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Topic: Legs or no legs? |
Don McClellan
From:
California/Thailand
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Posted 9 Aug 2011 9:24 pm |
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Hello,
I've noticed as I look at the different lapsteel manufacturer's websites that most of the lapsteels are not displayed with legs. Do most players prefer to play with the instrument on their lap or on some kind of stand such as legs? Also I'm wondering if a new or used steel is considered, by collectors (or just generally), to be more valuable with or without legs?
Also I'm curious about tone and volume knobs on a lapsteel. Do most players feel these are essential or not?
I know no one person can speak for most of us but I'm just looking for generalizations please. Thanks, Don |
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John Burton
From:
Manassas, Va
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Posted 10 Aug 2011 4:32 am Re: Legs or no legs?
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| Don McClellan wrote: |
Hello,
I've noticed as I look at the different lapsteel manufacturer's websites that most of the lapsteels are not displayed with legs. Do most players prefer to play with the instrument on their lap or on some kind of stand such as legs? Also I'm wondering if a new or used steel is considered, by collectors (or just generally), to be more valuable with or without legs?
Also I'm curious about tone and volume knobs on a lapsteel. Do most players feel these are essential or not?
I know no one person can speak for most of us but I'm just looking for generalizations please. Thanks, Don |
I prefer a stand or legs or anything then actually playing on my lap. But that's just me. I have some steels with legs (wobbly...) and I've tried keyboard stands etc.
The best thing I have, and what I always use with my lap steels, is a flat wooden barstool with a piece of thin rubber non-skid between the stool and the lap steel. To sit on, I use a adjustable keyboard bench. This works pretty good for me.
Anyway, I would think a steel with legs is more valuable then one without.
As for tone and volume knobs, welll...my pedal steel doesn't have them..but for a lap steel, IMO, I like to have them. I think they are pretty essential. But that's just me. |
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Andy Sandoval
From:
Bakersfield, California, USA
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Posted 10 Aug 2011 4:45 am
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| A lap steel is what it is... a guitar without legs. A console steel usually comes with legs. Installin legs on a lap steel is not goin to enhance the value. I've got several of each and enjoy them for what they are but I know some folks find it hard to play a steel on their lap. Most of my steels have a volume and a tone except for my Silver Hawaiian which just has a volume and of course I have to dial in the tone I want with the amp but it's still a great guitar and worth much more as is without me installin a tone control on it. |
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Steve Ahola
From:
Concord, California
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Posted 11 Aug 2011 11:21 am
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| Andy Sandoval wrote: |
| Most of my steels have a volume and a tone except for my Silver Hawaiian which just has a volume and of course I have to dial in the tone I want with the amp but it's still a great guitar and worth much more as is without me installing a tone control on it. |
Andy, the lone volume control on my 1937 Silver Hawaiian also acts as a tone control- if I kick it back to maybe 4:00 the volume does not drop that much but the tone starts to mellow out nicely. I attribute that to the way it is wired up- the control is not hooked up as a 3 terminal potentiometer but as a 2 terminal variable resistor to ground. I have never had to readjust the tone controls on my amp when I plug in my Silver Ricky (which incidentally I packed with a combination of red and white shop rags to get more of a Bakelite vibe).
Steve Ahola
_________________
www.blueguitar.org
Recordings on electric guitar:
http://www.box.net/blue-diamonds
http://www.box.net/the-culprits |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 11 Aug 2011 12:15 pm
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They're called "lap" steels for a reason.  Lap steels with legs are usually referred to as "console" or "table" steels, occasionally as "lap steels with legs".
I prefer a lap steel with a volume and tone control. I don't always use those knobs, but it's a nice feature to have.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Papa Joe Pollick
From:
Swanton, Ohio
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Posted 11 Aug 2011 12:33 pm
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I really dislike playing on my lap..Probably because I can't stop my dang legs from jumping while I'm playing..If I'm using a volume pedal ,which I seldom do,Then there's no need for controls on the guitar..But all my guitars have vol. and tone..
Edited to add that I prefer playing standing up..Love to dance and move while playing.. |
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Steve Ahola
From:
Concord, California
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Posted 11 Aug 2011 12:59 pm
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Brad:
IMO just adding legs and sockets to a guitar-shaped lap steel does not necessarily turn it into a console steel. I think that you need a flat surface somewhere on the top to set your beer on to make it a real console steel. 
Of course I would put a coaster down first so as to not damage the finish.
Steve
P.S. Some of the lap steels sold in the 60's came with sockets for optional legs- I think it would still be called a lap steel whether or not you bought the optional legs. Although the Harmony Roy Smeck model would qualify as a console steel since there is a place to set my beer.
P.P.S. The Rogue EA-3 comes with cheap legs from China and is selling for $79.99 at MF. I keep thinking that someone will import just the legs and sockets from China and sell them at a price I can afford. (I took the legs and sockets off my EA-3 to put on my Roy Smeck model that was missing the legs.) BTW I got a set of 16 Forstner bits for $30 at Amazon.com. I was expecting to pay that much for just 2 Forstner bits. (You usually want to use a Forstner bit for leg sockets so they are flush with the surface.)
_________________
www.blueguitar.org
Recordings on electric guitar:
http://www.box.net/blue-diamonds
http://www.box.net/the-culprits |
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Thomas Temple
From:
Florida, USA
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Posted 11 Aug 2011 3:33 pm My Solution
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| I recently bought a used walker from a thrift store for $4.00 and then spent another $2.50 to buy a length of foam pipe insulation to add a "pad" on the walker's handles. Works great and I can adjust the height to suit me. No muss no fuss!! |
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Thomas Temple
From:
Florida, USA
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Posted 11 Aug 2011 3:34 pm My Solution
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| I recently bought a used walker from a thrift store for $4.00 and then spent another $2.50 to buy a length of foam pipe insulation to add a "pad" on the walker's handles. Works great and I can adjust the height to suit me. No muss no fuss!! |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 11 Aug 2011 3:46 pm
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| I rarely use the legs on the lap steels or console steels that I have. They take up too much space in my den. If I were playing in public I would attach the legs. If I were playing a lap steel in public with no sockets for legs, and I wanted to stand up, I would use a microphone stand with a platform on top. This can be achieved easily by turning a music stand through 90º. |
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Mark Mansueto
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 12 Aug 2011 4:56 am
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It depends on what and where I'm playing. In general I prefer to have the steel in my lap and I always play my acoustics on my lap. Playing electric with a band I generally use legs because I also play guitar so it just makes switching between the two easier. The other benifit with a stand is that I can pick whether I want to sit on a chair, stool or stand up while playing. Plus, and this can be good or bad, when my steel is on the stand I tend to use it like a coffee table to set things on - mostly my picks and bar.
_________________
https://markmansueto.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/65dQ3EyZC2RaqawA8gPlRy?si=dOdqc5zxSKeJI9cISVVx_A |
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Steve Perry
From:
Elizabethtown Ky, USA
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Posted 12 Aug 2011 7:47 am
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I prefer using a stand when I play. It is much more stable and balancing the steel on my lap is one less thing I have to worry about when playing with the band. I bought a $40 keyboard stand and a 2x4 piece of 1/4 in plywood. With that I have room for both of my steels, picks, bars, set list... and a place to set my beer!
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 12 Aug 2011 8:59 am
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| Stephen Perry wrote: |
| ... and a place to set my beer!... |
That's the way to go, Stephen. |
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Steve Ahola
From:
Concord, California
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Posted 12 Aug 2011 6:42 pm
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| Stephen Perry wrote: |
| I bought a $40 keyboard stand and a 2x4 piece of 1/4 in plywood. With that I have room for both of my steels, picks, bars, set list... and a place to set my beer! |
Home Depot will cut the plywood you buy there for you- I think you are supposed to pay for anything more than two cuts per sheet but it has been a long time since they wrote up a tag for that. I mention that because once upon a time I lived in a house with big yard in front and back, and I could cut the wood for all of my projects. Now I measure carefully and let Home Depot do most of the cutting...
Steve
_________________
www.blueguitar.org
Recordings on electric guitar:
http://www.box.net/blue-diamonds
http://www.box.net/the-culprits |
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Butch Pytko
From:
Orlando, Florida, USA
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Posted 15 Aug 2011 4:31 pm
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I have some Barney Isaacs youtube videos from the HSG Convention 1988. He's playing his Magnatone D-8 that he's had for years. It had legs & he always used them thru the years, but here he has some kind of stand--you have to look very closely to see it. Looks like it's pretty rigid.
I don't know how to provide the CLICK-ON "thingy" here. Just put in Barney Isaacs in the youtube search window & you'll get the videos. |
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Steve Perry
From:
Elizabethtown Ky, USA
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Posted 16 Aug 2011 6:02 am
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| Steve Ahola wrote: |
| Stephen Perry wrote: |
| I bought a $40 keyboard stand and a 2x4 piece of 1/4 in plywood. With that I have room for both of my steels, picks, bars, set list... and a place to set my beer! |
Home Depot will cut the plywood you buy there for you- I think you are supposed to pay for anything more than two cuts per sheet but it has been a long time since they wrote up a tag for that. I mention that because once upon a time I lived in a house with big yard in front and back, and I could cut the wood for all of my projects. Now I measure carefully and let Home Depot do most of the cutting...
Steve |
Lowe's charged me a quarter to cut mine down. Well worth the price to keep from getting the sawhorses down and retrieving my saw from whoever borrowed it.  I had plans of painting it and putting some felt on the top. That's kind of gone by the way side now that there's set lists and signatures written on it. 
Steve |
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