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Post new topic My Latest Lap Steel, with palm levers
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Author Topic:  My Latest Lap Steel, with palm levers
W. Johnson


From:
Oregon, USA
Post  Posted 15 Oct 2014 3:29 pm    
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Here are a few pics of my latest palm lever lap steel build, which I call 'LaPedal-6'.









Tuned to open E (E - B - E - G# - B - E ), 24" scale. Lever one (closest to the player) raises both B strings (strings 2 and 5), lever 2 raises the G# (sting 3), lever 3 raises only the high B (string #2). I put a cross over between levers 1 and 3. All the levers have stops and are adjustable. The levers can be moved to any string, the crossover can be removed, or the levers can be loosened and pushed out of the way when not wanted.

The wood is eastern hardrock Maple.

Wayne
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I am on Facebook as Innovative Guitars. Photos of all my work in photo album. I no longer make lap steels, but still make tone bars.
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Len Amaral

 

From:
Rehoboth,MA 02769
Post  Posted 15 Oct 2014 5:16 pm    
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Looks cool! I admire your enthusiasm for building a unique guitar from scratch. Would love to hear some clips.

Lenny
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Bill Hatcher

 

From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
Post  Posted 15 Oct 2014 8:57 pm    
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nice! can it do a lower??? i made one years ago that could also do one lower. seems that the raises were much easier to make! Smile
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W. Johnson


From:
Oregon, USA
Post  Posted 15 Oct 2014 9:20 pm    
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Bill Hatcher wrote:
nice! can it do a lower??? i made one years ago that could also do one lower. seems that the raises were much easier to make! Smile


This only does a raise. I had considered making it so it could do either raise or lower, but it adds quite a bit of complexity.

Wayne
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I am on Facebook as Innovative Guitars. Photos of all my work in photo album. I no longer make lap steels, but still make tone bars.
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Fred Layman

 

From:
Springfield, Missouri USA
Post  Posted 23 Oct 2014 1:41 pm     Pa;m Bars
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I'm way behind on this one, spending most all of my time in the Pedal Steel section, but tune me in: what is the function of tone bars on non-pedal steels? I can imagine their use on relatively slow numbers, but are they also used for faster numbers?
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Doug Beaumier


From:
Northampton, MA
Post  Posted 23 Oct 2014 1:44 pm    
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Wow, that looks like a mean machine! I'd like to see/hear it in action.
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W. Johnson


From:
Oregon, USA
Post  Posted 23 Oct 2014 2:45 pm     Re: Pa;m Bars
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Fred Layman wrote:
I'm way behind on this one, spending most all of my time in the Pedal Steel section, but tune me in: what is the function of tone bars on non-pedal steels? I can imagine their use on relatively slow numbers, but are they also used for faster numbers?
The palm levers do the same thing as pedals, to get the same kind of effect/sound. The palm levers are much more difficult to use than pedals, and it takes a lot of practice to get good.

I originally designed this guitar so I could play minor chords, 7ths, etc., and to do the I - IV - V progression. Subsequent to the design of this guitar, I have discovered that the lap steel is very versatile, and that most anything I want to do I can do it on a lap steel, including minor chords, diminished 7th, sixth, ect, and I only play my lap steel that has no palm levers (I sell every LaPedal-6 I make, so I don't even have one at the moment). The palm levers are fun, and you can get some interesting sounds, you just have to practice at it to get good (or fast.)

Wayne
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I am on Facebook as Innovative Guitars. Photos of all my work in photo album. I no longer make lap steels, but still make tone bars.
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