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Topic: What makes a great solid body lap steel guitar? |
Mark Mansueto
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 20 Mar 2023 8:01 am |
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I was just reading the thread about lap steel manufacturers and made me wonder what you all think makes a great lap steel. After all, solid body lap steels are a very basic instrument and I think if I mounted strings on a 2x4 with the right electronics it would sound pretty good, right? So what makes a great one?
1. Type of wood
2. Pickups
3. Hardware
4. Scale length
5. Looks (body shape, finish, etc)
6. Other?
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https://markmansueto.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/65dQ3EyZC2RaqawA8gPlRy?si=dOdqc5zxSKeJI9cISVVx_A |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 20 Mar 2023 8:28 am
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Mark, I think that the bridge and nut are significant factors as they can kill the sound if they are poorly made. Playability is one of the most important factors and I think tone relies a lot on that factor. It’s crucial that the guitar is set up properly first and foremost, with the nut slots perfectly cut. I think the pickup/electronics is next, followed by the body material. All are important, but for me, in that order.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Bill Groner
From:
QUAKERTOWN, PA
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Posted 20 Mar 2023 9:08 am
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Mike is correct. Get the two critical steps in their proper place (nut & bridge) and everything else will follow. I built 13 lapsteels and no two are alike as far as materials and the shape of the body. Some look more pleasing to the eye and some are more comfortable on your lap. That is what is so neat about building......there are no rules, other than getting the nut, bridge, and scale length on the fretboard right!
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Currently own, 6 Groner-tone lap steels, one 1953 Alamo Lap steel, Roland Cube, Fender Champion 40 |
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Peter Jacobs
From:
Northern Virginia
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Bill McCloskey
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Posted 20 Mar 2023 10:05 am
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My best steels, like my SuperSlides, have unique wood (the reason there are no more superslides is that the special treated wood they use is no longer available), great pickups, gauged nuts, ergonomically friendly (including string spacing that is a personal preference), and some undefinable mojo that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Every one of my current steels has an unmistakable uniqueness that sets it apart from all the others, but is not better or worse than the others. It's own thing. One thing to keep in mind is the inherent lack of consistency across steel brands. Exceptions to that rule: Beard. MSA. Not too many beyond that. |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 20 Mar 2023 10:32 am Re: What makes a great solid body lap steel guitar?
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| Mark Mansueto wrote: |
I was just reading the thread about lap steel manufacturers and made me wonder what you all think makes a great lap steel. After all, solid body lap steels are a very basic instrument and I think if I mounted strings on a 2x4 with the right electronics it would sound pretty good, right? So what makes a great one?
1. Type of wood
2. Pickups
3. Hardware
4. Scale length
5. Looks (body shape, finish, etc)
6. Other? |
I think you left out the most important item of all.
- build quality: the combination of quality components with impeccable workmanship.
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Current Tunings:
6 String | G – G B D G B D
7 String | G6 – e G B D G B D (re-entrant)
https://papadafoe.com/lap-steel-tuning-database |
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Mark Mansueto
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 20 Mar 2023 12:41 pm
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You guys have made great points. I repair/restore and build guitars as a hobby and I have built five lap steels so far but I really only make them from my limited knowledge. I hear some of your recordings and for the life of me I don't know how you get some of those deep rich tones. I've always though the secret sauce was in the pickups but from your comments it sounds like it could be a combo of many factors that contribute to tone AND playability.
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https://markmansueto.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/65dQ3EyZC2RaqawA8gPlRy?si=dOdqc5zxSKeJI9cISVVx_A |
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Brooks Montgomery
From:
Idaho, USA
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Posted 20 Mar 2023 1:39 pm
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I think if blues and rock are your game, then I would put pick-ups near the top of my list.
I had Jim Palenscar, just a few weeks ago, install two Seymour Duncan Antiquity humbuckers in my Duesenberg Fairytale, and it turned it into a guitar that I really like. I never could find a tone that I liked with the stock Duesy pickups—they were just anemic. I played with several pedals in hopes of finding the tone—but it was always anemic + pedal .
I was planning on selling my Duesenberg (which is a beautiful build with very top shelf components) , but after I happened across a ‘Lessons with Troy’ youtube where he mentioned really liking the Antiquity’s, I decided to try them.
Now the guitar has the belly, the growl. Playing it through a 12-watt tube amp, it has the tone I was looking for—without any pedals.
And as so many have mentioned here, Jim is fantastic to work with. He had it done and adjusted to perfection in just a day or two.
I’m tempted to put Seymour Duncan Antiquitys in my Asher next.
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A banjo, like a pet monkey, seems like a good idea at first. |
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David Matzenik
From:
Cairns, on the Coral Sea
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Posted 20 Mar 2023 4:55 pm
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If its about building a guitar, plan on 7 string minimum.
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Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother. |
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