator so it can be done!
I would say go for it!
Yes because they look so good and its nice when they lie there on your lap (I am still talking guitars!)
No, I guess I'd be nervous about their fragility but then there are 12 string acoustics and I think Gold Tone make an 8 string resonator so it can be done!
I would say go for it!
I've tried it on a few guitars over the years.
IMO you don't get very good tone and DO get poor sustain unless there's a center block like on an ES-335. I tested a Gretsch Anniversary with a humbucking; another with a pair of D'Armond single coils, and a center-block model with humbuckings.
The hollowbodies were very boomy, even on the bridge pickup. And the only decent sustain happened when they started to feed back. Controlling that is not easy. The centerblock model just sounded dull.
FWIW none of these make very good slide guitars either - so I tried my Firebird 1 as a lap steel. THAT worked fine.
IMO the hollowbody idea will only be practical if the instrument has a centerblock, strong pickups and already works well as a slide guitar.
IMO you don't get very good tone and DO get poor sustain unless there's a center block like on an ES-335. I tested a Gretsch Anniversary with a humbucking; another with a pair of D'Armond single coils, and a center-block model with humbuckings.
The hollowbodies were very boomy, even on the bridge pickup. And the only decent sustain happened when they started to feed back. Controlling that is not easy. The centerblock model just sounded dull.
FWIW none of these make very good slide guitars either - so I tried my Firebird 1 as a lap steel. THAT worked fine.
IMO the hollowbody idea will only be practical if the instrument has a centerblock, strong pickups and already works well as a slide guitar.
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
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1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional