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Topic: Tone, Sustain |
Neil Aring
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 30 Sep 2021 11:12 am |
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| What (if anything) affects the tone of a lap steel instrument other than the pickup and the strings that are on it ? |
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David Knutson
From:
Cowichan Valley, Canada
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Posted 30 Sep 2021 11:21 am
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For me, the biggest tonal difference on my steels comes from where I pick the strings - brighter closer to the bridge, and warmer as I move toward the fret board. That holds true for my electric or acoustic steels.
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David K |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 30 Sep 2021 11:25 am
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| The bar. |
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John Larson
From:
Pennsyltucky, USA
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Posted 30 Sep 2021 11:33 am
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Ensuring your pressure with the bar on the strings is consistent, not too light (this kills sustain), not too heavy (this kills intonation). Pickup height to the strings as well, depending on the guitar design, if the pickup is too close to the strings the magnets act like "brakes" on the vibrating string.
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Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright. Give praise to the Lord with the harp, chant unto Him with the ten-stringed psaltery. Sing unto Him a new song, chant well unto Him with jubilation. For the word of the Lord is true, and all His works are in faithfulness. The Lord loveth mercy and judgement; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.
- Psalm 33:1-5
Last edited by John Larson on 1 Oct 2021 10:12 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Gene Tani
From:
Pac NW
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Posted 30 Sep 2021 12:14 pm
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I'd say everything about nut and bridge/tailpiece: material, how slots are cut, how solidly attached to body, breakover angle etc. Single coil height matters a lot, also
Maybe you can post pix of steel that you'd maybe like to hear improvement and people make suggestions.
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- keyless Sonny Jenkins laps stay in tune forever!; Carter PSG
- The secret sauce: polyester sweatpants to buff your picks, cheapo Presonus channel strip for preamp/EQ/compress/limiter, Diet Mountain Dew |
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Noah Miller
From:
Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 30 Sep 2021 1:09 pm
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| All of it. Everything matters to some degree or other; some of it matters so little that you'll never hear it, some of it plays a huge part in the instrument's sound. |
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Mike Christensen
From:
Cook Minnesota
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Posted 30 Sep 2021 6:03 pm tone
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| Mostly the person playing it. |
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David Matzenik
From:
Cairns, on the Coral Sea
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Posted 30 Sep 2021 6:39 pm
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All of the above, but body material must have some effect, otherwise all pre-war Rics would sound the same no matter whether they are cast aluminum, bakelite, hollow brass or steel sheet.
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Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother. |
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 1 Oct 2021 10:04 am
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Scale length seems to be a big factor, in my humble opinion.
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Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps |
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Gene Tani
From:
Pac NW
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Posted 1 Oct 2021 12:45 pm
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To expand on above: everything that touches the strings, so material and blade shape of finger and thumbpicks makes a big difference. You can try brass and stainless steel fingerpicks, tho it would be easier/cheaper to find a banjo or steel player that will let you borrow a variety (you have to promise not to bend them). Pretty straight and very curved blades on the picks makes a big difference
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- keyless Sonny Jenkins laps stay in tune forever!; Carter PSG
- The secret sauce: polyester sweatpants to buff your picks, cheapo Presonus channel strip for preamp/EQ/compress/limiter, Diet Mountain Dew |
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