The Steel Guitar Forum

I'm a novice at lap steel...been fooling around with a tone bar on a regular steel-string acoustic experimenting with various tunings. Ever have a tone bar slip out of your hand and hit the top of an acoustic guitar?...not a pretty sight...it's past time for me to buy a lap steel--a sturdy one

I'm considering purchasing a lap steel from Fouke Industrial Guitar. Has anyone here played one? Anyone have an opinion? http://www.industrialguitar.com The one I'm looking to buy seems to meet my requirements: under $600, fairly lightweight (7-8 lbs.), suitable for broad range of styles including blues and rock, can be played through an amp or unplugged.

If you have any other recommendations, I'd appreciate hearing them. I would prefer one that could be played either through an amp or unplugged (you can stop laughing now), but the Fouke lap steel is the only one I've found that claims to be appropriate for both. If I had to make a choice between a lap steel to play unplugged or one that must be played through an amp, I'd just have to buy two--one of each

Thanks!

You can't beat this price: click here

Actually, these are not bad steels, especially considering the price, you may want to order a couple.

I wonder how loud they are unplugged? I guess that would be a nice option for practicing.
I dropted my bar on the top of my lap steel and put a little dent in it.

Check Ebay. Last night I saw an 8 on there for under $200.

Anita--do a forum search (the search tab at the top of the page) under Fouke, You'll get some info. One comment about the reso lap steel is that it has an acoustic sound that would be good for bedroom playing. So it would be questionable as an acoustic performance instrument. And it is notoriously difficult and expensive (not impossible) to get good non-feedbacking amplification of an acoustic reso sound that retains the acoustic sound---I've heard great reso guitars with pickups that sound like generic lap steels. Damn shame.
Not at all a knock on these Fouke Industrial Steels. I'd love to have one. Some very cool design.

I'm selling one that will eat the lunch of just about anything made these days:

steelguitarforum.com/Forum9/HTML/000330.html

Besides sounding way better the bakelites will only go up in value even in the short term.

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Bob
intonation help

Anita, I've had quite a few of the Foulkes through my little steel store, and I'm really impressed. Bob's probably right about his Rick eating them up for lap tone... But the Foulke's have a unique sound and feel of their own, and a cool industrial vibe, with the body being held together with machine bolts and the fingerboard position markers being contrasting color bolts. The unplugged sound is just not loud enough for any real jamming or gigging with other instruments, but very suitable for practice. I generally get them made for me with a different setup, string height, and spacing similar to most resos so they're very comfortable for somebody who plays a Dobro or similar instrument. Very cool lap steels and worth the $. There's a picture on my site.

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Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com

I don't know of any ONE instrument that will perform both acoustically and electrically with the same good quality in either genre.

A reso with a pick up will always be more acoustic and a hollow body lap will always be more electric.

I have a Beard Road O Phonic which is a cool hybrid, but in an acoustic jam, it would fall short on volume & sustain.

If I were in your shoes (stillettos or pumps?), I would look for both. Although I haven't played either, I've heard very good things that would be worth checking out about the Gold tones. The Gold Tone/Beard resonator and the Gold Tone lap steel.

For around a grand, you could have two very good quality instruments that would last a long time, qualtiy wise (asumimg they are everything I've read and heard).

<SMALL>I'm selling one that will eat the lunch of just about anything made these days</SMALL>

I'm glad you said ... "just about" ....

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<font size=1>HorseshoeMagnets</font>

Thanks for everyone's input. I'm sitting here in the midst of my guitar collection (not really a collection...just a room full of guitars) and wondering why I'm being so cheap about buying a lap steel. I don't buy other guitars that way since I've acquired an ear for finer instruments. I finally found a retail store within driving distance that has an inventory of "vintage" lap steels. I've also been corresponding with Bill Asher's wife and just received another email from her. I think before I buy a lap steel that I may want to sell on ebay within a short time, I should go play some vintage lap steels and also make an appointment to see what Bill Asher can make for me. Don't need to ask what you think of his lap steels...I've already read the glowing remarks here. I'm just worried about how I'd feel if I dropped a tone bar on one he made for me. YIPES!!! I may still need to buy a Fouke guitar

Well then, simple enough......get yourself an Iona 650 and a Benoit Resophonic.

Problem solved!

Rick,
I had you in mind with that "just about" ! There are some great sounding lap steels out there. The Asher is the one I get drooly over. I've never played a Fouke though.

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Bob
intonation help

...

Speaking of an Asher ... one just showed up today via UPS ... with a horseshoe pickup.

Some nice guy from Norway felt bad about their boys beating ours in Beach Volleyball ... and is apparently tryin' to make amends.

Its sure a work of art ... both sight and sound ...

But that Norwegian tunin' ...

lo to hi ... C G C G C E

Whats up with that

Has a bunch of pickup combos ... but you know what I had to keep flippin' it too

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

How can they beat us at volleyball? They have fjords instead of beaches!!

All I wanna know is if I buy an Asher, will it make me play like Steinar? If so, I'm gonna HAVE to get me one of those regardless of price $$$ hehehe

volleyball maybe.....

"Fjordball"........

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

Bjorkball?

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Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com

the Rickenbacher that Bob offered is a great choice as it has tone for days, good mojo and won't depreciate. They are a bit heavy, and the horseshoe pickup bothers some folks' muting technique, but there is no substitute for the tone of these.

old '36-'39 Gibson EH-150 and EH-100s are easy playing and light and particularly pretty and good investments. A bit lacking on sustain for hawaian music, perhaps.

if you want a reso to play and own forever, get a Benoit, its unbeatable and Mr Benoit is just a great person.

I played an Asher a bit, real impressive axe.

Chandler makes a good quality low-price lap.

CF