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Topic: Fender Champ Legs Mod |
Michael James
From:
La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 24 Apr 2016 8:30 am |
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Hey Folks,
A couple of years ago I purchased this late model Fender Champ lap steel that had some minor cosmetic issues. I got it for cheep so I wasn't afraid to modify it.
The Fender decal is messed up, and on the bottom side someone had scratched their initials into the wood. It also had a lot of chips ect.. on the bottom.
A while ago I began to think about putting legs on it. But I had a few concerns. The first was I wanted the steel to have more mass as to be more stable and to give the instrument more sustain. So I decided to epoxy a plank to the bottom of the instrument. This would also get rid of the cosmetic issues on the bottom of the instrument, and it gave me the option to mount the legs wherever I wanted due to chambering cavities in the instrument.
After it was all done I was really surprised at how nice this project turned out. The steel is everything I had hoped it would be. I also put felt on the bottom and It still works great as a lap steel.
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Michael James
From:
La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 24 Apr 2016 10:08 am
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Thanks Doug 
It sounded pretty good before. The pickup has nice strong output and is very clean. It also has no unwanted hum ect..
The added sustain has changed the way I play the instrument. I play with a little softer touch now which makes the instrument have a bigger sound.
So, yes the tone is bit nicer now. |
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Tom Pettingill
From:
California, USA (deceased)
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Posted 25 Apr 2016 7:44 pm
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Nicely done Michael
The extra mass may very well be adding to the sustain, but it may also be partially due to getting it off your lap and onto legs. While its a subtle effect, laying across your legs can absorb and mute the overall resonance of an instrument a little.
_________________
Some misc pics of my hand crafted steels
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Michael James
From:
La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 30 Apr 2016 7:35 am
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| Good point. |
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Does the additional wood affect the tone at all?