WezV Posted August 31, 2008 Report Share Posted August 31, 2008 thought i would show a bit of a side project i have been working on. Just wanted to knock out another quick and dirty lapsteel to use up some offcuts and parts the centre section is a large neck blank i had that didnt really have good enough grain for a guitar neck so rather than resaw and laminate i decided to use it for this. The wings are off cuts of mahogany and the fretboard is an offcut from a flamed maple top, with black veneer for the fretlines. The dots are aluminium tube filled with red epoxy its just had its colour coats and will receive the clear soon: a few more in progress shots since this was meant as a cheap recycling project i havnt gone to town on the fine detail or aimed for perfection, the finish is just a few coats of nitro from a spray can. we did up the hardware spec a bit though - the pickup is a Seymour Duncan antiquity firebird pickup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted September 1, 2008 Report Share Posted September 1, 2008 Nice... I want to do something like this but as always want to make things difficult for myself...I've always wanted to devise some tuning mechanisim at the bridge like the hipshot trilogy idea to change tunings on the fly like a poor man's pedal steel! good stuff... pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted September 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2008 i have thought about a pedal steel but im not that good with mechanical things. it did occur to me a triology bridge might be usefull but i think these things really do sound best when kept simple. its a big block of really resonant korina in the middle so should sound awesome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted September 3, 2008 Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 Simple is very cool...but I am not sure that an alternate tuning system need be that complex. Last time I played with these ideas they were too complex but on an instrument like this might be a little more approachable. One way could be a pivoting bridge like a strat but with the string block replaced by six individual swtivelling string holding levers. In one position it is held down flat to the guitar and when pushed down it moves by a set amount and the individual levers move by an amount set by a small screw. This would provide two tunings and a catch could be made for a modified "arm" so that it can be moved an at either position. Potentially you could make a foot pedal with a clutch cable to move the bridge between the two positions. Just brains storming, the design would need to be "clever" but not necessarily complex. For more simple tunings you would not need to adjust all the strings. DADF#AD and DGDGBD for instance would only require the movement of the second third and fifth string and the amount of movement required to move a string a tone or semi tone is surprisingly small (only mm's) I really like the guitar and it is tempting to mock such a thing up and would fit within my workshop capacities and bits and pieces I already have. What do you use for a slide? pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted September 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 i have a proper shubb steel. a solid metal one rather than the wooden bodied ones they also do. i like a heavy slide and fat strings (16-60)... a normal slide is too light and its harder to prevent annoying buzzes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted September 3, 2008 Report Share Posted September 3, 2008 Any slide playing I have done is on normal guitar with found objects and I think that is what I have done wrong! Maybe I need a heavier found object I am quite keen on this idea and may well try something even more "prototype-esque" to see if there is a practical way of changing tunings. I really like the way a pedal steel can change intervals. I have a more conventional slide guitar project sitting around for inspiration that is interesting. One of the reasons I have not done more with it is that it would be really cool to work out a dual tuning system and perhaps doing something like this would encourage messing around with some aluminium sections to make something workable. What tuning/s do you tend to use or find useful? If you could change between tunings in some way (on something like this or a more conventional guitar) what would be desirable do you think? pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted December 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2008 right, after some problems with finishing i finally have this 'quick' project done (other than the backplate) basically after i got so far i realised i didnt want it to be a quick and dirty project like i originally intended. It was claimed by a repeat customer and the spec was improved so my DIY finish really started to bug me... i think i am out of practice since i have been shipping most stuff out for spraying the last couple of years Anyway, my cousin is out of action as far as spraying goes so i had to find someone else so sent this to mlennon (i think he is a member here??) after discussing refinishing on the UKGB forum. he has done a great job and i can recommend him for a professional quality finish, cant wait to get my junior back from him next.. thats being done in nitro so taking a little longer anyway, its awesome.. very hawaiian when clean but crank up the gain its its pure classic rock tones this one is tuned GBDGBD and has a longer than usual scale length at 24" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted December 4, 2008 Report Share Posted December 4, 2008 I liked it before...looks even better now, really beautiful...nice colour choice and deco like design...inspiring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarter Posted December 5, 2008 Report Share Posted December 5, 2008 That turned out nice and I'll bet it sounds great! I dig the deco styles for steels, lots of rich history there. Here is a deco themed 8 string I recently finished for a customer down under. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted December 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2008 ah yes, the national new yorker.,... got to be a classic for lapsteels and yours has the stripes too, very nice!! Is your bridge really as simple as it looks. Its a very neat solution Mine was obviously inspired by that shape but i must admit i did it from memory... i realised yesterday that more meat behind the bridge would have been usefull on mine when playing higher up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarter Posted December 6, 2008 Report Share Posted December 6, 2008 Yea, lots of National New Yorker influence in that one, a timeless classic for sure. Here is one that has a little New Yorker and some National Dynamic boat tail mixed in. Is your bridge really as simple as it looks. Its a very neat solution Thanks, it is a fairly simple setup, a stainless rod over maple plate. The string through holes on the bridge have short sections of brass tubing that protrude through the bridge plate into the body a bit to both add both a little forward shear strength and also double as locater pins for setting the brigde. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterbrown Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 Nice Laps fellas. Not something you see too often on the forums, and much appreciated. Very nice. Cheers, Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boundsteelblues Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 Great use for odd pieces. Beautiful work all around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick500 Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 What's the conventional (or unconventional) wisdom on where to place the pickup on lap steels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted December 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 generally they just go for a bridge pickup because tehse things were always a cheap and cheerfull instrument but things like the modern asher lapsteels raise the bar a bit there is a good demo of that here to see what the neck pickup adds to the sound http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=g0_hnGLR-jY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarter Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 What's the conventional (or unconventional) wisdom on where to place the pickup on lap steels? I treat placement just like you would for a normal guitar because, well after all, its a guitar first, just played lap style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 Here's a question...what do you guys use for a slide bar...I don't know anywhere I could buy one and a normal slide doesn't really cut it...nor the bic lighter I usually end up using... The thing that puts me off slide playing...and open tunings...is I tend to play everything in that key...it would be cool to have some kind of tuning adjustment...or maybe even a movable nut perhaps under the strings...or is that going to far...at least I didn't suggest a sustainer...but that might be cool too! Also...that bridge is cool...do they not require any intonation though? pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted December 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 no need for intonation because you dont move the strings much at all and there are no frets to worry about.. so anything straight works fine i have a shub rr1 steel. The key things you need are weight and smoothness so it might come down to trying things you can find around the house. the difference between playing with a normal slide and playing with a steel is really noticeable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Foster Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 Hi Wez. Hope you don't mind, but I'm new to the whole building guitars thing and thought it might be fun to start out with a lapsteel before jumping into something a little more tech savvy, so I wondered if I could ask a few questions. Firstly, it looks like your build has an angled neck. Is this necessary on a lapsteel? Could I omit an angled neck if I raised the nut and bridge relatively high above the fretboard? Secondly, if I wanted to use a tune-o-matic style bridge/tailpiece (and I do, because I have one already), could I omit the bridge and just use the tailpiece? Hope you don't mind me asking, and I'd appreciate any info you could give me. Really nice build, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted December 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 i didnt bother angling the headstock on my first one, it worked but i wasnt happy with the way it looked... that would have looked neater if i had gone for classical style tuners I dont think a stop tail is the perfect choice for a lapsteel because its curved on top and you really want something flat. same goes for the tune-o-matic bridge, although it would be easier to file grooves into the TOM to take away the radius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Foster Posted December 13, 2008 Report Share Posted December 13, 2008 Well, my other thought, and I got this from a lapsteel build on here, could I just make a bridge out of a solid block of wood with a thin piece of metal (like a nail) on it? Could I do the same for a nut? I apologise for cluttering your thread with my questions, too, you just seemed a reliable source of information. I appreciate your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted December 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2008 anything you can get your hands on that works!!! http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TtSXk6p-2Uc http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TtSXk6p-2Uc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Foster Posted December 14, 2008 Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 Thanks a lot, mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted April 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 just got this put together for a test fit and its left me giggling to myself its a 25.5" scale lapsteel fitted with 10k piledriver tele pickup and a bigsby palm pedal. tuning is open e. E,B,E,G#,B,E and the palm lever raise the pitch of the 2nd string to C# and the 3rd to A... at least thats how i have it at the moment unfortunatly i now have to take it apart to finish it off and get it sprayed - it will be a slightly off white colour possibly with a hint of pearlesence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 DUDE!!! That's really cool. Who would have thought to put dark walnut stain a slab of oak and lay it over the washer/drier for an improvised workstation. Considering I took over 1/2 her closet, 1/2 her scrapbooking room, and the entire furnace room, I don't think SWIMBO will let me get away with that one. But good for you for taking control of your house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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