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Topic: vintage lap steel question |
Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 5 Jun 2019 9:30 am |
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Without being able to play before buying...how can you tell what the tone will be?
I understand that horseshoe pickups can lose their magnetism...but I don't a a good understanding of the different specific pickups on the old ones...
I'd be interested in one of those "few hundred dollars" magnetones or valcos or whatevers....but I'd want one with a nice thick tone, not a guitar-like tone...
I have played an Epitome, which has a D'Armond pickup, later used on Stratotone guitars...and it had a really nice, fat tone, even with a guitar pickup...so I might just go for one of those...
Ant then I played a Ric B6 Panda at a store that sounded awful, thin and nasally...
Any recommendations from those in the know about which brands would be good candidates?
My other lap steel is an MSA SuperSlide, which I really like, and is very pedal-steel-like, perfect for my alt-country band. I have a Clinesmith Frypan on order that will be great for my swing jazz band...this would be just fun extra one to have, maybe to experiment with other tunings....
_________________
https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 5 Jun 2019 9:46 am
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Any old Fender lap steel should do the trick. 
Erv |
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 5 Jun 2019 9:52 am
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Erv...thanks.
Any old Fender....Like a Champ? Even the Champs are $700 - $1,100 on reverb....I was thinking more like a few hundreds of $$...
(by the way, I am only interested in a 6-string model)
I'm assuming that these old lap steels are virtually indestructible, and that the only issues could be a pot or capacitor that needs some care or replacing...true?
So is there more than one kind of pickup? And are they all are resistant to the ravages of time?
_________________
https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 5 Jun 2019 10:09 am
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Steve,
You should be used to shelling out the dough for lap steels.
You've got a MSA Superslide and a Clinesmith frypan on order, so what's a few extra hundred for a Fender? 
Erv |
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Bill McCloskey
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 5 Jun 2019 10:57 am
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| He wants a 6 string. |
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 5 Jun 2019 11:15 am
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6 strings, less than $400. This one is just for fun...
_________________
https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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Bill McCloskey
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Posted 5 Jun 2019 11:20 am
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leave 4 strings off.  |
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 5 Jun 2019 11:29 am
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Buying guitars is kind of like buying hay.
Do you want it before it goes through the horse or after? 
Erv |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 5 Jun 2019 12:07 pm
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Magnatones have a good reputation, but with the pickup sealed under the MOTS, your pretty much screwed if you don’t like it.
On the other hand any of the late 50s Valco made “string-throughs†will sound beastly nice with the Lollar magnet replacements. I love my little 64 National. It was nice with the original magnet and painted wood, but roars like a lion with the new magnets.
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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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David Venzke
From:
SE Michigan, USA
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Posted 5 Jun 2019 12:38 pm
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Hi, Steve.
I would agree with you on the DeArmond pickup having a nice full tone. I have a cream crackle finish Epitome with one of those pickups. I will sell it to you, too, if you're interested.
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=333767
It is still for sale as described in that posting, except I'll sell the guitar and the case for $275, shipped -- if you're interested let me know.
-Dave |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 5 Jun 2019 3:50 pm Re: vintage lap steel question
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| Steve Lipsey wrote: |
| ...then I played a Ric B6 Panda at a store that sounded awful, thin and nasally... |
There must have been something wrong with that one. "Thin and nasally" is not a description that comes to mind to describe the sound of a Bakelite. The one I have is arguably the best-sounding electric guitar I've ever played. Overhand or underhand. |
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Bill Sinclair
From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
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Posted 5 Jun 2019 5:05 pm
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| I agree with Jack. An open pickup coil will sometimes still allow capacitive coupling between the two windings which will give you a weak signal with no low end. I'll bet that B6 had an open coil. |
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 5 Jun 2019 5:51 pm
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I figured as much...but that is part of why I wouldn't buy one of those without being able to play it first, or know the person selling it, like on this Forum.
_________________
https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 5 Jun 2019 7:02 pm
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OK....Dave and I came to agreement on the Epitome...I was very impressed with everything about the one I had tried out in a store, except for the price (it was about $100 more than it should have been).
I think it will be just what I want for a "fun guitar"...and how could I go wrong, with that cool cream over gold flake finish?
Thanks for your help, everyone!
-S
_________________
https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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