Anybody played a Rogue Jersey Lightning Lap Steel?

Dave Sky · Post by **Dave Sky** » 2 Sep 2009 1:17 pm

I just saw this online and wondered if anyone has played one?
They are $199

A lap steel with a genuine vintage vibe.
Pearloid finish
Humbucking pickup
Full sized pickup cover
Chrome hardware
Die-cast tuners
Volume and Volume controls
Highly decorated maple fretboard

Dave Sky · Post by **Dave Sky** » 2 Sep 2009 1:23 pm

I just found the Rogue on sale for 20% off. So let me know your thoughts on this unit based on it being $160.
It comes with a tweed gig bag.

Thanks

Daniel Foster · Post by **Daniel Foster** » 2 Sep 2009 1:44 pm

I've never seen one before. According to MF, it's a new product. I believe the fingerboard is plastic not maple, though. It looks like a different color version of the one on the budget model. Pretty cool looking, and not too much cash.

Marty Smith · Post by **Marty Smith** » 2 Sep 2009 3:09 pm

Where is it made?

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 2 Sep 2009 4:00 pm

Why in the world do they stick a knob where some would like their hand positioned?
Smacks of a design by a non player.
Otherwise, look's like a nice guitar.
What's under the hood?

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 2 Sep 2009 4:13 pm

That's a brand new one. It looks like Rogue has been listening to feedback about their EA-3 lap steels and is trying for a slightly better instrument this time. It's almost certainly made in China like their other instruments.

I think the volume / tone knob layout is similar to that found on many Valco made lap steels. I don't see it as much of a problem (not as much of a problem as the EA-3, which had the input jack where the tone knob is).

Music 123 has them on sale currently. Expect to see many more on eBay soon, if past history is any indication.

Marty Smith · Post by **Marty Smith** » 2 Sep 2009 4:37 pm

Save your money don't settle- Stick to USA, you will be happier

John Burton · Post by **John Burton** » 4 Sep 2009 6:15 am

What scale? Anyone know?
My only complaint about the past Rogues was the too short scale.
If this one's a 22.5" one I'd plunk down my cash, looks like a good cheap fixer-upper.

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 4 Sep 2009 6:38 am

That big honking P Bass cover is going to get in the way and I wonder what the string spacing, and body wood is.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 28 Oct 2009 7:26 pm

One of my students just ordered one of these, and he should have it by next week's lesson. I'm looking forward to checking it out. I'll measure the scale length (if I remember to!) and I'm also curious about the bridge. This looks a lot nicer than the other Rogue. I like the retro "Oahu" look. I'll probably buy one for teaching. $199 and free shipping is pretty reasonable.

Josh Cho · Post by **Josh Cho** » 29 Oct 2009 3:04 am

Ron Whitfield wrote:Why in the world do they stick a knob where some would like their hand positioned?

I've never played any of these Rogue guitars but based on your observation, Ron, the "guitar" seems more suited to hanging on the wall as a decoration or "prop", than something that can actually be played

I mean, the hand placement is one thing, but add that to the "tone" that the "pickup" here produces and...well, it's actually an expensive decoration.

And quite honestly, for just a little more, you can find a guitar that's made here.

get a Dynalap kit, bruise a knuckly or two, and put together something that you can keep indefinitely.

Josh

Delvin Morgan · Post by **Delvin Morgan** » 29 Oct 2009 3:21 am

I agree with Josh. I put together a Dynalap kit, and I recently tuned it to E13th, and it just"sings". The best value in lap steels.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 29 Oct 2009 6:17 am

Looks like a copy of old National Chicagoan.....or Supro?

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 29 Oct 2009 7:46 am

Jerry Overstreet wrote:Looks like a copy of old National Chicagoan.....or Supro?

Yes, it's a direct copy of those Valco made lap steels, and many of those had the tone control placed on the bass side of the strings.

Unfortunately it won't feature the Valco string-through pickup...
Looks like a cool starter lap steel though, at least if the electronics and tuners are of decent quality.

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 29 Oct 2009 7:58 am

Besides the super high looking action, the overly deep cut for the nut slot bothers me. That creates a very weak spot and will cause flex in the headstock, both bad for reliability and sustain.

Josh Cho · Post by **Josh Cho** » 29 Oct 2009 9:02 am

Tom Pettingill wrote:Besides the super high looking action, the overly deep cut for the nut slot bothers me. That creates a very weak spot and will cause flex in the headstock, both bad for reliability and sustain.

Tom's right.

That is actually a very common place for a regular guitar to break.

I've seen many a student have the headstock break off right in this area--most recently a student of mine with a Gibson Les Paul Studio had this happen!!

It can be repaired, but c'mon if a Gibson Les Paul can have that happen....

Josh

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 29 Oct 2009 10:23 am

Yes, cracked necks at the headstock are quite common on Gibson electrics. Some of them are incredibly narrow at fret 1, I would say "fragile". Whenever we take in used Gibsons at the store we check the back of the neck for repaired cracks at the headstock.
As far as this Rogue, yes the cut for the nut looks a little deeper than necessary. I'll be playing one of these lap steels next Wednesday, if it arrives on schedule, so I'll file a report after that.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 29 Oct 2009 10:42 am

hey...it's 160 bucks! good deal for a cool little steel. you don't need more unless you're actually one of the few people who really know what to do with it.

i miss the era when you could buy any lapsteel used for $20-30.

and what difference is usa made when you're talking about a plank of wood and a pickup....not something i'd pay $1000 for.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 29 Oct 2009 2:58 pm

i miss the era when you could buy any lapsteel used for $20-30.

Me too, Chris. Back in the 1970s you could buy ANY used lap steel for under $50. Of course, that would equal about $200 in today's money.

My first lap steel was a 1950s Fender Champ w/tweed case in excellent condition. I bought it for $25 and sold it a year later for $40.

The main attraction with the $99 Rogue is the Low Price. People can try out a lap steel without spending a lot of money. That's a great thing, in my opinion. Same thing with the Carter Starter PSG. Low-end beginner instruments serve a purpose and it's not fair to compare them with medium grade or pro instruments. Having said that... this new $199 Rogue is a step above their $99 model, and although it's still an entry-level instrument, the $199 price might be enough to make buyers expect a little more quality.

Kenneth Caine · Post by **Kenneth Caine** » 31 Oct 2009 8:05 am

To me these Rogue's are doing a great service to the lap steel community. I got started on one and have two friends that also bought one. My two friends did not continue, one stuck with the guitar, the other never really picked it up.

But at the cost it was worth it for them to give it a spin. I have since upgraded to a Dynalap, and love it. And still have my $69 Rogue (actually an Artisan, it's the same thing). Get one and keep it at an alternate tuning. Mines open E.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 4 Nov 2009 9:32 pm

I played one of these Rogue Jersey Lightning lap steels today. One of my students bought one. It's far better than the $99 Rogue.

* The scale length is 23 3/16", as opposed to the other Rogue's 21" scale. Better tone, better sustain. The sound of this Rogue is Much better than the cheaper one... there's no comparison.

* Strings go through the body, unlike the cheaper model.

* The humbucking pickup is stronger and quieter than the other pickup. That's a major improvement because the PU on the $99 model hums slightly.

* The tuners are far superior to the others. The tuners on the $99 Rogue are absolute junk. They barely work, and there's lots of play in them. These new tuners are way better quality.

* The volume and tone controls feel more solid. The tone control goes from bass to treble instantly, not gradually like modern tone controls. That is a Very nice feature for 1950's boo-wah tone effects.

* The look of the guitar is miles ahead of the $99 model. 1950s Supro cosmetics, pearloid finish, body shape, totem-pole fret markers, etc.

A couple of negatives, in my opinion. The large pickup cover interferes with blocking, but it can easily be removed. The volume knob (closest knob to the player) might be in the way for some players depending on their playing technique. I didn't have a problem with it though. The strings seem to be higher off the fretboard than most lap steels. They are level with or maybe a little higher than the knobs. The string height would take a little getting used to, for me anyway.

Rogue instruments are "entry level", made in China, so we can't expect much from them... considering that, I was quite pleased with the sound and the feel of this lap steel. The output is strong and clean, in spite of the cheesy materials used to build the guitar. I can actually imagine playing this lap steel on a gig... but there is no way I could ever play the $99 model in public. That pretty much sums it up. I'm going to buy one these Jersey Lightning steels for my teaching studio.

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 6 Nov 2009 5:46 am

Sounds like they did their homework a little better this time.

The strings seem to be higher off the fretboard than most lap steels. They are level with or maybe a little higher than the knobs.

I thought the action looked high in the pics, but that sounds pretty tall. The nut could be chopped down, but what are they using for a bridge, any adjustment there?
And just how deep is that nut slot? From the pic, it looks like a 1/4" slot into a 1/2" headstock. Figuring in the leading edge of the bottom curve, it looks like no more than 3/8" of wood at the thinnest.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 6 Nov 2009 8:42 am

what are they using for a bridge, any adjustment there?

Tom, there are no adjustments on the bridge. It's just a piece of aluminum angled like the stock shown below. So that would have to be replaced to lower the strings.

I didn't measure the depth of the cut for the nut, but as I remember, it's a little less than halfway through the body at that point. So there's a little more wood there than not, but the slot does look deeper than necessary.

John Groover McDuffie · Post by **John Groover McDuffie** » 6 Nov 2009 8:57 am

Regarding the nut slot - if the nut fits it tightly it wouldn't contribute to flex and de-tuning, would it?

Breakage is another issue, of course.

Craig Stenseth · Post by **Craig Stenseth** » 31 Jul 2010 4:37 pm

I see these are now $150 in the Musician's Friend catalog (white perloid - add $50 for red). With gig bag. The blurb says 23 3/16" scale.