My home made lap steel 4-string bass

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 22 Jun 2022 7:27 am

I saw a lap steel bass on youtube a while back that got me thinking that it would be a fun project to do since I already had most of the hardware and materials on hand. I have never played one and had no plans so I just winged it. Ended up a 29" scale because that's all I could fit with the material I had which seems like it worked out fine. For now it's tuned to standard bass E-A-D-G but once I start using it I may change to something else and I'm open to suggestions. Here is a picture and a quick video I did:

https://youtu.be/WXfwmPmZvfc

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 22 Jun 2022 8:09 am

very cool. i made a few lap basses. i found that the types of strings used made a big difference in how it sounds as does the scale. the longer the scale the better.

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 22 Jun 2022 9:01 am

Thanks Bill. I did see one of your basses that I think was an 8-string? What I remember for sure is that it looked and sounded great. Mine is definitely not in the same league as yours. I actually wanted it to be at least a 30" scale but I'm happy with 29" since it does seem to have good tension and I don't think I would like the frets any wider than they are now. I tried a set of round wound strings but ended up with flats that work better on this guitar.

Joe Elk · Post by **Joe Elk** » 22 Jun 2022 11:53 am

Fine looking instrument!
Joe Elk Central Ohio

Lee Gauthier · Post by **Lee Gauthier** » 22 Jun 2022 11:22 pm

Cool looking build. What kinda pickup did you put in, I have something that looks similar in one of my basses and I really like it.

Lee Gauthier · Post by **Lee Gauthier** » 22 Jun 2022 11:28 pm

I like octaves 5ths and 4ths a lot in my bass lines. I'd try something like EAEA or EAEG# if I had one to play with. If you palm mute while plucking I bet you can get a real thumpy sound out of it. It's a bit tricky on bass when playing with two fingers, but I found it works if your hand position is pretty close to what we use for palm blocking.

Stefan Robertson · Post by **Stefan Robertson** » 23 Jun 2022 1:20 am

So many creative and amazing luthiers here.

Great job. Love the headstock and colour (British spelling of colour) as well.

Chase Brady · Post by **Chase Brady** » 23 Jun 2022 5:07 am

For those of us who lack the skills/tools/patience to make our own, are there any builders out there offering bass laps at a reasonable cost? Alternately, has anyone tried modifying a standard bass guitar?

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 23 Jun 2022 6:01 am

Looks cool, Mark. Great job

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 23 Jun 2022 7:02 am

When I was playing a T-8 Stringmaster, I put bass strings on one of the necks, just the bottom four.
On the Stringmaster, one of the necks was made to do that.

Erv

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 23 Jun 2022 1:29 pm

Lee Gauthier wrote:Cool looking build. What kinda pickup did you put in, I have something that looks similar in one of my basses and I really like it.

Lee, I don't know the brand since I've had it a while and there is no ID on it. There are a whole bunch of MFG's that make pickups that look exactly the same so I have a feeling they might all be made in the same factory. This pickup does sound good and the guitar is dead silent between notes.

Also, thanks for the tuning suggestions.

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 23 Jun 2022 1:36 pm

Chase Brady wrote:For those of us who lack the skills/tools/patience to make our own, are there any builders out there offering bass laps at a reasonable cost? Alternately, has anyone tried modifying a standard bass guitar?

I personally don't know of anyone who builds lap steel basses which is why I picked this as a project. Before I started I tried my regular bass with a steel and it seemed to work but the strings were too low. I don't see why you couldn't raise the strings and play with a steel. The main difference is that the neck won't be as chunky as an actual lap steel guitar and string spacing will be closer together.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 23 Jun 2022 4:44 pm

Chase Brady wrote:For those of us who lack the skills/tools/patience to make our own, are there any builders out there offering bass laps at a reasonable cost? Alternately, has anyone tried modifying a standard bass guitar?

I can build you one. Email me.

David DeLoach · Post by **David DeLoach** » 23 Jun 2022 4:49 pm

oops - duplicate post

David DeLoach · Post by **David DeLoach** » 23 Jun 2022 4:49 pm

Nice!!!

If I had a lap steel bass I think I'd try this tuning...

E-A-C#-E

It gives you a 4th
E-A-x-x

a 5th
x-A-x-E

a Major 6th
E-x-C#-x

a major 3rd
x-A-C#-x

a minor 3rd
x-x-C#-E

an octave
E-x-x-E

and a major chord
E-A-C#-E

You could get some really nice 2 note harmonies going up high on the neck with that tuning - and of course the obligatory disco bass octaves from the 70's lower down on the neck.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 24 Jun 2022 4:43 am

i would only recommend tuning a lap bass like an electric or upright. so easy to play anything you want. here is a lap bass i made playing some music that really should not be able to be played on a lap steel

....thats what cool about tuning like a bass. you can play any style a standard bass can play. tune it like you like, but E A D G will get you any bass part played. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s330c5gBx8s

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 24 Jun 2022 6:13 am

Bill, wow, your playing in that last video is excellent. I definitely need to spend some time practicing on mine.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 25 Jun 2022 8:06 am

Mark Mansueto wrote:Bill, wow, your playing in that last video is excellent. I definitely need to spend some time practicing on mine.

thank you sir.

practice is a good thing....been there...done that.