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Topic: A Lap Steel Thought Experiment - Your Ideas Are Appreciated |
John Keefe
From:
New York City, USA
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Posted 28 Dec 2023 5:47 pm |
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Hello Steelers,
I am a duff player on the steel, have been for many years, and probably will be for years to come. I know even less about how these things work.
But that has not stopped me from thinking about a project to renovate a basket-case lap steel, replacing the old failed electronics and installing two new pickups. I’m reaching out to the experts to see how feasible this might be, and what potholes to avoid when carrying it out. (I figure I would have a real technician do the work, as I don’t know one end of a soldering iron from the other.)
Moreover, I am thinking of having two different pickups, rather than a typical similar bridge-and-neck setup. Let’s say for a six-string lap steel. And some sort of mixer between the two. A friend has such a setup on a standard guitar and it seems pretty cool, but he’s good.
A few questions:
1. Do you think such a guitar, with two different styles of pickup, would be interesting to play?
2. Setting aside the cost and technical challenges of installing two pickups in one guitar, what would be the best pickup choices? Lollar, for example, makes horseshoe, “Chicago”, and Supro-style string-through pickups, in addition to a wide variety of conventional guitar pickups. (They also make some eight-string steel models.)
3. What are the likely technical challenges? Not enough room is one. Conflicts between the pickups. A generally overcomplicated installation.
4. Are there any lap steels that might offer a better “host” for this experiment? Some old Guyatones are set up for two pickups, but I don’t hear compliments on their quality.
My time is probably better spent becoming a better musician, but hey, I'm retired and this is an interesting diversion. Thanks for your thoughts.
John Keefe
New York City |
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Tony Oresteen
From:
Georgia, USA
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Posted 28 Dec 2023 6:23 pm
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John,
1. Do you think such a guitar, with two different styles of pickup, would be interesting to play?
Yes. They change the tone of the instrument.
2. Setting aside the cost and technical challenges of installing two pickups in one guitar, what would be the best pickup choices? Lollar, for example, makes horseshoe, “Chicago”, and Supro-style string-through pickups, in addition to a wide variety of conventional guitar pickups. (They also make some eight-string steel models.)
Type of pickup is more important that brand. Find the type of pickup YOU like and go from there.
3. What are the likely technical challenges? Not enough room is one. Conflicts between the pickups. A generally overcomplicated installation.
Using different brands often causes phase (out of phase) issues. Try to stick with one brand. The longer the scale the more room there is for pickups.
4. Are there any lap steels that might offer a better “host” for this experiment? Some old Guyatones are set up for two pickups, but I don’t hear compliments on their quality.
Listen to Joel Katz on You Tube. He plays Guyatones and he sounds fantastic. For a platform find something you can afford to screw up. How about a cheap Epiphone 24.75" scale "regular" guitar, then raise nut so that you can experiment with multiple pickups?
Good luck!
_________________
Tony
Newnan, GA
Too many guitars, not enough time to play
'72 Sho-Bud 6139, '71 Marlen 210
'78 Fender Stringmaster Quad black
PedalMaster D8 |
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 29 Dec 2023 11:26 am
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I took it a bit further...being a dobro and lap steel player...I designed an instrument with cone and Fishman bridge pickup, and lap steel string-through magnetic...stereo output...built by ben Bonham in Oregon...pedal board with two signal paths, combined after the Aura pedal...I call it the CooderNator, after Ry Cooder's adding a string-through to his guitar...I added one to a resonator...
_________________
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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John Keefe
From:
New York City, USA
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Posted 29 Dec 2023 2:06 pm
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Hello Steve,
Thanks for the photo and ideas. Creative and impressive that you could manage it.
Do you have a sound sample to share, or YouTube link?
Thanks
John Keefe
New York City |
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