| Visit Our Catalog at SteelGuitarShopper.com |

Post new topic My first lap steel build
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  My first lap steel build
John Sims


From:
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Post  Posted 17 Feb 2022 7:17 pm    
Reply with quote

Here is my first lap steel build I just finished recently.

https://youtu.be/_4wT47G_hi0



My DIY Homemade Lap Steel Guitar - 'Blondie'
Solid Maple body
Quilted Maple fretboard
Bone Nut
Fender Telecaster saddle bridge with chrome 'Ashtray' cover
Fender chrome neck pickup mounting ring
Fender chrome output jack
Stewart Macdonald medium frets
Stewart Macdonald pearl fret dots
Stewart Macdonald chrome string ferrules
Gotoh chrome tuning machines
Gotoh chrome volume, tone and switch control knobs
Seymour Duncan STL-2 'Hot for Tele' bridge pickup
Seymour Duncan STR-2 'Hot for Tele' neck pickup with chrome cover
Alpha 'make before break' 3 pole, 4 position pickup switch
Pos. 1 - Bridge pickup only
Pos. 2 - Bridge and neck pickups in series
Pos. 3 - Bridge and neck pickups in parallel
Pos. 4 - Neck pickup only
A-250K dual volume and tone control pot, w/.047 uf tone capacitor
D'Addario Nickel Steel custom string set from Troy Brenningmeyer
Tuned to Open 'D' - D A D F# A D

I made this lap steel based on the design by Martin Koch using his book "Build you own Lap Steel" at
http://www.BuildYourGuitar.com/lapsteel

I applied a Birchwood Casey Tru Oil hand rubbed finish.

The great thing about Tru Oil is that you really just keep going until either your arm feels like its going to fall off, or you've got the appearance you want. I wanted glossy. After 14-16 coats of Tru Oil and drying for a week, I buffed it with cotton and polished it with a high quality paste wax.

I was going to put a cream or pearloid binding on the fretboard edge but decided not to in the end. Ultimately, it was a very rewarding project and overall I'm very happy with how my first lap steel build turned out. And, it has unbelievable sustain and sounds fantastic!
_________________
Best Regards,

John

1997 Carter U-12 Double Body-Natural Birdseye Maple-8p/5k, Peavey Nashville 1000 Amp, Goodrich L10K Vol. Pedal, Boss DD-3 Delay, Boss CE-5 Chorus, Behringer UMC-204HD Audio Interface, AKAI MPK Mini MK3 Professional Midi Keyboard/Controller, Gretsch Bobtail Resonator, Fender Banjo, Rondo SX Lap Steel (C6), DIY Lap Steel (Open D), and a few Mojo Hand Cigar Box Guitars (MojoHandGuitars.com).


Last edited by John Sims on 2 Mar 2022 10:03 am; edited 1 time in total
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Brian Spratt


From:
Oklahoma, USA
Post  Posted 18 Feb 2022 6:46 am    
Reply with quote

That really looks fantastic. Great job!
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Greg Forsyth

 

From:
Colorado, USA
Post  Posted 18 Feb 2022 2:41 pm    
Reply with quote

Beautiful steel John! I'm glad I'm not the only one to name my guitars. Thanks for listing the materials, hardware and finish and also the source for your design influence.

Greg
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
John Sims


From:
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Post  Posted 18 Feb 2022 2:53 pm    
Reply with quote

Thank you Greg and Brian. The stages of the build are on the you tube link.
_________________
Best Regards,

John

1997 Carter U-12 Double Body-Natural Birdseye Maple-8p/5k, Peavey Nashville 1000 Amp, Goodrich L10K Vol. Pedal, Boss DD-3 Delay, Boss CE-5 Chorus, Behringer UMC-204HD Audio Interface, AKAI MPK Mini MK3 Professional Midi Keyboard/Controller, Gretsch Bobtail Resonator, Fender Banjo, Rondo SX Lap Steel (C6), DIY Lap Steel (Open D), and a few Mojo Hand Cigar Box Guitars (MojoHandGuitars.com).
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Jason Rumley


From:
Foley, Minnesota, USA
Post  Posted 4 Mar 2022 6:00 am    
Reply with quote

That's awesome. Sounds great too.
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." - Charlie Parker
View user's profile Send private message

All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  
Please review our Forum Rules and Policies
Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction, and steel guitar accessories
www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

The Steel Guitar Forum
148 S. Cloverdale Blvd.
Cloverdale, CA 95425 USA

Click Here to Send a Donation

Email SteelGuitarForum@gmail.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for Band-in-a-Box
by Jim Baron