This guy reminds me of some things I will always remember: About 15 years ago I was at a Musicians swap meet. A fellow had a table set up displaying lap steels he had been making; Very crude, albeit a bit better than the ones in the auction of this forum message chain; He had some exposure and limited knowledge of spanish guitars. But his steels were made with no small amount of work, even crudely hand-hewn bone nuts, and frets that were taped off and hand painted, taken from a spanish guitar's long scale. The thickness of every one of his steels was way too thin and had allot of cabinet drop. He was asking $110 apiece (a price he considered a discount to get them into circulation).
I started talking to the guy. He had great aspirations for music and just decided to move and do with the little he had and knew. He was going to build a recording studio and become a producer. He even had flyers announcing same for the little bit of home-recording stuff he had already purchased, ...flyers he had hand-drawn and hand-lettered himself without much artistic talent, and ran off on a copy machine, with a very rough logo that sure as heck was decaled on the headstock of his table of crude lap steels.
He said he was a bit disappointed at the reception he was getting at the swap meet, which he recognized as quite a bit of unkind humor. I told him to just keep doing his thang and have faith in his perserverance.
Towards the end of the swap meet he came by my tailgate. He said he had not sold anything, not even nibbles. He was looking at a Musicman 60 watt amp I had with a black widow speaker in it, that I was aksing $300 for, ...a darn nice little amp. He said admiringly that he didn't have an amplifier yet, and wouldn't be able to afford a nice amp like that for awhile, and he spent some time asking me about amps, obviously in a commendable effort towards honest learning. The guys humble and honest ambitions finally got to me; So I asked him if he would like to trade that amp for one of his steel guitars. He lit up smiling like a light bulb. He said sure, come on down and pick out the one of my choice. I told him to go pick out one for me. He returned with one; We made the trade; His steel is still hanging prominently from the ceiling of my little shop. When his little steel is placed on a table top to support it's cabinet drop, it sounds amazingly good, and the frets are close enough to get you where your ear takes over anyway.
A couple of years later I started hearing stories about some crude little homemade lap steels that local Steel Players were becoming fond of for their sound and using them on some local professional recordings. Sure enough it was the same ones from the swap meet (he never made any more that I know of).
Well folks, today this guy is one of the most prolific small-time record producers in Hawaii, with a good and respected name, and records that are recognized in the local annual awards for local artists and producers. And I value that crude little lap steel hanging from my shop's ceiling as much as any other instrument in the shop.
I regret that until just now it never occured to me to email folks trying to build lap steels and offer them some resources for the data and learning they obviously need.
If I were able to afford it, I would start collecting very strange lap steels I've seen people make and sell on eBay ...and we've seen some doozies! I think it should make an interesting collection for someone who could afford it. Folk art anyone? ! ? !
ALOHA,
Denny T~ <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Denny Turner on 28 September 2003 at 06:49 PM.]</p></FONT>
gotta dig that fretboard..... 
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Dale Bessant on 17 September 2003 at 08:01 PM.]</p></FONT>