After 40+ years of trying to make the best conventional instruments I could, I've returned to the dark side. I started as an Outlaw Luthier because I had few tools and very little money. Just about everyone on this site is an Outlaw Luthier, by choice if not by circumstances. I retired from Huss & Dalton Guitars after 19 years and decided to try to help wannabes who don't know that stringed instruments are within their reach if they are willing to give up conventional thinking.
I started this lap steel the day before the contest ended. The three pieces of wood are held together by two lengths of aluminum tubing, with a gap between the pieces. I had everything on hand except the tuners, the paint, the tubing,and the fretboard numbers, so I probably have $50-60 into it. The pickup harness and bridge ground run through the rear tube. The nut, bridge, and tailpiece are aluminum angle stock. I had to join two pieces of scrap pearloid for the fretboard, but managed to run a fret line through the joint to hide it. The board was slotted like any other board, then filled with ebony veneers. The paint is two varieties of rattle can textured paint. It looks cool and hides a world of sins. I sprayed a coat of Min-Wax Satin Poly over it to keep the "pebbles" from jumping off from abrasion. I'm going to put a how-to slide show on my website as soon as I get a chance. Outlaw instruments can have style if you want it.
Comments
Thanks Uncle John. I'll post the video as soon as I shoot it.
Good story and good description. Why not put up that video here too. Good wishes.
After 40+ years of trying to make the best conventional instruments I could, I've returned to the dark side. I started as an Outlaw Luthier because I had few tools and very little money. Just about everyone on this site is an Outlaw Luthier, by choice if not by circumstances. I retired from Huss & Dalton Guitars after 19 years and decided to try to help wannabes who don't know that stringed instruments are within their reach if they are willing to give up conventional thinking.
I started this lap steel the day before the contest ended. The three pieces of wood are held together by two lengths of aluminum tubing, with a gap between the pieces. I had everything on hand except the tuners, the paint, the tubing,and the fretboard numbers, so I probably have $50-60 into it. The pickup harness and bridge ground run through the rear tube. The nut, bridge, and tailpiece are aluminum angle stock. I had to join two pieces of scrap pearloid for the fretboard, but managed to run a fret line through the joint to hide it. The board was slotted like any other board, then filled with ebony veneers. The paint is two varieties of rattle can textured paint. It looks cool and hides a world of sins. I sprayed a coat of Min-Wax Satin Poly over it to keep the "pebbles" from jumping off from abrasion. I'm going to put a how-to slide show on my website as soon as I get a chance. Outlaw instruments can have style if you want it.
Very cool. Tell us a about it.
cool . looks like pumice stone ;-)