| Author |
Topic: Help identifying lap steel? |
Sonny Jenkins
From:
Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx
|
Posted 7 Oct 2016 1:22 pm |
|
Maybe someone (Doug or ??) can help ID this guitar! I went to a vintage guitar show and a lady had a 6 string bakelite lap steel with a bridge that said "multi-(???)" The bridge was a metal block-like thing with a 3"-4" long lever on the outside that when rotated back and forth was supposed to change the tuning (I couldn't really hear if it did or not, some guy in the next booth was running pentatonics and wearing all 3 chords he knew!!!) There was no name on the guitar itself, looked to be from the 30s or 40s and seemed to be in pretty shape.
I asked what she wanted for it and she said she would have to contact her son,,,which she was unable to do. Wish I had gotten a picture of it. |
|
|
 |
Noah Miller
From:
Rocky Hill, CT
|
Posted 7 Oct 2016 2:28 pm
|
|
Any chance it was a Stringtone pitch changing tailpiece? Those were sold by themselves and added to all kinds of steels.
 |
|
|
|
Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
|
Posted 7 Oct 2016 2:56 pm
|
|
I'd agree with Noah that's it's probably a Stringtone string changer or similar device. Without a photo or better description of the guitar in question, it's impossible to accurately guess what you saw.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
|
|
|
Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
|
Posted 7 Oct 2016 3:01 pm
|
|
| Quote: |
| a bridge that said "multi-(???)" The bridge was a metal block-like thing with a 3"-4" long lever |
It's probably an old Multi-Harp-Triplex. Similar to the Stringtone changer. These devices were early attempts to change tunings in the pre-pedal steel guitar era. None of them work very well IMO. I've owned several lap steels with Stringtone changer and the guitars always had to be fine tuned with the tuners after moving the lever. Same thing with he National Triplex Chord Changer lap steel. I've owned three of those and the levers never worked well. If you buy a guitar with one of these devices I suggest removing it. You're better off re-tuning the normal way, with the tuners.
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
|
|
|
Sonny Jenkins
From:
Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx
|
Posted 7 Oct 2016 4:16 pm
|
|
| Man,,,are you guys great or what!!!! Yes , It was the Multi-Harp Triplex. Glad I asked before I put $$$ into "that rare bird". |
|
|
|
Sonny Jenkins
From:
Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx
|
Posted 8 Oct 2016 9:43 am
|
|
| Curiosity,,, wonder what one would be worth,,,looks to be in great condition? |
|
|
|
Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
|
Posted 8 Oct 2016 12:17 pm
|
|
I don't think the Multi's are worth much. They're more rare than the Stringtone, but there is no demand for them. Maybe some vintage guys would want one as a curiosity piece.
I sold a couple of Stringtone changers on eBay in years past. I started the auctions at $1. One sold for about $40 and the other one sold for $300. Two bidders got into a bidding war on that one. The top bidder said he had a lap steel with a Stringtone when he was a youngster and he wanted to recapture his youth! By the way, there were three variations of the Stringtone, different tuning options.
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
|
|
|
Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
|
Posted 9 Oct 2016 9:11 pm
|
|
All of them rely on specific tunings, string gages AND string tension - plus if they have worn at all over the years they will not raise or lower strings to the correct pitch. I have one on a 50's pedal steel that does nothing in tune - I just leave it on as a conversation piece and call it the "gearshift".
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
|
|
|
Mick Hearn
From:
United Kingdom
|
Posted 10 Oct 2016 8:16 am
|
|
Looks interesting but have never seen one. I have just seen a pic of the inside of the Stringtone and it looks to me as if it is tuned the same way as a ShoBud Maverick. Engage the changer and tune to the raised pitches using the machine heads, then release and tune the open string with possibly an allen wrench or small screwdriver. That way the string guage should not have any effect and in theory come up to pitch.
But like I have said, I have never seen one in the flesh.
_________________
MSA Classic 12 string Universal, Remington Steelmaster D8, National D8 Console x 2, George Boards Lap Steel, National New Yorker. |
|
|
|
