I'm enjoying playing a lap steel guitar

Subject: I'm enjoying playing a lap steel guitar
From: Will Fly
Date: 21 Jun 13 - 08:29 AM

My luthier mate, Ian Chisholm, said to me a few months ago, "Fancy a new guitar on the 'Buy-two-get-one-free principle?" (I've commissioned quite a few instruments from him over the years, and I should add that "free", in this context, means that I pay for materials only and he builds it for nothing).

Naturally I said yes and, when asked what I'd like, said - being a huge fan of Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys - "D'you know, I'd like an electric lap steel". So we both went our separate ways rubbing our hands - me at the prospect of having a guitar I'd never played before, and he at the prospect of designing and building a guitar he'd never designed or built before!

I looked around the internet and was taken with the look and shape of a 1950s Gretsch body style, which we agreed on, and also agreed that the ironmongery would be Telecaster. The body was to be of maple, lacquered glossy black, and the "fretboard" would be ash with inlaid mother-of-pearl or abalone markers and thin ebony "fret" inlays.

Well, all was done a few weeks ago, and I've been enjoying myself getting my head and hands across the chords. Its 6 strings are tuned to a C6 chord (CEGACE), which gives me a C major on 6, 5, 4, 2 and 1; plus a C6 if I include the 4th string, and an Am on strings 3, 2 and 1. And so on - real Bob Wills-ish in sound.

I've tried out fingerpicks but actually prefer the mellower and more sensitive sound you can get by using fingernails. Anyway, it's great fun.

Anyone else into lap steel?

Subject: RE: I'm enjoying playing a lap steel guitar
From: GUEST,keith price
Date: 21 Jun 13 - 09:53 AM

Hi Will

I think you should have gone for an eight string if you want to play western swing makes life a lot easier with cross slants C6 would be ACEGACEG.

Have you found Cindy Cashdollar ? Learn to play Western swing on Homespun Video ( must be on CD by now ),she played with Asleep at the Wheel.

There's Brad's page of steel   http://www.well.com/~wellvis/steel.html
a very useful sit hope the link works I don't how to do these things.

Good luck Will I know you'll have loads of fun.

Keith

Subject: RE: I'm enjoying playing a lap steel guitar
From: Will Fly
Date: 21 Jun 13 - 10:10 AM

Hi Keith - yes, we chaffered over whether it should be 6 or 8! In the end, being so used to a standard 6-string guitar, I went for the 6. I have to say that, at the moment, that's enough for me to handle.

I've certainly heard of - and heard - Cindy Cashfollar. I was a great fan of ATTW in their heyday. I'll check her site out...

Thanks for the heads-up.

Subject: RE: I'm enjoying playing a lap steel guitar
From: GUEST,keith price
Date: 21 Jun 13 - 10:49 AM

Will don't forget "Brad's Page of Steel" lots of good stuff for Lap Steel, Non Pedal and Dobro, sorry the link didn't work but you can google it.

Keith

Subject: RE: I'm enjoying playing a lap steel guitar
From: maeve
Date: 22 Jun 13 - 06:25 AM

Keith's link to "Brad's Page of Steel"
http://www.well.com/~wellvis/steel.html

Subject: RE: I'm enjoying playing a lap steel guitar
From: GUEST,Henry Krinkle aka Niggardly Bastard
Date: 22 Jun 13 - 06:27 AM

Scotty's Music in St. Louis is a great source too.
=(:-( D)

Subject: RE: I'm enjoying playing a lap steel guitar
From: GUEST,Henry Krinkle aka Niggardly Bastard
Date: 22 Jun 13 - 06:33 AM

Scotty's Music

Subject: RE: I'm enjoying playing a lap steel guitar
From: Will Fly
Date: 22 Jun 13 - 06:36 AM

Thanks HK aka NB. `;-)

Subject: RE: I'm enjoying playing a lap steel guitar
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 22 Jun 13 - 08:08 AM

OK Will, now you've dipped your toes in lap steel waters, I suggest you start to consider your next guitar acquisition!
How about this wonderful "monster" played by Harry Manx:

Exotic Slide

Subject: RE: I'm enjoying playing a lap steel guitar
From: Will Fly
Date: 22 Jun 13 - 08:17 AM

Good grief - more like an electric sitar than a lap steel! :-)

Subject: RE: I'm enjoying playing a lap steel guitar
From: Mooh
Date: 22 Jun 13 - 08:42 AM

I've made a few, and keep one that's stand mountable for the cover band. My current one has a simple slab maple body (easy to pack and takes up little room on stage, rosewood "fretboard", maple "frets" (just the slots filled with veneer), Schaller machine heads, an old Gibson humbucking pickup wired direct to the jack (I like the controls at my feet, ie a multi-fx unit with volume pedal), corian tailpiece, nut, and bridge. It's a little primitive, but it works great. This one is solid where some of my previous ones were hollowed out.

Generally I use open G (DGDGBD, low to high) but sometimes I'll flatten the second string to Bb for minor keys, or I avoid major thirds. D'Addario Chromes flatwound strings which stay in tune, last forever and a day, are easy to find and sound great. For a capo I have a piece or corian that I wedge under the strings, though usually I don't bother.

I also have a Gold Tone Weissenborn copy. Very lightly constructed, I suspect it will need a Bridge Doctor before long, even though I observe the string light and low manufacturer's caution.

Much fun.

Peace, Mooh.