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Topic: Hello i'm new...i'm really new!!! |
John RJ Wilson
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 13 Jul 2013 7:00 pm |
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HI i'm new here as a member but I have lurked and learned for a while though. I have questions,Lots of them, but some background. I am a complete steel novice, I have chosen to murder lapsteel. I am trained in the art of the keyboard, famous for the fact that all 88 notes are laid out in front of you and there is only one version of each of them.  I have tried to learn guitar, but have never progressed beyond the very basics, I have short stubby fingers, and I just cannot do it. Reaching 56 years old and only having had the 2 heart attacks I decided to take early retirement. Two of the things on my retirement list are, learn lapsteel and build some instruments. I have already built 3 guitars in the past....well assembled from parts would be more accurate, with some carpentry involved. A David Gilmour Black Strat tribute to his guitar and the fender tribute, where I copied the relicing. A plain Stratocaster, which was my practise before the Gilmour, and a Parker partscaster with active EMG pickups, set up for dropped tunings, which did require routing. Each of these for my son. I also made, this time the word is correct, an electric 5 string viola for my son, where I made the body and bought a partially finished 5 string viola neck, but had to shape and set it to the body, shape the finger board etc.
Still with me...good.
So to this lap steel business.
In full awareness of the fact that it is not a very good instrument. I bought a Guyatone HG-91. Single pickup version. It cost peanuts, and I bought it with the intention of using it as a short term beginner instrument, and also as a "pimping project" to work on.
Unfortunately it has a very short scale length 201/2 inches, and 28 frets, not that I will be playing at the dusty end yet It is not very well made. The fret board is screwed in slightly off square, as is the pickup and the bridge, resulting in the strings not being truly perindicular. The Tail piece just takes ball end strings and no more. There is no option to change to 221/2 inch scale length because the whole guitar is just too short. by 1/4th of an inch. So stuck with it for the time being.
I have decided to learn Eminor tuning, because the goal is contemporary rock, and Pink Floyd is the general area. I realise the relative major open G was an alternative, and possibly gives more oppurtunities, Rolling Stones etc, but made the decision.
So thats is my hello, will keep the questions for later, as I know it is annoying for seasoned members when a newbie arrives with a cart load of questions at the get go.
I live in Scotland by the way, and I know there is a british steel forum, but decided to start here.
Cheers
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Don McGregor
From:
Memphis, Tennessee
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Posted 14 Jul 2013 5:22 am
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Hi John,
Scottish here, but not in Scotland. Still trying to trace my lineage back there, but am stumped by a William McGregor who came over to the US in the 1700's from God knows where.
Anyway, a few lap steel players do use the 925, though usually it is considered a Dobro bar. It is initially easier to hold onto than a round nosed bar, but once they get used to it, most players find the round nosed works better.
You may like a Dunlop 919, 3/4" diam, 2-3/4" long. It is a small bar used primarily on 6 string instruments. If you progress into using many bar slants, it works great. I had to carry mine with me every where I went for a while when I first got it. I practiced fiddling with it in my left hand while driving, and while watching tv, until It soon came to feel like a part of my hand.
Do some searches on this forum about bars. You can spend more, and get one that is a little slicker, but it's not necessary. The Dunlops are fine.
Check out rickalexander47 on youtube. Rick passed away a few years ago, but left a legacy of lessons and videos that has helped a lot of steelers get past some of the major humps that beginners face.
I currently use the tunings C6 with a high G, and A6, and find I can play just a about any type of music with them. I, too, started out with a very short scale, six string Guyatone, and understand how frustrating that can be. I still carry mine along on guitar gigs just in case I might need it and don't want to haul the console, but half way regret it every time, as those higher frets are just too close together. I'm mostly playing 8 string instruments now, and I play a little of everything, Country, Blues, Rock, Swing.
A 6th tuning allows you to have all your majors and minor chords readily available without having to use slants, and each pair of strings is tuned close enough together that there is some fluidity in lead playing possible. However, I think many rock and blues players tend to use some variation of E7 or E9 tunings. Hopefully other forumites will chime in with opinions on this, as I am not primarily a Rock player.
I also am starting to build my own steels. I am working on a double 8 console right now of Lacewood and African Mahogany. Please post photos of your progress building progress. And welcome to the Forum. |
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John RJ Wilson
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 14 Jul 2013 6:55 am
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Hi thanks for the advice. I have the 919 on my short list. The build will come along in time once I have better playing experience.
_________________
Guyatone HG-91, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Ernie Ball Jr volume pedal. |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 14 Jul 2013 7:45 am
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Welcome, John.
You'll find the largest amount of instructional material available for open G tuning (bass to treble G B D G B D), but that material will be aimed toward acoustic resonator guitar (dobro).
C6th is probably the most common lap steel tuning (bass to treble C E G A C E), and you'll find a lot of instructional material available for that tuning.
I don't know of any learning material aimed at David Gilmour's tuning (bass to treble D G D G B E), but it's certainly a fun tuning to use.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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James Kerr
From:
Scotland, UK
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Posted 14 Jul 2013 1:49 pm
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Welcome John, I am a Scotsman too who lives in Scotland, there are others here too, I live not far from Edinburgh and there are a few from the Glasgow side of the country.
A lot of people arrive at the Steel Guitar via their Pink Floyd record collection and its great to start making those noises, but I don't know how you progress beyond that without all the other Musicians around you.
You can find me here and please get in touch if there is anything I can help you with, Oh! and I make all my own instruments too.
http://www.youtube.com/user/kerrsteel
James. |
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John RJ Wilson
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 19 Jul 2013 1:31 am
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Hi Chaps, Thanks for the replies
Taking the advice given and will learn the basics in C6, then move to another tuning later. I will be able to find tutorial material that suits my learning style more easily this way.
Cheers
_________________
Guyatone HG-91, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Ernie Ball Jr volume pedal. |
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