Help needed on first build

So, for some reason, I decided I needed to build a Cigar Bax Lap Steel. I have never played one, and never wired anything like an electric stringed instrument, so I need a bit of help. I have been playing since August and have made four CBU's (one a complete fail), two of which are resonators and last week I figured out how to make a Piezo pick-up...but this is totally different I figure. As an aside, my dad has played lap and pedal steel since the sixties so I would have some help figuring it out.

My questions are:

First, I want to build it to Baritone Ukulele scale, and make it only four strings. I am just confused about the pick-up. Do the strings have to travel directly over the poles on a pickup to make the sound? That is probably a stupid question, but the information exists know where I can find on the web.

Second, bridges. I could make it out of steel stock or buy one and leave two holes blank, but of course, who knows what string spacing I need or want. Perhaps some of you might.

Last- relation of the PUP to the bridge for such a beast. I suppose it would be short scale compared to most of yours, not sure if it matters.

OK- thanks in advance- back off to the man-cave for tonight.

Hey Dave,

Welcome to the wide world of lap steels. My first question for you is, are you planning to tune it like a bari-uke as well? I understand you might be more comfortable with this tuning but I'd like to recommend you mess with open tunings. They are what really make lap steels shine!
1) My bari-uke is currently a buried-uke (at the bottom of a stack of cases) so I'm not positive about the scale-length, but its somewhere around 23", right? This will be just fine for a LS. It is the same as a 3/4 size guitar and a standard tenor guitar. As you know there are a ton of different configurations for pups. The best response is generally over the pole pieces (have you considered a blade pup?) Keep in mind that as long as your strings are evenly spaced, you can pivot the pup until the strings line up with the poles (note that this won't be the case if your string spacing is wider than the pole spacing).
2) You can do these things, or make your own floating bridge. I like my string spacing a little wider than standard for finger-picking purposes.
3) I personally like the pup out towards the neck. Just preference though.

Here's my standby LS:

Replies

Barry Evan Russ November 18, 2010 at 10:57am

Hi, Whatever scale you use, just make sure the bridge is in the right position. For guitars it is a little more than twice the length of the nut to 12th fret. On lap steels, the strings don't usually rise, meaning no compensation is necessary. So, the measurement can be exactly twice the length of the nut to 12th fret measurement. The pickup position should be wherever you want depending on whether you want a treble , midrange or more bassy sound. The more trebly you want, the closer to the bridge, and of course conversely closer to the neck a more bassy sound.
I reccommend looking at seymour duncan's website for simple pickup wiring layouts. They are in abundance. And last but not least, relax, it's a cigar box. There aren't any mistakes.
A C6 CEGA, or GACE would be good for swing and country styles. An open E or D, EF#BE, or DG#AD would sould mighty nice with blues, rock and overdriven tones. Hope that helps..Again, no rules, only what sounds good and comfortable to you. I find the four string tunings with top and bottom strings the same note to be easier for me. Cheers
Dave Laurice November 8, 2010 at 1:24pm

Thanks for the reply! Figured that I would need to space the strings the same as a poles- probably go blade as if I have the room, I figure I ought to give myself a little wider spacing.
Baritone Uke is 19" scale length. I have sense rethought the shorter length for a more conventional 22.5" Why give myself more room in string spacing and then shorten the fret distances (or painted mar distances as it were).
As for tuning, yeah, I will be better at hearing what I am doing with Open G6 (I figure that is what a Bari Uke is tuned to DGBE) or Open C6 (standard Uke tuning GCEA)- do I have this all wrong? Probably go with G6, and cut out the octave C's on the ends (below and above middle I think).
OK- one last question? How does the tonal quality change when the PUP is up by the neck? I figure the saddle shortens the amplitude of the string vibrations to some extent, and I have found I get better volume the closer to the neck I strum- seems it would change both the volume output and sustain, but as I have not played one yet, I am lost.
Cheers
Dave
Ben November 5, 2010 at 11:11pm

Hey Dave,

Welcome to the wide world of lap steels. My first question for you is, are you planning to tune it like a bari-uke as well? I understand you might be more comfortable with this tuning but I'd like to recommend you mess with open tunings. They are what really make lap steels shine!
1) My bari-uke is currently a buried-uke (at the bottom of a stack of cases) so I'm not positive about the scale-length, but its somewhere around 23", right? This will be just fine for a LS. It is the same as a 3/4 size guitar and a standard tenor guitar. As you know there are a ton of different configurations for pups. The best response is generally over the pole pieces (have you considered a blade pup?) Keep in mind that as long as your strings are evenly spaced, you can pivot the pup until the strings line up with the poles (note that this won't be the case if your string spacing is wider than the pole spacing).
2) You can do these things, or make your own floating bridge. I like my string spacing a little wider than standard for finger-picking purposes.
3) I personally like the pup out towards the neck. Just preference though.

Here's my standby LS:

This reply was deleted.

Lap Steel World

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