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Topic: Weissenborn recommendation |
Mitchell Smithey
From:
Dallas, USA
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Posted 23 Feb 2020 8:09 pm |
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Any tips out there on a decent Weissenborn for not too much dinero? I’m looking to add one to my stable but I’m ignorant on who are the best budget builders.
Thanks, Mitchell |
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Glenn Wilde
From:
California, USA
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Posted 24 Feb 2020 2:17 am
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If you are talking new production i can't help but if you are interested in vintage guitars then there are some bargains still out there. I have an Oahu 65k (parlor) and 66k ( concert) acoustic lap steels, both are fine, solid wood guitars with beautiful tone and cost under $500.00 apiece. They quite satisfy my Weissenborn itch.
They did both require a little work though and are very lightly built, like an old Weissenborn  |
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K Maul
From:
Hadley, NY/Hobe Sound, FL
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Posted 24 Feb 2020 5:42 am
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Depends on what “not too much†means. eBay is loaded with Asian imports, some with pickups. They’re mostly OK for about $300.
Neil at Celtic Cross makes very fine guitars for a reasonable price, and will make you exactly what you want. That’ll be more than the imports but well worth it.
_________________
KEVIN MAUL: Airline, Beard, Clinesmith, Donner, Evans, Excel, Fender, Fluger, Gibson, Hilton, Ibanez, Justice, K+K, Live Strings, MOYO, National, Oahu, Peterson, Quilter, Rickenbacher, Sho~Bud, Supro, TC, Ultimate, VHT, Williams, X-otic, Yamaha, ZKing. |
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Robert Murphy
From:
West Virginia
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Posted 24 Feb 2020 8:21 am
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| Twisted Wood. |
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Mitchell Smithey
From:
Dallas, USA
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Posted 25 Feb 2020 9:45 pm
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| Thanks for all the info. The twisted won guitars look pretty good for the money. I’ll be keeping an eye out. |
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Shaun Barnes
From:
Kona, Hawaii, USA
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Mark Mansueto
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 4 Mar 2020 8:10 am
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I thought I needed a weissenborn at one time so I had one made by a well known luthier. The guitar was beautiful and played and sounded great but one day I decided to convert a 12 string acoustic to a 6 string lap steel and it turned out great. Sold the weissenborn and never regretted it because I actually preferred the acoustic guitar tone plus it was an acoustic/electric and the weis wasn't.
Hand built weisenborn: $1600.00 (2014)
Seagull S12 conversion: $350.00 |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 4 Mar 2020 8:38 am
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Shaun,
I have an Imperial weissenborn and am well satisfied with it.
I have two different pickups on it and from the pickups, via a stereo cord, I go into a Marshall amp where I can split the signals into two separate channels.
I get a very impressive sound out of that setup. 
Erv |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 4 Mar 2020 9:06 am
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In case there are still some useful nuggets, here's an article I wrote for Acoustic Guitar Magazine back in 2010. A lot has changed in regard to builders and prices but the fundamentals remain true ...
| Quote: |
Taking inspiration from such prominent lap-slide guitarists as Bob Brozman, Ed Gerhard, Ben Harper, and David Lindley, more and more guitarists are adding the unique tone and gossamer sustain of an acoustic Weissenborn-style lap-steel guitar to their musical arsenals. Lap-style guitars first emerged in Hawaii in the 1880s, where players raised the action of their standard guitars, laid them flat on their laps, and learned to play melodies with a metal bar sliding along the strings. The yearlong Panama Pacific Exposition (held in San Francisco in 1915) introduced mainland America to Hawaiian-style playing and ignited a 30-year fad for island music.
Although he was not the first to build a flattop guitar specifically designed for lap playing, Los Angeles, California, luthier Hermann Weissenborn refined the concept in the 1920s. His unique integration of a hollow neck with an elongated body yielded responsiveness, sustain, and a glossy, shimmering tone that many aficionados describe in almost metaphysical terms, and original Weissenborns now command eye-opening prices.
Original Weissenborns were lightly built using Hawaiian koa for the entire body. They have unscalloped, X-braced tops; wooden fret markers inlaid flush with the fingerboard; hide glue construction; and shellac finishes. The guitars came in four styles of increasing ornamentation from the plain Style 1 to the Style 4, whose ornate “rope†binding (constructed from alternating light and dark diagonal strips of wood) became a signature of the instrument. The enduring popularity of Weissenborn’s design, and the high price of vintage specimens, has resulted in quite a few contemporary luthiers either copying or expanding on the basic concept. Let’s take a look at what’s available.
OFF THE RACK
If you’re on a budget or unsure exactly how deep you want to wade into acoustic lap-steel waters, several companies offer very affordable Weissenborn-style guitars. For example, George Boards imports two models built in China: an all-laminate model ($399.99) and a solid mahogany model ($599.99). The guitars come with a 24.75-inch scale (original Weissenborns varied from about 24.75 inches to 25 inches), closed-back tuners, and even optional electronics.
Gold Tone offers three budget-minded models: a laminate mahogany version (LM, $699), a solid mahogany model (SM, $899) and a solid Australian blackwood version (Style 4) similar to Weissenborn’s original Style 4 specifications ($1,519). Gold Tone options include a soundhole pickup with an extended bar magnet capable of picking up the wider string spacing of Weissenborn-style guitars.
Superior’s Hawaiian-style guitars, built by luthiers in the mountain village of Paracho, Mexico, and imported by Berkeley Musical Instrument Exchange, are another lower cost option. Superior offers a spruce top model with palo escrito rosewood back and sides ($1,100) and a mahogany model with a Canadian cedar top ($1,025). Rope binding and an abalone rosette are available as options on both models.
CUSTOM-MADE LAP GUITARS
Since the original’s body shape, hollow neck and aesthetics are a large part of the Weissenborn sound, contemporary lap-slide guitar builders typically offer a more limited range of variations and options than those available for standard guitars. Hawaiian koa is far and away the most popular tonewood for tops and bodies (in varying levels of figure and cost) followed by mahogany and rosewood, although other woods are often available. Custom lap-slide guitars typically include a scale length of around 25 inches, a bone nut, an aluminum or bone saddle, the choice of dot or Weissenborn Style-4 geometric position marker inlays, and a satin lacquer, gloss nitrocellulose, or (like the originals) shellac finish.
The salient aesthetic option unique to these instruments is the iconic rope binding. Some players love it, and some don’t, so most builders offer rope binding alternatives ranging from rosewood to abalone. Like many standard-guitar builders, Weissenborn-style luthiers are usually willing to discuss adding a unique inlay scheme to personalize an instrument. Lazy River Guitars (whose prices start at $1,500), for example, offers to inlay a customer’s initials for $30 per letter.
Luthiers Bill Hardin of Bear Creek Guitars, Bill Asher, and Tony Francis (whose instruments start in the $2,200–$2,800 range) are among several custom builders whose passion for unraveling the secrets of the original Weissenborns has enabled them to build very accurate reproductions both in terms of construction and tone. Asher developed his line of hollow-necks via meticulous study of a 1928 Style-1 owned by Ben Harper, while Hardin enjoyed access to Bob Brozman’s collection of Weissenborns. Francis has also spent many hours measuring vintage instruments in an effort to create a flawless copy.
Several builders make guitars that bow to tradition while breaking new ground. Instruments developed by the Breedlove Guitar Co. and luthier Jayson Bowerman for fingerstylist Ed Gerhard can be ordered with the option of partial standard guitar–type frets to allow fretted bass notes in additional to slide techniques. Breedlove offers the guitar as its Acoustic Lap Steel (starting at $2669.00 (for mahogany), and Bowerman, who now works independently, builds a similar guitar called the Weissenborn (starting at $3440). New Zealand luthier Paddy Burgin offers Weissenborn-style guitars (starting at $2,440) made of Tasmanian blackwood, walnut, or sapele that feature a deeper body and internal bracing designed to deliver greater volume and consistency throughout the guitar’s range.
Others find inspiration beyond the rarified world of Weissenborn. Joseph Yanuziello’s guitars (which start at $6,200) are informed as much by the sound of Martin flattops as by Weissenborn’s Hawaiian guitars while Michael Dunn’s hollownecks (Starting at $3800) reflect the originals reimagined through a fine arts lens. Cole Clark’s Violap ($3,020) uses the Weissenborn body shape and hollow neck (tweaked with f-holes and a choice of piezo and magnetic pickups) to enter electric lap-steel territory.
A BRAVE NEW WORLD
Eighty years after their heyday, Weissenborn-style guitars are hipper than ever and guitarists have a wide range of choices across the price spectrum. Like standard guitars, higher end Weissenborns will get you closer to the slide guitar tonal Nirvana that’s the hallmark of the hollow-neck design. There’s never been a better time to put bar to string and discover for yourself, the magic of lap-style guitar playing.
SIDEBAR: Contemporary Makers of Weissenborn-Style Guitars
Asher Guitars: asherguitars.com
Bear Creek Guitars: bcguitar.com
Bowerman Guitars: bowermanguitars.com
Breedlove Guitars: breedlovemusic.com
Burgin Guitars: burginguitars.co.nz
Michael Dunn: michaeldunnguitars.com
Cole Clark: coleclark-america.com
Tony Francis Instruments: tonyfrancisinstruments.com
George Boards: steelguitarcamp.com
Gold Tone: goldtone.com
Lazy River Guitars: lazyriverguitars
Superior: berkeleymusic.com
Yanuziello Stringed Instruments: yanuziello.com |
_________________
Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Brad Davis
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 4 Mar 2020 10:07 am
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FWIW, I acquired and reviewed the current Gold Tone SM+ model recently. Not the most wonderful sounding weissy, but attractive and well built, good play-ability, and I continue to be impressed with their sound hole pickup.
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=352525 |
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Shaun Barnes
From:
Kona, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 5 Mar 2020 12:34 am
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| Erv Niehaus wrote: |
I have an Imperial weissenborn and am well satisfied with it.
I have two different pickups on it and from the pickups, via a stereo cord, I go into a Marshall amp where I can split the signals into two separate channels.
I get a very impressive sound out of that setup. |
Thank you, Erv. I've heard of someone else running a similar set-up to cover the whole range evenly; which pickups are you using? Soundhole and built-in? Which model do you have?
Last edited by Shaun Barnes on 5 Mar 2020 12:21 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 5 Mar 2020 8:09 am
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I have the Sunrise pickup in the sound hole and the built in.
I have the deep bodied Imperial.
Erv |
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Shaun Barnes
From:
Kona, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 5 Mar 2020 8:00 pm
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| Mark Mansueto wrote: |
| ...but one day I decided to convert a 12 string acoustic to a 6 string lap steel and it turned out great. .. |
Mark would you pls share a little more about how you did this? Or maybe there’s another thread to look at; I had a similar notion a few weeks back..
Erv, that one sure looks like it puts out some enchanting tones!!
Thanks much |
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Bruce Bjork
From:
Southern Coast of Maine
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Posted 9 Mar 2020 9:51 am
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| Mark Mansueto wrote: |
I thought I needed a weissenborn at one time so I had one made by a well known luthier. The guitar was beautiful and played and sounded great but one day I decided to convert a 12 string acoustic to a 6 string lap steel and it turned out great. Sold the weissenborn and never regretted it because I actually preferred the acoustic guitar tone plus it was an acoustic/electric and the weis wasn't.
Hand built weisenborn: $1600.00 (2014)
Seagull S12 conversion: $350.00 |
Just picked up an old Yamaha 12 string (free) and will be converting, probably open D or E, what string gauges are you using?
Thanks
_________________
Banjo, Dobro, Guild D-40, Telecaster, Justice Pro Lite 3x5, BOSS Katana 100, Peavey Nashville 112 in a Tommy Huff cabinet, Spark, FreeLoader, Baby Bloomer, Peterson StroboPlus HD, Stage One VP.
"Use the talents you possess; the woods would be very silent indeed if no birds sang but the best" |
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Mark Mansueto
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 9 Mar 2020 11:40 am
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| Shaun Barnes wrote: |
| Mark Mansueto wrote: |
| ...but one day I decided to convert a 12 string acoustic to a 6 string lap steel and it turned out great. .. |
Mark would you pls share a little more about how you did this? Or maybe there’s another thread to look at; I had a similar notion a few weeks back..
Thanks much |
Sure.
I chose the Seagull because it's a guitar that I'm familiar with and are known to have a wider than normal neck which allows for the wider string spacing of a typical lap steel. I chose a 12 string to convert because they're built to withstand the additional tension of 6 additional strings which means it can handle the additional tension of a steel with raised strings. The conversion was pretty easy and here's all that I did:
1. removed the frets
2. flattened the fretboard (for flat capo)
3. replaced the original nut and saddle with new raised bone nut and saddle.
4. shortened the head and removed 6 of the tuners
The guitar turned out real nice and you wouldn't know by looking at it that it's a converted 12 string and it sounds great. I have it tuned to open D but I tested it with open E and it was fine.
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Shaun Barnes
From:
Kona, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 9 Mar 2020 11:07 pm
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Inspiring work Mark, thank you for sharing 
Did you make the nut and saddle yourself? |
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Mark Mansueto
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 10 Mar 2020 3:36 am
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Yes, I made the higher nut and saddle from bone blanks but I don't recall where I got them. I ordered them online somewhere and was able to get them in the correct thickness so all I had to do was make them the correct height and add the grooves to the nut.
I actually have 3 acoustic lapsteels and I use D'Addario EJ17's on all of them. |
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Paul DiMaggio
From:
Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 14 Mar 2020 5:41 pm
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| Mark; does that slanted bridge affect the intonation up the neck? |
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Mark Mansueto
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 15 Mar 2020 12:00 pm
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| Paul, I want to say no but I don't remember checking it because it would have been a few years ago. I will check it again and get back. |
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Paul DiMaggio
From:
Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 15 Mar 2020 12:14 pm
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| Thanks Mark. I have recently been given one of those Seagull 12 string and am considering turning into a 6 string lap steel. Mine has been rode hard and put up wet so not as pretty as yours. |
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Jim Fiegen
From:
California, USA
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Mark Mansueto
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 16 Mar 2020 10:08 am
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| Paul DiMaggio wrote: |
| Thanks Mark. I have recently been given one of those Seagull 12 string and am considering turning into a 6 string lap steel. Mine has been rode hard and put up wet so not as pretty as yours. |
How'a it sound? That's the bottom line. My first conversion was a rode-hard Epiphone 12 that's not pretty but sounds great. I'd take a pic but I don't have it handy. That guitar had a neck that was so jacked that it was not reparable and I almost made it into wall art until I realized that it could be converted. |
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Paul DiMaggio
From:
Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 16 Mar 2020 1:36 pm
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| As a regular guitar it sounds good. All cedar body and I think the top is spruce. I may have a tall nut around here somewhere. (We are renovating) If I find it I will try it out as a steel. When I got it the top was sinking and the bridge was starting to lift. I put it in a room with a cold humidifier and in 24 hours it was back to normal. I strung it up with light strings and so far it is good. |
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Paul DiMaggio
From:
Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 17 Mar 2020 12:43 am
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| Boy ! Am I ever uninformed! Wild cherry body and cedar top is what this guitar is made of. Which probably explains why the top straightened out with the addition of moisture. |
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Mark Mansueto
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 17 Mar 2020 9:38 am
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Glad to hear that. Converting it doesn't need to be fancy. I found a couple pic's of the Epi I did. The nut is aluminum angle and I originally made the bridge from wood and later added fretwire to the top.
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