| Author |
Topic: Legs Legs, advantages? |
Dan Sawyer
From:
Studio City, California, USA
|
Posted 28 Sep 2004 3:15 pm |
|
Maybe someone can tell me… What are the advantages and disadvantages of playing a guitar with legs, vs in the lap? I'm asking about sitting while playing, not standing.
------------------
Dan Sawyer
Fender Deluxe 8® (stringmaster), Fender Deluxe 8 (trap), Gibson EH-150, Wayne Lap Steel |
|
|
 |
Ed Naylor
From:
portsmouth.ohio usa, R.I.P.
|
Posted 28 Sep 2004 3:18 pm
|
|
| I personally think it gives more freedom to play . You have an opportunity to possibly move around more and it is comfortable. Just My personal feeling. ED Naylor Steel Guitar Works. |
|
|
|
HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
|
Posted 28 Sep 2004 4:20 pm
|
|
With legs, you can set the height and angle of the steel. Regardless of what you are sitting on, you can keep your comfort level.
On your lap, you either have the right seat or you'll be struggling to get a good playing position.
Also, you better have some kind of material on the bottom to prevent or minimalize slippage.[This message was edited by HowardR on 28 September 2004 at 05:22 PM.] |
|
|
|
Chris Walke
From:
St Charles, IL
|
Posted 28 Sep 2004 5:00 pm
|
|
Most of the time, I prefer that the guitar has legs. Once in awhile, I feel more connected (literally!) to the guitar if it's in my lap. I find I like playing rock and blues stuff with the guitar on my lap, western swing-ish stuff feels better with the guitar on legs.
But I don't play any of those styles all that well, so what do I know?  |
|
|
|
Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
|
Posted 28 Sep 2004 7:17 pm
|
|
| I've been playing a lot of Stringmaster lately - standing up - and what I really dig about that is that you can shift your position so as to be looking down directly over the fret you're playing on. I do this by taking little side to side steps as I play and it really lets me play up in the high register with confidence and good intonation. Sometimes of course I have my right foot on a volume pedal so I have to settle down a bit. Lap steels are ok but I get a sore neck from concentrating at the angle I am forced into and if it's not the right chair,the steel will slide away from me and I'm wasting energy keeping it in position. Besides it's real difficult to use a volume pedal with a lap steel because as your leg moves up and down so does the lap steel. I prefer a steel on legs (standing or sitting) with the body about even with the bottom of my ribcage. -MJ |
|
|
|
Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
|
Posted 28 Sep 2004 7:41 pm
|
|
I love that you can move around while you play. You can dance to the other musicians; you can put on a bit more of a show.
------------------
Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
|
|
|
|
John Bechtel
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.
|
Posted 28 Sep 2004 8:00 pm
|
|
I always sit to play and I always adjust the legs just high enough so that my right-knee clears the bottom of the body, using my volume-pedal
------------------
“Big John” Bechtel
(2)-Fender ’49–’50 T–8 Customs
Fender ’65 Reissue Twin-Reverb Custom™ 15”
click here
click hereclick hereclick here |
|
|
|
Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
|
|
|
|
HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
|
Posted 29 Sep 2004 3:28 am
|
|
Seems that the majority so far are...leg men.  |
|
|
|
HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
|
Posted 29 Sep 2004 3:33 am
|
|
and if you notice, David Donald (on mandolin) doesn't use a chair to sit, but to get "a leg up"
I was wondering why somebody was walking around with a foot print on their butt at the show... |
|
|
|
Bobbe Seymour
From:
Hendersonville TN USA, R.I.P.
|
Posted 29 Sep 2004 6:38 am
|
|
| Howard, I was going to sue a lap steel player once for over playing, when I found out "he didn't have a leg to stand on". |
|
|
|
seldomfed
From:
Colorado
|
Posted 29 Sep 2004 7:18 am
|
|
Gerald, I tried your leg-triangle technique and have concluded you must be a yoga master! My hip hurts when I try and lay it flat enought to play
If the guitar has legs, I stand. I think it's good for show too - a vocal coach once told me to always stand - you send more energy out to the audience that way. If you do it Gerald's way though, you do look cool
------------------
Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"There is no spoon"
www.book-em-danno.com
|
|
|
|
Chris Scruggs
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
|
Posted 29 Sep 2004 7:46 am
|
|
I prefer legs.The guitar feels more stable, and it is easier to play up high. When the guitar is on your lap, you really have to twist your left hand backwards to get up in the higher registers. The guitar has a tendancy to slide around on your lap, too.
I used to stand, but know I sit, so I can have more control over my volume pedal. Also, if you play your guitar on your lap, the volume pedal really messes up the angle of your guitar, since one leg is higher than the other.
It's also alot less weight on your lap (especially with a double neck guitar).
Chris |
|
|
|
Dan Sawyer
From:
Studio City, California, USA
|
Posted 30 Sep 2004 4:22 pm
|
|
Thanks everyone for the great insights on using legs. Looks like I'll be legward bound!
Michael J, are you playing at the Mexican restaurant this month? |
|
|
|
