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Short Scale Lap Steel Fret Template in Standard & Metric
First in Inches And in Millimeters
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I've been playing a lot more lap steel lately. There's a couple recent vids on my page. I'm far from an expert, but they sure are fun to play.
Kool, thanx for sharing, Rowdy!
Hi everybody. I scored an early 30's "Troubador" lapsteel some time back. It's rare, as I've only seen one other online. Its solid cast aluminum and has a wider string spacing than what else ive seen. It's made by "Sound Projects Company" Chicago IL. Anyhow, this ol' girl cries.. check it's tone! 30s Lapsteel Tone
one of the many lap steels I have made is a 4 stringer 27 1/2" baritone using the bottom 4 strings of a set of Dunlop 56-13. It has plenty of "growl". this length is quite common for baritone,
@ Brian Q
About 45 years ago I had a Rickenbacker Bakelite lap (a friend has it). Got it at a pawn shop for $25. So I'm somewhat familiar with the "Hawaiian" sound.
I'm a big guy, 6'2", 210. I'm a baritone, "played" cello in junior high. I like body...depth...POWER. David Gilmour on 'One Of These Days', and though it's not a steel, the intro to "Sorrow" just gives me chills.
As I said below, I'm not a musician, so much of the lingo does not compute, but I'm trying to learn.
The sound and feel of baritone just seems natural to me. I love the weight. I saw the word associated with guitars and thought "That's the ticket".
So I have this idea. Right now I'm thinking of a body about 39-40" long, a 30" scale with 24 frets, a hardtail bridge, 3-on-a-plate tuners, If a single coil or single humbucker, the cavity is at 3.5"-6", if a second humbucker added, it's cavity will be at 7.5"-9".
The jack and controls will be in a unique add-on box on the butt, and wings may be added so that a body profile might be created. I will probably build 2, the first out of Doug Fir, for proof-of-concept, then a nice one out of a slab of exotic wood I've had for 40 years. It's either Monkeypod or Koa, I don't know which.
From that point, I'm clueless, certainly how to string it.
If you’re going baritone, then go bigger, you’ll need them if you’re going long scale? I have seen more than a few players use medium sets .013-.056 with a wound G string-GHS, Ernie Ball, etc., with scales beyond 25 1/2” . When I said daring, I meant your imagination? C6 is different from the regular open tunings, particularly good for shorter scale lengths, it has that glassy hawaiian sound, you’ll prolly like it?
Thx, Bill.
GHS and John Pearse also have good lap steel string sets.
C6
A6
A good set of strings for Lap Steel are Scotty's SIT non pedal/lap steel C 6th
Nickel Semi-Flats
.015 .018 .022 .024 .030 .036
What does it take to get Gilmour's tone?
I'd like to build a baritone. Scale? Strings? Tuning?
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