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Topic: Newbie with a six string |
Larry G. Allen
From:
Near Nashville Tennessee, USA
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Posted 3 Jan 2014 8:41 am |
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I have been reading this forum for a week or two, trying to digest tons of great info you members are sharing. I have been playing guitar since the late sixties , mainly as a chunka chunka cowboy chord rhythm player and singer in bands. The lap steel bug has finnaly gotten to me. I came across a LS on the local craigs list and snagged it for less than the price of lunch. It's an Artisan six string , about tens years old , and even as a newbie it stikes me as a P.O.S. But I thought I could at least see if I can master the basics on it and then move up. I tuned it to C6 , (I think ) , and it really sounds anorexic , plugged or unplugged. Hopefully that's just my bar technique , or lack thereof. Any suggestions you all can throw my way would be appreciated. Also have a question for my next LS, I'm in Tennessee , and I noticed that Morrelll laps are made here. Would a Morrell six or eight be a good next step ? Biggie question too that I almost forgot , should I tune this lap to an open E or G so I can concentrate on bar and pickin for now? I can play a pretty good "Steel Guitar Rag" on guitar in E major , so my simple mind says tune the lap to E and work on learning that song since it's firmly planted in my head ? Thanks in advance for your help.... This looks like a Great Forum with Great people !
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A couple of Martin Armpit Gits , , a couple of my own custom S8 laps, and a Gold Tone JB Dobro |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 3 Jan 2014 11:23 am
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Where do you have your tone settings on the guitar and amp?
So often people leave the tone all on high and that's fertile ground for poor tone.
E Maj is a great place to start, you can expand that tuning easily when you get an 8 str. |
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Stephen Abruzzo
From:
Philly, PA
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Posted 3 Jan 2014 12:15 pm
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A POS made from bad wood with a bad pickup will sound like a POS. But, as Ron said, check your amp settings.
Recording Kings make a decent, consistent entry level lap steel per other Forumites. Morrells tend to be not very well regarded without extensive changes.
Open E is a great place to start and will be familiar territory for you. |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 3 Jan 2014 12:58 pm
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The Morrell has a piece of wood that's barely above fireplace grade... the tuners are as cheap as possible, the bridge is guaranteed to cut strings... the pickup on mine doesn't hear the two outside strings. I've got one, can't hardly give it away.
Clue #1... any vintage Fender lapsteel you buy will always be sellable for about what you paid (unless you way over-pay).
Here's another clue... get a decent dobro, tune it to C6. Buy one used, pay around $200 if you can... you can always sell it for what you've got in it, and it will get you into acoustic jams. I've got a Gold Tone 8-string PBS that I use for this... it's basically an acoustic steel guitar, strung for E13.
Or... you can always get an Allparts extender nut and re-string one of your acoustics... 10$, that's as cheap as it gets.
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Too much junk to list... always getting more. |
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Larry G. Allen
From:
Near Nashville Tennessee, USA
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Posted 3 Jan 2014 4:46 pm
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Thanks for the replies guys. I've got the tone set about midway on the lap and the amp , but I'll play with it more. The noises I'm making sound cartoonish so far , maybe I'm not pressing the bar down hard enuff? Too light a touch perhaps. I've only been tinkering for a day or so, I'm sure the eureaka moment is coming
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A couple of Martin Armpit Gits , , a couple of my own custom S8 laps, and a Gold Tone JB Dobro |
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Stephen Baker
From:
Lancashire, UK
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Posted 3 Jan 2014 5:00 pm
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| Ditto the above advice, especially Ron’s about the tone control. Also try a heavier string gauge. Those budget steels tend to be a short scale length and a bit more metal in the equation can make a big difference. Regarding tuning, what style of music do you want to play? If you want to play country, particularly old style country, I’d stick with C6 as that’s what most of the beginners instructional is in. Check out Troy Brenningmeyer’s C6 basics lessons on Youtube end see if that’s the kind of thing you’re looking for. Steve |
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Stephen Baker
From:
Lancashire, UK
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Posted 3 Jan 2014 5:07 pm
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The temptation for a newbie is to slide around a lot. DON’T! Play a chord, kill it, re position, play it. Then maybe try coming in from a semitone (fret) below or above. Steve |
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Larry G. Allen
From:
Near Nashville Tennessee, USA
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Posted 3 Jan 2014 7:55 pm
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| Stephen Baker wrote: |
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The temptation for a newbie is to slide around a lot. DON’T! Play a chord, kill it, re position, play it. Then maybe try coming in from a semitone (fret) below or above. Steve |
Thanks Steve , this sounds like excellent advice, as was your mention of Troys youtube stuff. My leaning is for the older traditional country, H Williams, H. Thompson , H Snow, etc... Troys stuff looks great, and I like the sounds he's getting out of the Eastwood Airline. I think that's a contender for my next lap, but for now I will try the strings he recomends , Elderly LAP C6 , on this Artisan wall hanger. Oh , and I guess it goes without saying, I'll stay in C6 and start taming this beast. Thanks again.
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A couple of Martin Armpit Gits , , a couple of my own custom S8 laps, and a Gold Tone JB Dobro |
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Tom Snook
From:
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA
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Posted 4 Jan 2014 5:07 am
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Don't forget B11, high to low( E C# A F# D# B) and swing it! There's lots of B11help here on the forum.Have fun! 
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I wanna go back to my little grass shack........ |
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Dom Franco
From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
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Posted 4 Jan 2014 6:15 am
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Ditto on the string gauge advice... those steels come with light gauge guitar strings...uggghhh
Use the thickest gauge strings that will reach pitch without breaking (For high "E" I use a .016) that way the strings wont be bent out of tune with the bar pressure, and you will get a better full range signal. Raise the pickup for max volume without touching strings.
I have had students with these cheap guitars, and it's ok to start on, but soon you will want something better.
The thicker strings will allow you to hold the bar down firmly to eliminate rattles and buzzes...
Have fun
Dom
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYG9cvwCPKuXpGofziPNieA/feed?activity_view=3 |
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Jim Williams
From:
Meridian, Mississippi, USA - Home of Peavey!
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Posted 24 Jan 2014 7:46 am
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I have a Rogue lap steel which is almost the same as the one you have. You should be able to get a decent sound out of it, but as someone has pointed out it is very short scale, so you need to make the strings a little heavier than standard. Try turning the tone control all the way down (least treble) as you come back up there will be a transitional point that will be pretty drastic. I set mine somewhere in that transition area to taste. As someone else stated, it will sound pretty crappy with too much high end. Make sure you have the proper string set for the tuning though...the stock string set will not work for C6 and vice versa. The guitar is a below $100 instrument but IMO its actually not bad considering that and the short scale.
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GFI SM10 3/4, 1937 Gibson EH-150, 2 - Rondo SX Lap Steels and a Guyatone 6 String C6. Peavey 400 and a Roland 40 Amps. Behringer Reverb Pedal. |
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Jay Fagerlie
From:
Lotus, California, USA
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Posted 25 Jan 2014 9:10 am
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Larry-
The best advice I could give you right now is to go find a lap steel player, buy him lunch or a beer, and have him/her show you a few things.
Context is the best, watching someone do it sure helps with getting it done yourself.
Have the player listen to your rig, they'll have suggestions.
Last but not least- keep at it- it will get/sound better with seat time.
And for the record- I've heard decent players make AWESOME music with cheap POS gear.
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