Red Pine Lap Steel - DIY

[Guvna19]

Thanks Wokka ,

back to the cardboard, started to map the design out on readily available materiel - A Cooper PA beer carton. no problem if a make an error and have to start again

[wokkaboy]

haha sounds good Guvna. Leave plenty of space for the headstock so its not cramped. Then work out roughly where the bridge saddles and nut will be will determine the scale length

[Simon Barden]

You can obviously make it any scale length you want. The longer the scale, the more tension in the strings for a given string gauge (and vice-versa). A shorter scale means using thicker strings to get a decent tension for slide/steel playing. As Woks said, the shorter the scale, the more precise your positioning needs to be to play in tune; so longer scales are better from that point of view.

You only need to select an exact scale if you are going to use a fretboard with position markers on it. You could be brave and do without that entirely, e.g. classical string players do without any markers. You can always get the bridge, nut and tuners set up and installed (even try it ona temporary basis without the pickup on a spare bit of wood) to get an idea of feel and string tension and scale length, then add the fretboard markers later to suit the scale you've chosen.

[Fretworn]

Think lapsteels usually have shorter scale lengths so they are easier to balance on your lap. Whatever the scale length you choose, I think the trick is to put the pickup of on a harmonic node.

[wokkaboy]

interesting diagram Fretty, I will keep that in mind if I am positioning pickups on a scratchy. So I take it you can continue the diagram for bridge pup and go 1/8th, 1/9th (and so on) of the scale length

[Simon Barden]

The problem with the harmonic node diagram is as you fret with a finger or shorten the string length with the slide/steel, then those harmonic node points move as well. Any position which is fine for the lower harmonics of an open string and avoids having the pickup directly under a node, won't always be fine for higher notes. Pickup position is always a compromise and if you are using a single coil Tele bridge, then the pickup position is decided for you.

On a 24 fret neck, the end of the fretboard/24th fret is on the open string 3rd harmonic node. So you don't have a lot of space to play in. You don't want the pickup right near the bridge though as because it will pick up almost all of the harmonics, the amplitudes will be very small (especially of the fundamental and lower order harmonics), so it will sound thin and tinny. Move it nearer the neck and the amplitude of the fundamental and second harmonics will now be a lot greater compared to the bridge position and you'll get a fuller sound (and which is why neck pickups have a lot more bass in them than bridge pickups).

A shorter scale length (say 24") with a Tele bridge pickup arrangement 'moves' the pickup proportionally nearer the neck, so will sound a bit less bright than on a normal 25.5" scale Tele. With a Tele pickup being angled, the lower strings will have even more bass content than normal compared to the top strings, as if on a normal Tele, the pickup was even more highly angled.

If you went for a standard Fender or longer scale, then a Tele bridge pickup might just be a bit too bright in its normal position; so maybe a separate pickup a bit further away from the bridge would sound better if you don't go for a 24" scale.

[Guvna19]

Received the bridge and pups in mail today, look like new!,
thanks again DK
Regards Guvna

[Guvna19]

Hi
Draft No 3. Not exact to scale , but close! Any obvious issues? Feel free to critique, gotta jigsaw lined up for weekend, itching to get underway. no router or drill press in my circles, think its going to be carefull hand drill and chisel job.
all advice appreciated. Guvna

[dave.king1]

Should look like new, never used or even wired up.

[wokkaboy]

Guvna the design sketch looks great, sure it will work fine. Assume you will have a rear control cavity and jack on the side on the treble side of the bridge