My first lap steel - custom build

[Terry Majewski]

Thought I would share a few photos of my lap steel that I just completed. I am new to lap steel playing. I currently play a mandolin and wanted to try a different instrument. Since I build flat top mandolins I decided to build my own rather than buy one. I'm happy with the way it turned out.

Solid white maple body. Rosewood fretboard, rosewood trim, Kent Armstrong single coil pickukp,
telecaster style bridge, 500k volume and tone pots, grover 18:1 Sta-tite tuners. Finish is acrylic lacquer. Has a 22 1/2" scale and 2" wide nut.

I had another steel player give her a test run and he liked it. Now I have to learn to play it

Terry
http://www.crystalforestmandolins.com

[Thomas Temple]

Terry,

All I can say if that is your first I can hardly wait to see what you come up with next. Very nice and if it sounds half as good as it looks then can't wait to hear a sound clip.

[Frank James Pracher]

Very nice!!!

[Mike Neer]

Terry, very nice work. It's always nice to have talented craftsmen aboard, and there are plenty here, so welcome.

[Tom Pettingill]

Nice job Terry!

[Dan Simard]

My own guitar is hand-crafted (not by me) and I'm happy that it is almost unique (even if it is really plain looking).

Your lap steel is amazing, I like the shape, the color and what looks like a fish on your fretboard.

Is it me or there are a lot more hand-crafted lap steel than guitars or bass or whatever?

[Jim Konrad]

Terry,

I 2nd Thomas Temple..

Looks great at the hangout..

Looks even better over here..

Square Neck...

[Helmut Gragger]

I'm happy with the way it turned out.

You can be that. Great looking thang.
I know what you are speaking about because I have made one myself (to be beholded here: http://user.eduhi.at/aquataur/aquataur/ ... steel.html)

I have full respect for those who go the hard way and make a conventional fretboard, glossy finish, inlays and all that. I saved on that and invested more on other things.

Did you use "the" book?

Great stuff man. I wish you a good start on playing. Do yourself a favour and buy the fat Jerry Byrd course book. You´ll have the best teacher ever provided you are into Hawaiian.

-helmut

[Jerry Gleason]

Nice job, Terry. Keep up the good work!

[Helmut Gragger]

Ah, I see you do this by profession. Write your own book!

Forgot to mention, also the photos are very well done. It know it is not easy to make professional pictures of objects where all parts are well lit, all areas in focus, background separated and all that.

-helmut

[Peter Jacobs]

I like it! That's terrific work, especially on your first lap steel build. What's the inlay material -- very interesting look to them. And I like your solution for mounting the pickup.

So, how's it sound?

[Terry Majewski]

Thanks for the kind words on my guitar build.
The inlays are polymer clay. My wife makes jewelry so we tried something different than perl.

I didn't use any books. I just looked for some shapes I liked and took it from there. Since I have also been building mandolins for a couple years I was use to making fretboards and working with fretwire.

I really like the sound. I will see if I can make an mp3 clip and upload it. I just learning chords, banjo rolls scales etc.

I'm already planning on building another.... just need to get to the cabinet shop and get some wood. I think I will go with a more honey amber tone on the wood with ebony and chrome parts.

Here are some pictures of the unfinished body prior to staining. I use Stewart MacDonald Color Tone stains and mix/blend brown, amber and red.





I know its "off topic", but the next pic is my most recent mandolin build.



Terry