The Steel Guitar Forum

I have this guitar on its way from Loni Specter.
It is 8 string with two pickups and a blend control.
If all works out, I plan on mounting a Trilogy changer w/roller nut on it.
I also have a set of legs w/flanges coming for it.
Should make for quite a guitar!

Very cool - the two pickups with the blend control is a nice feature.

And along with legs, it looks like if it had a strap button on the tailpiece, you could use a dobro strap for stand up playing and it would be very comfortable.

That should make you a very nice guitar.

Using a roller nut to compliment the tuning changer I believe is a wise decision.

Let us know how you like it and how well it stays in tune.

Best of luck.

Yes, I'm excited to receive it. Loni sent it out even before getting my check.
I think the shape is quite similiar to the lap steel that Peavey is putting on the market, but I wanted one with 8 strings.
I got a "redneck" from Loni a few years ago, put it on a Strat along with a Trilogy and roller nut and this worked out very well.

I'm sure there will be no comparison between this hand crafted guitar (aside from the general shape) and the Peavey Power Slide that no one seems to actually own as of yet.

I do recall Bobbe Seymour writing that he was working with Peavey to also have an 8 string model available.

But this is sort of an apples to oranges comparison, since this guitar from Lonnie no doubt didn't come cheap!

Mark,
No, I certainly agree with you. I'm sure the only thing they have in common would be their shape.

I'm thinking it will have a Stringmaster tone as it is made of ash and the pickups are a Stringmaster design.

Looking forward to hearing your impressions. I've been thinking about that exact set-up.

I've used Hipshot products since they first hit the market. I've experimented with every kinda roller bridge and roller nut you can think of. They're totally unnecessary tone suckers! If your nut slots are cut correctly, and are just slightly lubed with something like "Nut Sauce," you will have no problems, and will be rewarded with much better tone, and much, much longer sustain.
BTW. Loni's stuff is great! Here's my "Redneck."

And my "Redneck-Tele"...Such a great player...

I have the Hipshot Trilogy installed on my American Deluxe Strat for slide work - this guitar came equipped with a roller nut which I felt was critical for tuning stability. I can say this guitar sustains like crazy, especially now that it is essentially a "hardtail". I haven't noticed any reduction in sustain when compared to my other guitars. I lubricate the roller balls with some light german machine oil occasionally.

Chuck, there's only one problem:
"this guitar came equipped with a roller nut which I felt was critical for tuning stability."
From my constant tinkering, over a few years time, I discovered that the roller bridge and nut are not necessary. I use a Hipshot with B and G benders, and three toggles. Sorta a "Pre-Trilogy" design. I get standard tuning, dropped D, and double-dropped D, and Low Bass G tunings. Two toggles lower the Es to Ds. The other lowers the A to G. I used them constantly onstage. Much more often than one would use a Trilogy to change tunings.
I, too felt rollers were "critical for tuning stability." A good luthier proved me completely mistaken. A correctly cut nut, with it's slots angled right, cut to the right size, and smooth is all that is required. A little bit of lube, and you're all set.
Your guitar came with a roller nut. It might sound much better without it. And, frankly, you don't know that!
Of course, some people love gadgetry! I do too! But found rollers to be unnecessary tone suckers. The best thing you can add to a guitar with Hipshot stuff on it, is locking tuners. With constant changing of string tensions, the most likely place to cause problems is the winding of the string around the tuner post. The fewer turns, the better! With the Sperzel's that I use, I'm able to go less that one turn around the post on the wound strings (no string windings slipping over themselves, and not returning in tune), and less than two windings on the un-wound strings(which are very seldom the problem).

My Strat has locking tuners as well, and my sustain comparison is with another similar Strat that does not have a roller nut. But hey, it works so what the heck.

I change from E to D to G to standard tuning throughout my sets.

When a Fender T-8 Stringmaster was my main ax, I had an A6th, a C6th and a C#minor 7th tuning on it.

I am planning to duplicate these three tunings on my 8 string "Lapmaster" with the Trilogy changer.

Erv -

You mean this baby?

http://store.hipshotproducts.com/cart.p ... tail&p=162


How much up and down can it tune? 2 frets? more?

Tom,
Yes, that's the one.
I don't see it on the website but I am also getting an 8 string roller nut to go along with it.
I'm getting the set from Todd Clinesmith here on the Forum.
I think the range of change varies by string. As you are aware of, it takes a longer throw to change the tone of a higher string as compared to a lower one.
On the three tunings, there isn't much of a need to go up or down more than a tone.
My 1st string will be an E on all three tunings.