The Steel Guitar Forum

I don't know enough about the array of brands etc., but I have a friend who wants to pick up lap steel, and asked me for my recommendations.

Seems he just wants a single, six string one; the only non-pedal I have is a random D8, that I picked up in a used store. What brand and type would you folks recommend?

He mentioned a price range somewhere under $350.00... I don't know what's a good buy or not, but any advice for me to pass along?

I've heard decent reports on this Goldtone.
http://www.elderly.com/new_instruments/items/GTLS.htm

$300

Previous reports on this same forum have said favorable things about the Artisan lap steels available on eBay. I think the GoldTone and possibly the Chandler lap steels are good choices in that price range, assuming you're looking for new steels.

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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Contact ELVA WEST at: elvawest@hotmail.com
He makes excellent guitars at very reasonable prices. Your design or his.

Chandler or Goldtone.

I picked up a Goldtone a while back. It is an outstanding looking and sounding guitar at a very good price. I got mine at Folk of the Wood in New Mexico. www.folkofthewood.com They have a very liberal return policy. You can always trade up and they will give you back what you paid for it on a trade.
Erv

I favor Hawaiian Lap Steels made before 1960 and in reasonably good condition; Because I feel quite sure that wood aged with time and sound vibration warm an instrument's sound as much if not more than any other factor; Although there is also much to be said about pure string tones in some stiffer bodies such as bakelite and aluminum ...which for the most part start in price ranges at least twice your Friend's $350 price range. Of all NEWER Steels in your Friends price range, I would have to suppose that the Goldtone and Chandler are tops in my limited experience (not tried all of the several lesser known brands made today).

There are any number of Manufacturers who made quite good (sound and playability) Lap steel Guitars over the years. Better ones that come to mind in the $350 price range are Fender, Magnatone (Leilani and Varsity), National/Valco/Supro (and their other branded jobbers), Gibson/Kay/Regal, Epiphone and some Harmonys.

Your Friend would do well to confer with folks that are knowledgeable in narrowing down what Steels are probably better suited to his/her tastes, intentions and needs. I would be delighted to commo email with your friend in that regard; Although it would be on a casual basis due to a mountain of remodeling construction and a very full plate of other important matters around here right now and the immediate future; And I'm sure that a number of other Forumites here would offer such consult but just didn't think about mentioning it at the moment they posted their message.

Your friend can use the pictures in my inventory of about 30 Lap Steels as a visual reference in his/her studying / shopping. I am not self-promoting (I cannot even sell or ship until the remodeling construction is done). Brad's Steel Pages are also an excellent reference and resource for info. Forumite merchants and eBay are good places to shop for a Steel once your Friend knows what to look for.

Aloha,
Denny T~

Nicholas - I'd like to add my $.02. There's a nice little Magnatone matching lap steel and amp set on Denny's website. Here's the link:
http://dennysguitars.homestead.com/maggieblumots1.html

I started my humble steel career on an identical steel/amp set and can attest to what a great little combo this is. In another current post on the SGF, consensus says that a small all tube amp is the way to get that heavenly authentic sound heard on older lap steel recordings. This little Magnatone amp is a gem for practice and recording. If your friend can stretch his budget a little, he would get a fine collectible guitar PLUS a sweet sounding matching amp, which will continue to rise in value. A very cool way to go!

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Tim Whitlock
'58 Fender 1000, '56 Fender Stringmaster, '65 Twin Reissue, Niomi lap steel, old Magnatone tube amp.

Well, there's a Supro I saw over on buy and sell I told him to look at... under $200, MOTS, if I remember right.

Don't know if he'll pull the trigger; I mentioned that I thought it would be better to get 8 strings if he could, but he seems averse to that. I didn't know why 8 was a good thing when I started, but I'm now appreciating having a D8 instead of a single 6.

Erv, thanks for that link. I'll go visit when I'm up there.