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Topic: Sherlock Holmes and the Melbert Lap Steel |
Warren Sampson
From:
Minnesota, USA
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Posted 27 Oct 2016 5:00 am |
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I am a six stringer and violinist who plays in pit orchestras for Broadway type shows in the Upper Midwest. When I get a score without a CD soundtrack I usually put tricky looking lines into my Guitar Pro software to work out fingerings. Guitar players are lazy so you play Sherlock Holmes to figure out what tricks or tunings the original player used to make it flow.
One tune in my upcoming December show looked impossible until I realized it was written for lap steel. When I clicked through the tunings to Leon McAuliffe, the thing was instantly dead easy. The original Broadway guitarist clearly had Western Swing roots.
I never played lap steel before and probably won't play it much but I want pro features without spending boutique money for shiny stuff. Nobody sees you in the pit!
A search here led me to contact Bob at Melbert Guitars. He responded right away and was able to set me up with a reasonably priced guitar that met my needs. I really needed his advice selecting the George L pickup and he nailed it. Sounds great! The legs are also sturdy.
I always wanted a lap steel but was never willing to put up with old tuners and dodgy electronics in vintage ones or to spend big money on a fancy new boutique instrument. This Melbert really fills the bill. He even sent me an email after my first rehearsal to make sure everything worked out.
It was kind of funny at rehearsal watching people stare at it like a space ship. The flute player had never seen a lap steel before! I described an E13 tuning and her eyes got glassy.
Glad I spent some time on this forum! I wanted to give feedback on Bob's work. In this mass produced interweb age, it is nice to meet guys who know their stuff and are willing to help a newbie. |
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Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
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Posted 27 Oct 2016 5:48 am
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Welcome, Warren. Well worth the price of admission here.
I would have enjoyed seeing the glassy-eyed flute player. |
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Jeff Mead
From:
London, England
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Posted 27 Oct 2016 6:03 am
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| What was the show and tune that set you down the path to the lap steel? |
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Joe Elk
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 27 Oct 2016 7:31 am
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Another advantage of the forum is some forum is Quasi humor.
So an an old sailor (real old) I hope the flute player was pretty.
Joe Elk |
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Stefan Robertson
From:
Hertfordshire, UK
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Posted 1 Nov 2016 3:58 am
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Wow.
I haven't heard anyone ever say Leon's stuff ever being Dead easy. What is the song?
_________________
Stefan
Bill Hatcher custom 12 string Lap Steel Guitar
E13#9/F secrets: https://thelapsteelguitarist.wordpress.com
"Give it up for The Lap Steel Guitarist" |
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Jeff Mead
From:
London, England
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Posted 1 Nov 2016 5:07 am
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| Stefan Robertson wrote: |
Wow.
I haven't heard anyone ever say Leon's stuff ever being Dead easy. What is the song? |
He didn't say Leon's stuff was easy - he said the tune he was trying to learn was dead easy using Leon's tuning. |
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Frank Agliata
From:
Jersey Shore, USA
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Posted 2 Nov 2016 5:34 am Re: Sherlock Holmes and the Melbert Lap Steel
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| Warren Sampson wrote: |
A search here led me to contact Bob at Melbert Guitars. He responded right away and was able to set me up with a reasonably priced guitar that met my needs. . .
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I concur, Bob is a true gentleman and a pleasure to work with.
_________________
GFI Expo X1, Melbert 8, Rukavina 6
always learning |
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Warren Sampson
From:
Minnesota, USA
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Posted 11 Nov 2016 7:34 pm
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The show was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - sort of the JC Superstar prototype. There is a country tune dropped in the middle of basically a folk rock show.
Whoever originated the part was clearly in Leon's tuning but most music editors don't take the time to document things like tunings and sometimes even use of capos. Each new score is a bit of detective work to make the tunes work out. And sound good.
I will probably never be a great steel player but I learned a ton here and by working with a good established maker. |
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