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lap steel scale length

Posted by bill walsh on January 19, 2011 at 9:59pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

Hi - have got most of the bits I will need to make a lap steel - a project now exceedingly long in the tooth. However, after seeing some great home-made instruments on Youtube I have finally got down to making serious drawings of what I want -  a vaguely Art Deco, Duesenberg kind of assymentrical shape.

 

I have a nice piece of 60 year old oak big enough for a 25.5" scale but as this will be my first build (and as yet I have only played 'regular' guitars) I have no experience of different scales lengths I would very much appreciate any information you experts might be able to pass on to a complete novice. 

 

I should say that I have considerable experience with woodworking and some with metalworking though my background is in Art and Design.

 

I have been a member now all of 25 minutes!

Bill

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Replies

  • bill walsh January 21, 2011 at 9:23am
    Hi Scotty- I don't think we had many intellectual punks over here. We had our house piped for gas by a punk called Skid' who, rather than move it,' was about to drill through a biscuit tin. Caught him just in time and he is now no doubt a senior manager in British Gas! He would have fit right in with the Young Ones. Apparently Mister Bean is well known all over the world...hmm? It never struck me as such a good idea though. Did you get your name for the same reason as Elvis' guitarist, Scotty Moore - a predilection for the hard stuff? Bill


    Scotty C. said:

    I can tell you here in the Midwest, the public at-large know Rowan Atkinson better as Mister Bean than as Edmund Blackadder. My friends and I, however, were over-educated university types, so Blackadder is highly regarded by us who sat through World History and European History classes in high school and college. We were also punks, which meant we found The Young Ones real fast.

    /end off-topic comments.  :-)


    bill walsh said:

    Red Dwarf was a bit hit here - do you get Blackadder in US? If you do I'd be interested to know if you find it funny or maybe it's too English. I'm from Yorkshire and "see ya" has almost totally replaced the old dialect expression "Ah'll sithee".in our progressive Americanisation. We also get Coca-Cola, chewing gum and herpes. Thanks for research offer. Bill
  • bill walsh January 21, 2011 at 9:12am
    Lucky old friend!

    Don Thompson said:

    Bill, Wish I still had it but I gave it to a friend at a time in my life I had to cut back on my possessions. When I'm in another place I'd build another. Thanks for the kind words.

    Don

  • Mister Scott January 21, 2011 at 8:56am

    I can tell you here in the Midwest, the public at-large know Rowan Atkinson better as Mister Bean than as Edmund Blackadder. My friends and I, however, were over-educated university types, so Blackadder is highly regarded by us who sat through World History and European History classes in high school and college. We were also punks, which meant we found The Young Ones real fast.

    /end off-topic comments.  :-)


    bill walsh said:

    Red Dwarf was a bit hit here - do you get Blackadder in US? If you do I'd be interested to know if you find it funny or maybe it's too English. I'm from Yorkshire and "see ya" has almost totally replaced the old dialect expression "Ah'll sithee".in our progressive Americanisation. We also get Coca-Cola, chewing gum and herpes. Thanks for research offer. Bill
  • Don Thompson January 21, 2011 at 8:11am

    Bill, Wish I still had it but I gave it to a friend at a time in my life I had to cut back on my possessions. When I'm in another place I'd build another. Thanks for the kind words.

    Don

  • bill walsh January 20, 2011 at 8:28pm
    Red Dwarf was a bit hit here - do you get Blackadder in US? If you do I'd be interested to know if you find it funny or maybe it's too English. I'm from Yorkshire and "see ya" has almost totally replaced the old dialect expression "Ah'll sithee".in our progressive Americanisation. We also get Coca-Cola, chewing gum and herpes. Thanks for research offer. Bill

    Mike Bingham said:
    English humor is the best of all!  Red Dwarf should be taught in every grade in school!  I'll be glad to try to help answer any questions you may have.  I don't know a whole lot but we can do some research if we need to.  See Ya!

    bill walsh said:

    That's ok Pete - will keep you posted - I do have other questions - far too many really.

    Michael. (English sense of humour)

    Mike Bingham said:

    Hey Bill,

    Sorry for calling you Michael.  I was looking at Michael Gajeski's reply and my brain misled my fingers...  Let us know how your build works out. Welcome to the Nation, too!

  • bill walsh January 20, 2011 at 8:19pm

    Hey Don - love the "burst" - does it sound as good as it looks? Bill
    Don Thompson said:


    Don Thompson said:

    944655919_435de292dd_z.jpg?zz=1

    This one of my 22.5" scale laps. Some great info here:http://www.bluestemstrings.com/page5.html

    I built mine before this site was up. Also: http://buildyourguitar.com/resources/lapsteel/

    Don

  • Mike Bingham January 20, 2011 at 7:49pm
    English humor is the best of all!  Red Dwarf should be taught in every grade in school!  I'll be glad to try to help answer any questions you may have.  I don't know a whole lot but we can do some research if we need to.  See Ya!

    bill walsh said:

    That's ok Pete - will keep you posted - I do have other questions - far too many really.

    Michael. (English sense of humour)

    Mike Bingham said:

    Hey Bill,

    Sorry for calling you Michael.  I was looking at Michael Gajeski's reply and my brain misled my fingers...  Let us know how your build works out. Welcome to the Nation, too!

  • Don Thompson January 20, 2011 at 12:32pm


    Don Thompson said:

    944655919_435de292dd_z.jpg?zz=1

    This one of my 22.5" scale laps. Some great info here:http://www.bluestemstrings.com/page5.html

    I built mine before this site was up. Also: http://buildyourguitar.com/resources/lapsteel/

    Don

  • Don Thompson January 20, 2011 at 11:49am

    944655919_435de292dd_z.jpg?zz=1

    This one of my 22.5" scale laps. Some great info here:http://www.bluestemstrings.com/page5.html

    I built mine before this site was up.

    Don

  • bill walsh January 20, 2011 at 9:31am
    Thanks Wes - I begin to realise I will only find what I like best by making a few - making one seems pretty daunting just now but I expect once I get into it I will be knocking 'em out every week... maybe... Bill

    wes carl said:
    I have an old Supro from the 50's  22.5   I think they knew what they were doing.  Im sure others work, but this is quite good  Enjoy
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