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Hi All, new to this site.
looking to build myself a lap steel (1st one)
wondering if there's any others here who have built or play lap steel?
got a large piece of old Red Pine I'm gonna use (wrong or right) which ill start hand carving this weekend.
don't have any parts yet. no power tools either which will make for a real nice challenge......
wish me luck and pass any advice my way....I'm gonna need it
cheers
Guvna
welcome to forum Guvna,
I've recently build a baritone scale (about 27 inch scale) lap steel, here is a link to my build diary
http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...ead.php?t=6844
ask any questions you have. First thing I'd work out is what hardware you are using and if the tuners will have the post in a vertical or horizontal plane. Work out the scale length (most lap steels are around 22-24 inch scale length) then look at what style pickup and bridge will work. Also you need to work out what fret markers you will use.
Keen to see a pic of the red pine and interested in what you will carve !
Best of luck !
Here's another build diary Bruce has done - he gave me the idea to build one so the shapes are similar
http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...highlight=deco
Thanks Wokkaboy,
scale will bee 22.5 inch, been getting some info from, http://buildyourguitar.com/resources...x.htm#material.
plan to make a nicer body than just the plank look. looking on gumtree and ebay for parts so far. cant afford any thing other than cheap parts at this point which is a shame, just wann se if i can make somthin outta nothin really.
so far im thinkin of makin some kind of wraparound bridge or just buy a lespaul jnr copy cheap
pick up will also be cheapest i can find second hand.
to be honest i'm fully winging it
cheers
Guvna
by the way , your build looks awsome, hope i can achieve somthing half as good!!
I'm thinking of doing a 6 string lappy as well using the surplus Tele bits that I've got.
In one of the other threads, probably Woks one I posted some links to a mob in the US that does steel fretboards from very cheap to get down on your knees and talk to you bank manager
sounds good Guvna, that website looks pretty helpful.
@ DK yeah go for it might as well build one and give it to your lap steel buddies. I remember that link DK, some good gear on that site
I'll just leave this here for inspiration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvKbbDBeBNo
For some reason the embedding tools have gone missing
great track DK, you have posted that before, I will watch again
No worries Woks, at my age I will probably forget and post it again in a couple of weeks :DQuote:
Originally Posted by wokkaboy
haha nah all good DK I enjoyed watching it again, would have been 1-2 years ago you posted it so all good !
I built a lap steel out of telespares, Wokaboy boy has kindly mentioned my build.
I used origon and oink with some red gum thrown in for looks.
You can if you wish use bolts for bridges and nuts.
My cigar box guitar does this.
The single coil pickups sound great on lap steels
good stuff Bruce, same as mine was built with a tele bridge, pickups, controls and tele cup jack. Only thing I had to order was the 3 a side acoustic style tuners and a bone nut
For what it's worth Guvna, here's one I did a while back. I keep on meaning to getting an etched acrylic fretboard for it, but only play it very rarely and basically by ear!
Attachment 18240
Are there a set of Indy trucks on the bottom Chuck. Looks like you could skate and play at the same time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuck
thats a classic Chuck, what are the timbers ? looks like maple one of them
I wish I could remember - the lighter stuff is definitely maple. The surf/music connection runs deep with me ;-)Quote:
Originally Posted by wokkaboy
No, but I've got a bunch of skateboards in the garage! I was still skating pools/bowls til my mid 40s, but at that point the inevitable injuries started taking so long to heal that I now stick to more street cruising. Much safer!!Quote:
Originally Posted by JB RETRO
no worries Chuck, we are well aware how keen you are on surf/music ! Looks like the nut and bridge have been maybe painted to suit the wood theme or are they timber as well ? Cool design, I'm with JB put some skateboard wheels on it
The nut and bridge are actually made of right-angle aluminium with wooden inserts in them (I made the body a little long so I had enough for those bits and the pickup cover). Probably doesn't help the tone a great deal but I think that build was more an exercise in seeing what I could do rather than making it sound great. It does look at me from the corner of the room begging to be fixed up properly... one day!Quote:
Originally Posted by wokkaboy
Welcome Guvna!
Thanks everyone,
just to show im serious re my lapsteel build, i spent afew hours tonight sanding up my piece of Red Pine, i wil post pics 2morow.
dunno if it will ever sound great but i will be makin sure it looks killer.
hopin i can keep this link for comments on the build only and advice clean ( even though i love all the thoughts/comments on lap steel tunes via youtube)
this will be a start to finish project and i will upload pics as i go.....watch this space and offer advice accordingly.
cheers Guv
cheers chuck, im hearing you! , hope i get to play a hand made Lapster too!!
thanks for comments DK, tools are scarce here too, but i will make do.
once i have the body, im sorted for paint/ oil /finishing . i have over 25 years of exp in the paint trade. no exp in carpentry but ill give it a crack....could be quite a few beers and reds before i play some Ledzep
Early Days,
Old Red Pine mantle piece from a salvage yard, approx 70 years old, covered in lead paint and shellac stain underneath.
fortunately got hold of a power sander
Attachment 18248Attachment 18249Attachment 18250
Nice bit of tree going to a good home
Hi All,
Moving this thread to 'My Build Diary' - wish me luck and thanks for advice and feedback so far.....
Guvna