Lap steel guitar

Since there appears to be an interest in my 'pedal steel' guitar, I thought I would post photo's of a lap steel I made last year.

It started life as a thick oak shelf from a commercial display unit and the electronics were salvaged from an old 'stratocaster copy'. The legs are made from chrome plated wardrobe hanger rails.

These instruments are very simple to make and sound quite well, the tuning is C6th which gives 'hawaiian' and swing type sounds.

Another name for these instruments are 'slide guitars' and are played using a stainless or chrome plated bar.

Ron Mc

What then is a dobro?

Hello Niloch, a 'dobro' is indeed a slide guitar usually acoustic and has built in metal resonaters which give it that 'twangy' metallic sound.

regards Ron Mc

Thanks to your postings I listened/watched more pedal steel guitar solos courtesy of YouTube last night than in the whole of my life. The name Dave Hartley seems to be 'popular'. Always had an interest in country music, never cease to be amazed at the high speed banjo picking of Lester Flat and Earl Scruggs. I thought the Dixie Chicks had considerable talent until, apparently, some kind of political faux pas shunted them into the wilderness. Regrettably there isn't enough on the radio, although, Whispering Bob does his best. Do you know whether the recent country 'festival' at the O2 was recorded for TV and are broadcast dates known?

Edited By Niloch on 09/04/2013 16:40:00

Hello Niloch, I know David Hartley and have met him quite regularly at pedal steel meets, he is as good as any player 'stateside', the pedal steel lends itself to other marques of music other than 'country'.

An extremely good player as well as a very pleasant person is Mark Dunn who has played regularly with David so you should have a listen to him.

I'm afraid have no info regarding the O2 festival, sorry.

Ron Mc

Lovely inlay Ron,

Puts my home made electric guitar to shame (There will be no pictures - I only made the body, perhaps I will make a new one?)

Isn't that a telecaster control panel, although those look like Strat pickups?

Neil

Good evening Neil, yes that is a 'tele' control panel (well a copy), they are 'strat' type pickups (copy) the 'inlays' are 'stick on type' meant for headstocks and finger boards, so they are fairly hard wearing and thin, they can normally be removed but if you finish off your guitar, apply them, give a final coating of laquer over the complete thing, they stay permanent, I get them from a japanese supplier on 'flea-bay' and modify them to fit and suit.

The only 'true' inlays I use are the 'marquetry' type.

Why not put up a photo or 2 of your guitar, I'm sure there will be interest, I didn't think there would be as much response as my efforts attracted.

best regards

Ron Mc

I know I'm going to regret this... my only defence is that, at the time I made this I didn't have a workshop of any kind

It is far too heavy and clumsy, the string clamp at the nut and the bridge are poorly set up. The body was hacked out of several layers of cheap ply, probably using a rasp, and the finish general appears to have been chewed by an arthritic dinosaur. The pickups could be better placed (nearer neck and bridge).

I found the neck in a skip, bought the pickups, knobs and tuners and my brother gave me the bridge and its ancillaries after removing them from one of his guitars. The no-name neck is the best part of the guitar!

On the back of the headstock it says "A tradition of fine craftsmanship since 1993. Steel reinforced body, recycled neck." The steel reinforcement is several big nails holding the layers of plywood together.

I have many lovely and beautiful musical instruments - this is not one of them.

Neil

Edited By Stub Mandrel on 09/04/2013 20:35:36

If the neck is from a different guitar, is the scale length correct, how is the intonation, the distance from the nut to the 12th fret should be the same as from the 12th fret to the bridge.

the bridge pickup would be better about 1 1/2" in the mid point from the bridge and the neck perhaps about 4" from the bridge, but there is no specific dimension, its all a matter of how you like the sound, the closer to the bridge gives a brighter sound and closer to the neck a more mellow tone.

I think the better wood for bodies is hard maple which gives a good sustain.

Ron Mc

Hi Ron,

I made the body to suit the neck, and the scale length is 25" give or take, and the intonation is spot on - I can set up guitars, I'm just not very good with wood or paint!

If I find a better piece of wood (some lime/basswood perhaps, maple sounds like hard work), I'll carve out a new body and try again. I actually really like that shape, and the neck is surprisingly forgiving, so it COULD be the basis of a half-decent instrument.

I think if I revisit it I'll more or less copy the SG pickup positions. The big problem is that flashy micro-tuning bridge, the whole setup is meant to give accurate and stable tuning even when you use the tremelo arm. Actually it goes out of tune as soon as you look at it, my brother ended up jamming a block of wood behind it and using it as a fixed bridge before replacing it with a standard unit, if I recall correctly.

I suppose now I have some half-decent metal-mangling skills I realise I could make a fixed bridge - I have an SG style bridge retrofitted to another guitar than I can copy, I don't like the Tele-style bridges much (that's a Squier tele in the corner), or just fit a new fixed backplate to that bridge. Either way a new body could be a bit thinner, I like light guitars.

As well as a banjo elsewhere, that's a banjo mandolin awaiting a second restoration some thirty years after my first attempt hiding at the back.

So many projects, so little time...

Neil

Well, as we are talking guitar building, I thought I would add some pics of my Brian May 'Red Special' copy (in Green!)

The tremolo unit above was the first project I made on my first lathe, a Chester cobra lathe / mill combo.

The switches have since been changed for the correct white button slide switches

Graeme

Edited By CoalBurner on 09/04/2013 21:49:07

That's a bit more classy Graeme!

Neil

That's a nice looking 'axe' Graeme, I am loving the responses this thread is getting.

Ron Mc

Ron,

Great posts. It's lovely to see some products of the workshop that are not just steam powered. Back in the fifties ME was full of stuff that was not strictly "model" engineering and, in my view, was more interesting because of that.

cheers,

Rod

Ron,
I for one one love makeing my locos, restoring items, BUT there are a lot of of us who have also other interests, Me I have 5 musical instruments ranging from a sax to a lap clavicord which I play for my own pleasure so we are not all just boreing old people only interested in metal, thank you for this breath of fresh air into this forum, Please take up Diannes offer.
Good luck and happy picking

Bob