Best Lap Steel for western swing?

Bryce Van Parys · From: Washington, USA

Hello. Tuned a Martin Backpacker guitar to C6 for a trip to HI. I found it quite easy to pick up the instrument so I want to get a good Electric Lap Steel. What's the best one to go for? I like Bob Wills and Asleep at the Wheel. 6 string seems to get most of what I need. Fender? Deluxe versus Champ? Other suggestions?

Bryce

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

Noah Miller · From: Rocky Hill, CT

Yeah, while there's a wide range of steel sounds out there, they're a lot less pigeonholed by genre than guitars tend to be. Just about anything through a clean amp will work for western swing.

Allan Revich · From: Victoria, BC

I wouldnâ€™t worry too much about genre. All lap steels will play whatever kind of music you want to play.

If you prefer vintage instruments, Iâ€™d look at any of the Valco made instruments with the string through pickups (Supro, National) as good starting points. A Gibson BR9 with its original P90 pickup is another good start. If you can find a Rickenbacher with its original horseshoe pickup at an affordable price, grab it.

If new is your â€œthingâ€, Iâ€™d look at the individual builders before going for a Chinese made corporate instrument. Clinesmith (a bit pricier than others, but really a bargain when it comes to value), Fouke (aluminum, built to be gigged with), I own one of each and like them both!

There are several other builders here too, many of them with loyal fans. Hopefully youâ€™ll hear from (or about) them soon.
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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

Brett Bonner · From: California, USA

Iâ€™ve found 8 strings works best for Western Swing in A6, C6 High, or E13 tuning. I prefer the latter because most of the full chords for Western Swing are there without having to do many, if any, slants.

Ken Pippus · From: Langford, BC, Canada

You'd have to look pretty hard for a recording of Bob Wills or A Sheep at the Wheel that wasn't recorded with at least an eight-string guitar.

Glenn Wilde · From: California, USA

If I'm choosing Champ or Deluxe, Deluxe for me, preferably with 8 strings and a trapezoid pickup. A later one Stringmaster style would work too. Interestingly, multi necks seem way more common than singles when we're talking eights.
If you're ever around Sacramento there's a triple eight Magnatone on CL for $700.00!! Its clean too but i can't swing it right now.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

I concur with 8-string for Western Swing. I find 6-strings limiting for that style. With a 6th tuning, I'm missing something I want either on the top or on the bottom of the tuning.

While exploring playing nonpedal steel, I've lucked into quite a few different types of steels but gravitated to the classic 8-string models - a Fender Dual Pro (D8 with trapezoid pickups), Fender Stringmaster, Magnatone Lyric (T8 with almost Telecaster-looking pickups), and a couple of Gibson consoles (Grande Console, and a Consolette C-530 that I got from Noah), and a Bigsby-like Clinesmith cast aluminum single 8 long-scale with a Bigsby-style pickup. All of these steels sound authentic to me for Western Swing. I've had a few Valco-made (e.g, National, Supro, Airline brand) steels, and although they work, I gravitated more to bluesy stuff with them. It just seemed that the tonality fit better for blues to me.

I have to say that the Clinesmith cast aluminum is unbelievably good for practically anything I've used it for. Not inexpensive, but worth every cent, IMO.

Hey, a Magnatone T8 for $700 is a helluva guitar and deal. As I said, I have one, it's a great guitar. Heavy but totally cool. You could try a multitude of tunings all at once with that guitar.

D Schubert · From: Columbia, MO, USA

I'd go as far as this: It would be more valuable to have an eight-string guitar for 6th and 13th tunings, than any particular brand at your stage of the game.

Jesse Valdez · From: Fiddletown, California, USA

8 string is the standard for most Western swing tunings, especially from Bob Wills and Asleep At The Wheel. I’d say go for a west coast brand guitar (Fender, Rickenbacher, Magnatone).
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Andy Volk · From: Boston, MA

You can play any music on any guitar. That said, a lot of great Western swing music was played back in the day on these ...

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Tim Whitlock · From: Colorado, USA

Tom Keller · From: Greeneville, TN, USA

For my taste the best Bob Wills stuff was with Leon Mccauliffe onward.

Ken Pippus · From: Langford, BC, Canada

You mean like this?

Glenn Wilde · From: California, USA

That triple Fender at GC i posted the psa for would be a good'un, its got what looks like a old Carvin pickup added on one neck but that might be cool for some tonal variety.

Tim Whitlock · From: Colorado, USA

Pretty sure Leon's Fender days were post Bob Wills. Still, a 50's Fender steel guitar is just dandy for western swing!

Nic Neufeld · From: Kansas City, Missouri

I agree that many varieties of guitar will work just fine in terms of tone and practical operation...but the Fender consoles (Deluxe or Stringmaster) do really look the part for Western swing I think. Leave the frypans to the Hawaiian players I say Smile

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I hear the rolling surf calling
Calling and calling to me

J Fletcher · From: London,Ont,Canada

Well you can get the basics down with a 6 string steel tuned to C6 . 6 string lap steels are plentiful , and often inexpensive , $300 or so for a decent used one .
Later on you can decide whether or not you want 8 strings . Fender Deluxe 8 's are nice , though they usually go for $1000 or so . For a bit more $$$ you can get a D8 Stringmaster .
I say get a 6 string and see how it goes .

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

The model you should get is this,https://goldtonemusicgroup.com/goldtone/instruments/ls-8, the Gold Tone 8-string lap steel. $750 retail.

Eight strings is the way to go if you want to fully explore the tuning possibilities, and have MUCH more versatile guitar. If 8 strings are too much in the beginning, you can put a 6-string tuning on it and grow into 8 strings as you progress.
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My rig: Infinity and Telonics.

Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

Ken Pippus · From: Langford, BC, Canada

Ah, Herb, what do you know about Western Swing?

(To clarify, a hell of a lot!)

Bryce Van Parys · From: Washington, USA

Thanks for all the info. So I'll keep and eye out for a nice 8 string. I can get all I want out of the back C6 neck on my Carter, but it's not so easy to "grab and go" if you know what I mean!

Mike McBride · From: Indiana

Good used Epiphone Les Paul with nut riser and C6th set of strings $150 total. You can take nut off and sell the guitar for $120 when you are done with it and ready to upgrade.

Samuel Phillippe · From: Douglas Michigan, USA

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