Lap steel comparisons, just for fun

James Mayer · Posted 4 Jul 2009 2:34 pm

I've tried a lot of different lap steels and I own 6 different models. Only 5 are pictured here as my $60 Artisan (the only one I'll loan out) is perpetually borrowed by friends.

I often compare the different strengths and weaknesses between them as I'm interested in what construction aspects are needed to make the "perfect" steel guitar. Is it the building materials, pickups, scale length, etc? These are the same tests I use when I try out steel in various music stores and pawn shops.

The most important things to me are tone, sustain,harmonics(clarity and ease of playing them), consistency up the neck, and eBowing. I don't really play slants. I've ordered them by their strengths in the different categories.

The first photo shows my 60's Teisco and my Fouke 6-string (referred to as "#1")with knee/elbow benders, mahogony insert and a custom Vintage Vibe CC Rider humbucker (with coil tap). The second photo shows a Fouke 8-string (#2) with 26" scale and Lollar Stringmaster pickups. Next, a green Guyatone. After that, another Fouke 6 String (#3) with a Kent Armstrong p90.

TONE:

1) Teisco. Despite it's numerous weaknesses (see below) it has a dramatic singing voice. This covered the sound I was looking for when I tried all those vintage Fender models over the last few years. I've come to the minority conclusion that vintage Fenders are solid but overhyped.
2) #1 Fouke. This WAS a three way tie between all the Foukes. #1 has a string-through mod and the hollow body is filled with a mahogany slab. It's a noticeable difference, but didn't necessarily sound better to my ears. Just a different flavor. However, the Vintage Vibe CC pickup put it a notch above.
3) Two way tie between Fouke #2 and #3
4) Green Guyatone - nothing special. Pretty vanilla.

SUSTAIN:

1) Fouke #1 - string-through and mahogany? probably
2) Fouke #2 - a very close second, could actually be tied with #1. Probably the 26" scale?
3) Fouke #3 - Hollow-body aluminum, just like #2. Whoever says that hollow bodies don't sustain like solid-bodies needs to rethink this theory. The resonance of aluminum could make up for the difference?
4) Green Guyatone - what I would consider average sustain for a lap steel.
5) Teisco. It's a shame that the sustain is below average because it's a surprising tone monster. I wish I knew how to mod this one to improve sustain. I'm scared of killing the tone so I leave it alone.

HARMONICS: I play harmonics with my ring finger, pinky knuckle and side of my palm where the pinky meets the hand. This is a measurement of how consistently I can get all of those techniques to work and how clear and loud the harmonics ring out.

1) Fouke #2 - Piece of cake and loud. 26" scale length and aluminum resonance is my theory.
2) Fouke #3 - just as loud and clear as #2 but not quite as consistently easy to perform.
3) Fouke #1 - I'm pretty sure the mahogany "solid-body" mod is inhibiting the harmonics but it is still waaaaaaaayyyyyy better than..........
4) Green Guyatone - again, average performer.
5) Teisco - maybe just below average.

CONSISTENCY (clarity up the neck):

1) Fouke #2 - at this point, I'm a firm believer in long scale lengths and aluminum.
2) Tie, Fouke #2 and #3. Consistency is perfect, but it's just a bit more crowded with the "normal" scale lengths.
3) Tie, Teisco and Guyatone. What I get out of these is about what I get out of every wooden lap steel I have tried. The muddiness comes in around the 15th fret and continues up the neck.

EBOW: This is mostly about ease of use but tone and "window" are also considered. The "window" is how much movement makes a discernable difference to and from the bridge.

1) Fouke #3 - I think it may be the p90 pickup as I've read p90 have a large window for using the eBow. This steel simply takes off when the ebow gets anywhere near it. I can get a wide range of tones by moving the ebow around.
2) Fouke #1 - The mahogany hasn't affected this much so my theory that the hollow-body resonance of #2 could be wrong. I performs with excellence but doesn't have as large a palette of tones as #2.

3) Green Guyatone - Average ease of use for a 6-stringer. Good range of tones with the two pickups. However, it has a fairly small window.

4) Fouke #2 - Sometimes difficult to activate the eBow.......probably due the closer spacing of the 8 strings. Average tone palette and small window.

5) Teisco - Consistenly difficult to use the ebow and small window. Range of tone is average.

Conclusions:

- performance is easier to nail than something subjective, such as tone.
- Aluminum makes for more consistency, both in clarity and harmonics.
- eBow friendliness is a bit of a mystery.
- Sustain has a lot of myth surrounding it. The Teisco has a metal nut/bridge and solid-body.....yet, it doesn't sustain worth a damn compared to a my hollow-bodied models.
- The Teisco only does one thing well and it does it gloriously. Could it be that percieved "mojo" is the tradeoff for sustain and other desirables?

A couple of notes about the Teisco. The bridge is higher than the nut so the strings are sloped. Also, there are string notches in the nut but not in the bridge. It also has a built in speaker.

James Mayer · Posted 4 Jul 2009 2:58 pm

Another interesting thing to note is that the Teisco's scale is about 1.25" shorter than the 22.22" scale of the Fouke next to it.

Scott Thomas · Posted 4 Jul 2009 7:42 pm

Interesting little stable of guitars you have there. That Teisco sounds like a real sleeper. Smile

It's great that you are finding the guitars that are giving you the sounds you want--that's the most important thing. Even though you are sort of comparing apples to oranges with all those variables you have going, I have to say that your observations regarding long vs short scale are similar to my experience as well in A/B'ing long and short aluminum frypans. The long scale was preferable to the short in all the same categories you mention (minus the ebow)--but I preferred the tone of the short scale. But that's totally subjective--a matter of personal taste.

I keep thinking of the sound and sustain JB got out of that Ricky Bakelite short scale. Sounds like a freakin' theremin or something. Whoa!

But then we all know he was an alien.

Michael Papenburg · From: Oakland, CA

I started to do a full comparison of the lap steels I've owned but realized my post would be the longest ever so I stopped. Here are a few observations, though.

1. I much prefer 24" scale to 22-1/2". All of the 22-1/2" scale instruments I've owned had less sustain and "felt" very weird to me. Lots of people like them, though, and everyone has different preferences.

2. My favorite pickups are the Supro string-through variety. While most people describe them as best for distorted tones, mine have a clean, clear tone that also sounds good if you use a semi-distorted tone.

3. I've owned 6 & 8 string steels but prefer 6 strings because I just didn't use those lower notes very often in my favorite tuning (G6). I could see a 7 string being useful, though.

4. I don't do harmonics very often but I've found that longer scale lengths mean easier harmonics.

James Mayer · Posted 9 Jul 2009 8:45 am

Last night, I practiced with the band at stage volume in preparation for an upcoming show. The Teisco has a microphonic pickup. After a certain point on the volume pedal, it starts to squeal and howl. It'd be extremely cool if I could control it, but I can't, 99% of the time.

You can't hear me using the Teisco for feedback HERE. The first minute or so demonstrates one of the rare times I was able to actually control it while playing live. Sometime in the middle of the piece, you'll hear the steel drop out for whole sections because I'm was moving the steel trying to get that sweet spot.

I'm wondering how much the microphonic pickups contribute to the tone. Probably, quite a bit.

Nonetheless, it's now a studio or quiet gig steel only. The Fouke will be playing this gig.

Michael Papenburg · From: Oakland, CA

How would you describe the Vintage Vibe CC pickup? It sounds interesting.

Michael Papenburg · From: Oakland, CA

I love the feedback in your song. I personally feel that a bit of microphonics can really add to the tone of a pickup. That being said, there is a point where it is unusable. You might consider having someone add a tiny bit of wax potting to the magnet of the pickup. I hear that this can tame the microphonics a bit without killing them entirely. You have to be careful not to add too much wax, though, or the microphonics will completely go away.

Also, I have a 1965 Gibson Melody Maker that has microphonic pickups. I stuffed the cavity around the pickup with foam and it tamed the feedback a bit but did not get rid of it entirely (which was good IMO). Just a few things to consider.

James Mayer · Posted 9 Jul 2009 9:49 am

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