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Latest project...Lap steel

Posted by Mark Werner on October 2, 2011 at 4:08pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

Decided to build one largely because I had an extra pickup lying around.... 

Devilishly hard to find useable lumber at a decent price.  At least lumber I could work with; one hardwood supplier was happy to sell me a huge maple plank... Sorry bud, pretty much hand tools for me.

 

I finally decided to make a laminate out of 1x4 "select" pine.  Just got the blank glued up; I'll try to put up pics when the glue dries.

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Replies

  • Mark Werner January 7, 2012 at 9:33am
    I took all my measurements and much of the design from this nice site:

    http://www.bluestemstrings.com/page5.html

    Remember, with a lap steel frets can be pretty sloppy or even eliminated....they just function as markers.
  • Wade January 6, 2012 at 11:34pm

    I've got scales from several sources:

    Printable online

    pencil rubbings off my favorite guitars

    blemished precut fingerboards(cheap on ebay)

    hope this helps

    Wade

  • Hip Bone Bellaire January 6, 2012 at 8:56pm

    How do you come up with scale/fret length? Fret's I suck at and fret scales are even worse...Lap steel is my next one...

  • Wade January 5, 2012 at 9:23pm

    I have a "lapsteel" hidden in a piece of old, large stair tread I reclaimed from someones curb. All I have to do is cut away what is not a lap steel and I'm set! Can't wait to see what your up to...

    Wade

  • Lonman January 5, 2012 at 6:39pm

    Very cool. I like it.

  • Mark Werner January 5, 2012 at 7:49am

    Thought I had posted the pics... Here's the link:

     

    http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/lap-steel-11?context=user

     

    Pretty wel, actually.  I'm finding the thing a little harder to play than I thought it would be, as everything with the left hand is "backwards"... Damping with the little finger and holding the slide with thumb and forefinger.

    Also, there's a bewildering variety of tunings available.  I was just playing with one of the (Many...) C6 tunings last night... sounds very "Hawaiian".

  • Charlotte Henry January 4, 2012 at 11:47pm

    I'm interested in how your lap steel turned out.

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