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Joined: Jul 2005
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Hi All
Well here we go again looking for a new challenge.
I have been watching videos on YouTube,guys playing
Lap Steel but I wondered if anyone here could tell me anything
about them.
Do I need 6 string or 8 - Which tuning - which make does it matter.
So many questions,hope someone can help.
Alan
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Most lap steels are 6 string. Rondo Music sells a model for maybe under $100, that would be an inexpensive way to see if it works for you. On a Pedal Steel, E9 tuning is the preferred for a single neck, with C6 usually being on the second neck. Most of those are at least 8, but mostly 10 strings with various combinations of pedals and knee levers.
google it theres lots of info on learning, tunings, etc.
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Thanks toucher
I forgot to mention I can play Pedal Steel but I don't have one anymore
due to an unfortunate experience with one a couple of years ago.
I was wondering if the $100 Lap Steel was false economy,but as you say,at
least it would serve as a test to see if I took to it.
Ebay may be another possibility.
Alan
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Heck if you play pedal steel, just get you a Carter Starter steel. Then you'll have both, if you just play it without pedals.......:)
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I bought one of the $100 laps and the only fault I found was the nut was too weak and did not support the heavier wound strings, giving a distorted sound. I may replace it with another made out of harder wood. The other thing was the pickup plug was poorly made and maybe the whole setup, just what I know on them.
PS I can't play one either but that's not the fault of the instrument. Ha
Wyndham
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Hi Alan
i have been making and playing a lap guitar for many years there are many different tunings and the main one is how the Hiwaiians tune theres which is played in the A tuning i have always played mine in the D tuning which is what the banjo is tuned to and the standard slide guitar, top to bottom D,B,G.D,B,G so when you put you bar on the strings it plays a basic chord,i think one of the top players is a guy called Jerry Byrd
What i did before i made my fist one was to get a bit of small copper pipe and made a nut which lifted the strings up high enough and then make or buy a slide i use a bullet type which is round some use a flat slide then you can tune your guitar to what ever you want this is just a quick way to try one of your old guitars without hurting it in any way
if you ever what to make one i have all the information on how to design and to get the frets the right width and make your own pick ups all i ever had to buy was the tuning gears but as i said try it out on a old guitar it sounds as good as anything, the last one i made was a twin necked so you can have two different tunings
if you can, listen to some slack key players,they are the one to hear and listen to some of the top Drobo players as they use the basic tunings
all the ones i have seen are six strings as there is no need for more as the original lap guitars where ordinary guitars with the strings raised it was only when the electric pickups arrived they made the modern style lap guitars
best wishes Dave
I always play the right notes but not always in the right order
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Veteran
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alan, i'd love to hear you on a dobro. please consider it.
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Dave, I have a question on the "Nut" you made from a copper tube. Did you hammer it into a rt angle and drill 2 holes for screws to hold it in place and did you notch the tube for the strings to rest on?
I've been putting off making a new nut because i wondered what material would work well. I had not considered a copper tube.
Wyndham
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Dave
I've been looking at the commercial Lap Steels and I have come accross a lot of people who,due
to the expense have built their own.
My problem is that I don't have many tools so how do you make a cut for the pick-up,how do
you measure the scale length what dimensions are the body,what about the fretboard?
Tell you what,just tell us everything?lol
Alan
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Hi
you need to make your nut to fit over the nut you all ready have so you don`t have to touch your guitar,take a piece of the small standard copper pipe i think its 22mm hammer it so it goes more oval you then cut one side so its longer and rest on the guitar head and the cut the other side so it rest on the finger board you and fit a small piece of plastic under both sides so it does not scratch the guitar you then use a jnr hacksaw and cut the string slots to the same as the nut you have on the guitar,useing this you lift the strings high enough to play it as a lap guitar,
regards Dave
I always play the right notes but not always in the right order
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Hi Alan
i will get it all together over the weekend and i`ll put a picture as well, if you can remember when you had the pedal steel its more or less the same you have a piece of wood as the bass with one end cut like a guitar head for the tuners and then a piece of wood for the fingerboard,anyway i ll get it together and then you can decide i would say the only difficult bit is winding the coil for the pick up as the copper wire is a bit thin
best wishes Dave
I always play the right notes but not always in the right order
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Hi Dave
Excellent and thank you.
Regarding the Pick-up,I have a lot of Fender Pick-ups in my spares box
so it is my intention to use one of those,as I am looking to try a 6 string
to start with,they should do fine.Can't wait.He He
Alan
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Hi Alan
Good that has saved you a lot of work which tends to send other people round the bend when the copper wire breaks just as your 3/4 through the coil, i have just fished out how to measure the fret positions,
Measure the scale length( middle of top nut or where the strings touch to where the strings go across the bridge) and divide this by 17.835 this gives the distance away from the nut for the first fret , deduct the first anwser from the remaining length and divide this once again by 17,835 this operation is performed throughout for the remaining frets
so if the scale length was say 23 inches devide by 17,835 which would be 2 inches this is taken away from the 23 which leaves 21 inch which is devided by 17,835 which would leave the next fret 1.7/8th and so on the frets getting smaller with each calcurlation( these are not real sizes)
if theres anything you don`t understand just ask
best wishes Dave
Last edited by jazzband; 03/19/09 08:50 AM.
I always play the right notes but not always in the right order
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Journeyman
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If you want to try to build a basic steel guitar, try to google: build your guitar.com
On the top row tuch "resources", and you find: "building a lap steel guitar".
The basic easy lap steel do not seem to difficult to make.
Best regards
Tono
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Great info... I've been looking into one (need one for the band, for obvious reasons <g>). In the past, I've approximated the whole thing by jamming a large pencil under the strings of one of my guitars right at the nut... It's shocking how well that works as a quick and dirty solution heh heh 
----- Do you love the Floyd as much as I do? If so, click away the moments that make up the dull day: www.canadianpinkfloyd.com
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Here's a link to the one I would like to build.. There are so You tube video's on site also and its well worth a listen http://www.dynalap.com/
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Like the Dynalap Kit,I reckon even I could build that.
Problem is the postage and import duty,and would they ship to the UK?
Very tempted though.Thanks for posting.
Alan
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