The Steel Guitar Forum

I picked up this Boen lap steel. Does anybody on the forum know anything about these instruments? It needed some TLC, but I cleaned it up a bit. I read that Jim Boen was making pedal steels in the 80s, but haven't found any other info. Thanks.

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=165356

This was the last information I had about him:

Jim Boen Steel Guitars has been purchased by Jerry D. Knapper, who writes: "I do not know if I will keep the name the same, but for now Boen Steel Guitars will be a subsidiary of Successful Enterprises and I will keep you updated if there is a name change. Jimmy was a personal friend of mine and when Doyle Huff and I moved forward to form the Oklahoma Steel Guitar Association, Jimmy was one I spoke to before contacting Dewitt Scott for assistance. Jimmy offered a good contribution to the steel guitar industry and I hope to follow in his footsteps.

"Having moved from the Tulsa area I am no longer an active part of the OSGA and am looking forward to forming a new association in East Central Oklahoma and West Central Arkansas area."

Successful Enterprises
Boen Steel Guitars
201 Davis Lane
Roland, OK 74954
918-427-8358 office and fax

I know that Reece Anderson has owned and recorded on Boen guitars, so perhaps he'll know more...

What material is that body made from?. It looks like sandwiched plastic of some kind.

It's wood, but with a nice stripe decal that runs around it.

Jim Boen loved the steel guitar. He was especially fond of Hawaiian music and at his mini conventions always featured people like John Aunna and Duke Ching. Reese was always there also and played at least one of Jimmy's lap steels. Jimmy also built some pedal steels under the Boen name and working with the late LeRoy Prine of Ft. Smith, AR actually developed the first pedalmasters. In the 1980's Jimmy sold Pedalmaster to Roy Thomas and went back to building Boen lap steels, although a few pedal steels were built with MSA parts.
Jimmy was not a detail person with appearance, although he did make some good looking products, his specialty was the sound of his self made pickups. Most of his guitars really sounded good.
I purchased what was left of his inventory, including milling machine, metal lathe, pickup winder and other equipment about 3 years ago and in Jan of 2010 retired from 22 years as a Regional Sales Manager in the music industry. I am hoping to continue some of Jimmy's lap steel building efforts plus my work in reconditioning pedal steels. I have not yet learned the skill of making pickups like Jimmy did, but have sources that can. Thank you for inquiring about your Boen lap steel. I hope you really enjoy it.