The Steel Guitar Forum

Just wanted to let Brad Davis, Jerry Overstreet, and Charles
strange know that I received my SX lap steel today. It was very nicely packed and a sticker was placed on it " American Swamp Ash"; so maybe the company does ship wood over to China. Who knows? It's not that big of an issue with me personally, I was just curious if anyone actually knew for sure if our American companies did ship parts to other countries to be assembled over there .
Well, at any rate I have tuned it up and it sounds great to me; and I guess the bottom line is ; that's all that really matters.I just thought I would pass the info along to the guys that answered my post earlier. Thanks again guys.
Derrell Reagan

Congrats. Rondo makes a nice little steel for the money, enjoy it.

Thanks Brad...

Having US wood used in Chinese manufacturing isn't all that uncommon from my understanding..

Glad you're enjoying the SX!

Congratulations Derrell. Enjoy your new guitar.

I just got up from playing my SX6. I'm still tickled with the tone and playability of this thing. You really get a lot for what you pay. I couldn't ask for anything else.

I got one of those recently and I like it. I needed a 6 string tuned to DADGAD for one tune in my band's show and I didn't want to restring my 8 string or try to play it on A6 tuning cause it lays so nice on a modal tuning. I'd sold all my old 6 string laps 20 years ago and you can't get anything cheap anymore. Then I saw this thing and gave it a shot. I can't really say one bad thing about the build,materials,case legs,tuning machines,pickup,tone or aesthetics. Mine has a stud mounted intonatable bridge which is for a standard guitar. I think it would sound a little stronger with a solid bar type stud tailpiece but all the ones I have found have an arch to them which would make the strings arched also. Not good for steel. I may make my own bridge out of flat steel plate with a titanium rod embedded across it for a string contact point and I think that would make it really sing. For what it is tho,I don't think these days you can beat it for the price.

Michael Johnstone wrote: Mine has a stud mounted intonatable bridge which is for a standard guitar. I think it would sound a little stronger with a solid bar type stud tailpiece but all the ones I have found have an arch to them which would make the strings arched also. Not good for steel.

The 8 string version has a simple straight bridge.

Michael Johnstone wrote:I think it would sound a little stronger with a solid bar type stud tailpiece but all the ones I have found have an arch to them which would make the strings arched also. Not good for steel.

Totally agree. A major nitpick with most modern imports is the bridge/tailpiece. Someone should make and market a repro stud tailpiece especially for lap steel, patterned after the mid-'50s Gibson:

Congratulations Derrell good choice on lap steel with ash body.

Someone should make and market a repro stud tailpiece especially for lap steel, patterned after the mid-'50s Gibson

It couldn't be too difficult to cut one out of 6061 aluminum or brass 1/2" round stock. Any machinists out there wanna take a crack at it? Prolly sell a few....

My wife worked as a field inspector for the state Dept. of Agriculture for 43 years and a big part of her job was going to lumber mills, examining lumber for vermin, and issuing photo-sanitary certificates following the regulations of the countries to whom it was being exported. China far and away had the largest amounts sent to them.

A word to the wise: if you like ash instruments buy them now. An insect called the Emerald Ash Borer is going to make that species extinct within our lifetimes.