The Steel Guitar Forum

This is a 24 7/8" scale cookie tin lap steel that I finally completed last weekend (although I still need to replace the plexiglass overlay on the fretboard because it has cracked in several places). I made this as part of a bigger project that also included a portable lunch box amp and a pair of speaker cabs. It was fun to make, and challenging, not to mention a real learning experience. I have a set of C6 strings on it tuned to the Leavitt tuning, and with the lipstick pickup it has a nice "jazzy" sound. I use a Pocket POD as preamp and effects into the lunch box amp, which is basically a 40W automotive audio amp and a 5AmpH sealed lead acid battery. I've been playing it alot this past week -- very addictive!!

Very nice!

I love it! Have fun playing that rig.

That should have a bit of a Reso sound to it, as the tin lid flexes as the strings are picked and varies the pitch during the attack of the notes.
Unless you have packed the tin with something solid that is!
I made a seven string one with the bridge standing on two cat food tins to get the same pitch envelope. It was for an African student of mine who was playing in a band with a Halam- an African ancestor of a Banjo. It meant that the two instruments were out of tune with eachother for the shortest time possible.
Cheers
Dave

mmm ... cookies Cool projects David, nice job!

Dave, that looks great!

That looks like it was a fun project

I love that!!! Nice job Dave.

Thanks for all the compliments!! I'm having a blast playing this thing. I also have the necessary components to make a 12V to 9V converter box so I can run my POD off the internal battery in the amp. At that point this rig will be completely portable -- won't even need alkaline batteries for the POD.

For those who are interested, the neck stick extends through the "cookie" tin, and the bridge/tailpiece is screwed into the end of the stick. The tin seems to "flavor" the sound a little, but acoustically it is very quite -- just like most any lap steel.

The entire project cost me less than $85 to put together -- although I probably have more than 85 hours into it!!!

Here's a picture of Noel playing the one I made.
It was called "Loho Gayinde"- the lion's paw in his language (Wolof), and that is represented by the carving on the head.
Cheers
Dave
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VERY nice! Now how about a sound sample of your creation?

Unbelievably cool! Thanks for sharing -- you do great work. Love to hear how it sounds.

David Venzke wrote:

WANT!!!

Shore is purty

David --
Several years ago when I was involved in amateur radio, a lot of folks made various pieces of equipment AND they then made a list of the commercially purchased parts they used to make it?? bridge, pu, tuners, nut, etc.

Any chance you could do this for the CT-Steel-1 ???
(CT=cookie tin)

That is one beautiful object.
Thank you so much for showing it.