First Lap Steel Build
Posted: 22 Sep 2022 7:47 am
I hope Lap Steel build discussions are OK here. It seems to be more pedal steel oriented, but there isn't many places left to go with a lap steel.
I've built, repaired, modified, restored other stringed instruments, banjos, canjo/banjos, guitars, upright gut bucket bass and such, but this is my first lap steel. I've been a lurker here and another steel builder site that seems shut down and have put together a couple pages of how-to information from posts and suggestions you all have made. But I still have some questions.
To give an idea what tone I'm looking for: I play finger style (Travis picking and other patterns) since about 1965. I fooled around with Joe Pass style jazz for a time. I LOVE old country (Hank Williams, and his brother Hank Snow, country gentlemen Eddy Arnold and Jim Reeves are also favorites) and am building a 6 string to play C-6 country and a little Hawaiian and maybe some NRPS and suchlike. I do not play fuzz tone blues, not that there's anything wrong with that. LOVE SRV ... but I just don't play like that.
I'm working off a budget but think I can build a little bit better (no offense meant) than the budget Rogues, SR6 - 8's, Epiphones and Gretsch's out there if I shop wisely. I have a combo wood/machine shop in my basement.
I have my old Polytone Mini Brute amp from the Joe Pass days. I think it should work OK with lap Steel.
I have European Beech I used in a Bass for the body. It is real hard and dense and seems to give good sustain. This will be a 23 inch job. I'd like a sort of art deco Airline or Rocket shape. All red and black ... no white, chrome or raw aluminum anywhere.
For a bit of color, I'm thinking about slipping a Jerry Garcia necktie under one of them clear finger boards I found on the internet.
I'm starting off with the pickup from the Gretsch G5700 Electromatic. I've heard it and watched a number of comparison vids. I like the tone.
Correct pots and cap will come from Stew-Mac.
I've found a decent adjustable roller bridge on ebay ... and am thinking about a roller nut because I'm designing a pair of benders. Opinions on the roller nut would be welcome. I know there are very strong feelings about needing to adjust for intonation ... lets just say I'm installing the adjustable bridge to give a more techno art deco feel to the thing.
QUESTION 1: Some folks say that the tuners on budget lap steels can rattle and may not hold tune real well. Could you suggest a set of tuners ... on the budget side ... that won't rattle and will hold a tune?
I'm SURE I will have more questions, thanks in advance!
T.
I've built, repaired, modified, restored other stringed instruments, banjos, canjo/banjos, guitars, upright gut bucket bass and such, but this is my first lap steel. I've been a lurker here and another steel builder site that seems shut down and have put together a couple pages of how-to information from posts and suggestions you all have made. But I still have some questions.
To give an idea what tone I'm looking for: I play finger style (Travis picking and other patterns) since about 1965. I fooled around with Joe Pass style jazz for a time. I LOVE old country (Hank Williams, and his brother Hank Snow, country gentlemen Eddy Arnold and Jim Reeves are also favorites) and am building a 6 string to play C-6 country and a little Hawaiian and maybe some NRPS and suchlike. I do not play fuzz tone blues, not that there's anything wrong with that. LOVE SRV ... but I just don't play like that.
I'm working off a budget but think I can build a little bit better (no offense meant) than the budget Rogues, SR6 - 8's, Epiphones and Gretsch's out there if I shop wisely. I have a combo wood/machine shop in my basement.
I have my old Polytone Mini Brute amp from the Joe Pass days. I think it should work OK with lap Steel.
I have European Beech I used in a Bass for the body. It is real hard and dense and seems to give good sustain. This will be a 23 inch job. I'd like a sort of art deco Airline or Rocket shape. All red and black ... no white, chrome or raw aluminum anywhere.
For a bit of color, I'm thinking about slipping a Jerry Garcia necktie under one of them clear finger boards I found on the internet.
I'm starting off with the pickup from the Gretsch G5700 Electromatic. I've heard it and watched a number of comparison vids. I like the tone.
Correct pots and cap will come from Stew-Mac.
I've found a decent adjustable roller bridge on ebay ... and am thinking about a roller nut because I'm designing a pair of benders. Opinions on the roller nut would be welcome. I know there are very strong feelings about needing to adjust for intonation ... lets just say I'm installing the adjustable bridge to give a more techno art deco feel to the thing.
QUESTION 1: Some folks say that the tuners on budget lap steels can rattle and may not hold tune real well. Could you suggest a set of tuners ... on the budget side ... that won't rattle and will hold a tune?
I'm SURE I will have more questions, thanks in advance!
T.