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Topic: Hardway Jupiter lap steel |
Joseph Lazo
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 19 Mar 2024 10:32 am |
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What do you all think?
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David Knutson
From:
Cowichan Valley, Canada
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Posted 19 Mar 2024 11:08 am
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I think it’s a nice looking steel with quality pickups and tuners. Looks like it was made with some care. All good signs. And the seller is open to offers.
It’s hard to tell from your photo just how the tailpiece works. I think I’m seeing ferrules there, so that would indicate string-thru-body mount, which I always like.
Let us know how it works out.
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David K |
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Joseph Lazo
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 19 Mar 2024 11:49 am
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| David Knutson wrote: |
I think it’s a nice looking steel with quality pickups and tuners. Looks like it was made with some care. All good signs. And the seller is open to offers.
It’s hard to tell from your photo just how the tailpiece works. I think I’m seeing ferrules there, so that would indicate string-thru-body mount, which I always like.
Let us know how it works out. |
Yes, it's string through body. |
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Joseph Lazo
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 19 Mar 2024 11:54 am
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From what I could glean online, there were 16 Hardway lap steels made, this being #5.
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Joe A. Roberts
From:
Seoul, South Korea
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Posted 19 Mar 2024 3:08 pm
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Seems like not a bad price for a thoughtfully made 8 string with good components.
“fretlines appear to be graphics” and “inlaid wood” markers sound interesting, hard to see exactly what that means from that pic though. |
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Joseph Lazo
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 19 Mar 2024 4:12 pm
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| Joe A. Roberts wrote: |
Seems like not a bad price for a thoughtfully made 8 string with good components.
“fretlines appear to be graphics” and “inlaid wood” markers sound interesting, hard to see exactly what that means from that pic though. |
It means they aren't actual frets as are on a "normal" guitar, but rather inlaid wood in place of frets. The position dots are inlaid wood as well. This photo depicts the inlaid wood fret markets.
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Joseph Lazo
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 19 Mar 2024 4:26 pm
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After looking closer at the photo, I'm not so sure the frets are inlaid wood. They may be a darker stain on the body.
I actually bought the guitar after researching Hardway/Melobar and learning there were only 16 made, all supposedly unique. The photo I posted here of a similar one from a website about Melobar appeared to be the one in the ebay listing, but that one doesn't have the black switch that's on the one in the ebay listing.
I found an old post on this website from someone asking if anyone here has one of the 19 Hardway lap steels that were made. There were no replies. I don't know if that poster inadvertently typed "19" instead of "16" or what. Hopefully, someone with knowledge about these guitars will chime in. |
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Joe A. Roberts
From:
Seoul, South Korea
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Posted 19 Mar 2024 5:22 pm
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Wow that is pretty snazzy looking, seems like inlay. Whatever it may be, it is sharp and cleanly done.
Congrats on the new guitar, hope it gets to you well and you like it. Never can have too many instruments
From the pics I've seen I like yours the best... makes me curious to see the variations of all the other 15 (18?  ) |
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Joseph Lazo
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 19 Mar 2024 5:57 pm
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| Seemed like a good deal on a really unique, possibly even collectible, instrument, but I'm nervous about potential problems. |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 20 Mar 2024 4:47 am
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| Joseph Lazo wrote: |
| Seemed like a good deal on a really unique, possibly even collectible, instrument, but I'm nervous about potential problems. |
What "potential problems" are you imagining?
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Joseph Lazo
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 20 Mar 2024 6:42 am
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| Brad Bechtel wrote: |
| Joseph Lazo wrote: |
| Seemed like a good deal on a really unique, possibly even collectible, instrument, but I'm nervous about potential problems. |
What "potential problems" are you imagining? |
All kinds, of course!
Seriously, though, stuff like a dead pickup, bad potentiometer, stripped tuner gear. There's always some risk with buying an instrument online. |
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George Piburn
From:
The Land of Enchantment New Mexico
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Posted 20 Mar 2024 7:29 am Fretlines
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Hello from GeorgeBoards
From the low quality photos provided my guess is that the fretlines - border and name badge are all Laser Etched.
Those inlay Dots are easily made with Stew-Mac Brad Point Drill bits filled with - likely pre made - or laser cut wood.
The nut and bridge are Powder Coated - (Baked) over metal likely Aluminum or Brass angle hand filed notches.
This looks a lot like the MeloBar Rattler.
So far as a good price - it is -- The pickups alone are a few hundred dollars , Grovers are over 10 per gear now of daze, the output jack is a high quality replacement for a Tele Jack, forget the brand name.
1400 is a good MSRP for this instrument and 550.00 is a really good price second hand.
I don't see any Collectible Value - if there were it would be more than the MSRP not 1/3rd.
I think your paranoia is unwarranted -- Zero potential problems seen to my eyes beyond that head stock being a weak spot.
_________________
GeorgeBoards S8 Non Pedal Steel Guitar Instruments
Maker of One of a Kind Works of Art that play music too.
Instructional DVDs
YouTube Channel |
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Joseph Lazo
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 20 Mar 2024 8:44 am Re: Fretlines
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| George Piburn wrote: |
Hello from GeorgeBoards
From the low quality photos provided my guess is that the fretlines - border and name badge are all Laser Etched.
Those inlay Dots are easily made with Stew-Mac Brad Point Drill bits filled with - likely pre made - or laser cut wood.
The nut and bridge are Powder Coated - (Baked) over metal likely Aluminum or Brass angle hand filed notches.
This looks a lot like the MeloBar Rattler.
So far as a good price - it is -- The pickups alone are a few hundred dollars , Grovers are over 10 per gear now of daze, the output jack is a high quality replacement for a Tele Jack, forget the brand name.
1400 is a good MSRP for this instrument and 550.00 is a really good price second hand.
I don't see any Collectible Value - if there were it would be more than the MSRP not 1/3rd.
I think your paranoia is unwarranted -- Zero potential problems seen to my eyes beyond that head stock being a weak spot. |
Thanks for your input, George!
Your guess at laser etching is spot on. I read that these were made with CNC machinery, so that makes sense.
It does look like the Melobar Rattler, likely because it was made by a Melobar offshoot. I have not tallied the cost of all the parts, but just the two string master pickups go for $260 new. The jack looks like an Electrosocket jack, a nice Tele upgrade but nothing expensive.
Yeah, probably no big collectible value here, but it's cool that so few were made and each was, supposedly, unique.
I do hope someone who has one will chime in.
Last edited by Joseph Lazo on 21 Mar 2024 2:40 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Nic Neufeld
From:
Kansas City, Missouri
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Posted 20 Mar 2024 9:23 am
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Looks like a great instrument of that class (8 string single neck...not the most common!) at a great price. I mean, the lollar stringmaster pickups alone will set you back almost half that price!!
The main question I would have for the seller is what do they mean by "blend". Stringmaster pickups are normally wired with a blend pot but it is not a conventional blend back and forth between two pickups, it is blending the neck pickup in with the (always on) bridge pickup, but in series, not parallel. I'd just want to know, is it an original Stringmaster type wiring, or a more modern blend back and forth between the two independent pickups. But for that price, I can afford to get the soldering iron out and make it how I would prefer!
_________________
Waikīkī, at night when the shadows are falling
I hear the rolling surf calling
Calling and calling to me |
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Joseph Lazo
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 20 Mar 2024 10:44 am
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| I'm guessing it's wired to blend the neck pickup with the bridge. I'll report back after I get it. |
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Ted Smith
From:
Idaho - shot of Jeff Peterson, Ted and Smith Curry "Nothing but the taillights tour"
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Posted 23 Mar 2024 9:56 am
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just caught this post...George steered you right except they were modeled after the Melobar SXL (Ned Steinberger designed open head/hundred of those head types on various models and no problems reported), I would have bought it myself at that price 
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old Melobar guy |
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Joseph Lazo
From:
Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 28 Mar 2024 1:27 pm
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It arrived today!
There are two threaded inserts on the back. Can only guess they were for mounting the steel onto something, but what? The legs would have had to be really thin.
Anyone know? Ted?
24.5" scale. This is a long guitar - 36.75", and pretty heavy! One big, gorgeous chunk of mahogany!
I've never played an 8-string before, so big learning curve ahead. Tuned it, low to high: D A D F# A D E F#. I think it could go to an E tuning since the strings feel a bit floppy now.
Any suggestions on tuning welcome. Not sure about how I tuned the 2 high strings.
The string height off the board is great. Plenty of room under the strings. Tuners are a bit stiff, but work fine and hold tuning. The headstock is so massive my clip-on tuner can't clip on it. In fact, it's so massive I can't imagine it being prone to breakage.
So this checks the boxes on aesthetics, build, and playability. Even better, it sounds fantastic both clean and with OD. The black switch in between the tone and volume knobs is for pickup selection. Fully counterclockwise, it's rear pickup only. As you turn it clockwise, it starts bringing in the neck pickup. At the midpoint, there's a detente you can feel. Going fully clockwise takes it to just the neck pickup. At least that's how it seems to my ears.
To pick nits, the fret dots aren't easy to see. Seems like they should either be lighter or darker. |
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Bill Groner
From:
QUAKERTOWN, PA
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Posted 28 Mar 2024 4:23 pm
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Probably the inserts were used to attach it to a plate so the the entire profile of the lower body could be machined. Or maybe a template was screwed on the back to rout all the curves on the body? 🤔
_________________
Currently own, 6 Groner-tone lap steels, one 1953 Alamo Lap steel, Roland Cube, Fender Champion 40
Last edited by Bill Groner on 28 Mar 2024 4:40 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Ted Smith
From:
Idaho - shot of Jeff Peterson, Ted and Smith Curry "Nothing but the taillights tour"
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Posted 28 Mar 2024 4:23 pm
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Brass threaded inserts were for a new version of the Outrigger (shown on the models page of the melobartedblog) that made it so you could stand and play it like a Dobro. New version never came about because of the kid that started the fire in the Hardway shop, burned it all up.
The Hardway stuff was just starting to come together when that happened, it was so great to have everything CNC built (CNC was actually a vacuume bed with laser pinpoints), wish we could have done more.[/img]
older version but this was the idea
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old Melobar guy
Last edited by Ted Smith on 28 Mar 2024 5:13 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Bill Groner
From:
QUAKERTOWN, PA
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Posted 28 Mar 2024 4:44 pm
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Vacuum bed... Sounds like you had a great setup. Dang shame it burned down.
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Currently own, 6 Groner-tone lap steels, one 1953 Alamo Lap steel, Roland Cube, Fender Champion 40 |
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Ted Smith
From:
Idaho - shot of Jeff Peterson, Ted and Smith Curry "Nothing but the taillights tour"
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Posted 28 Mar 2024 4:53 pm
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It really was Bill...and the 2008 crash hit so couldn't have been worse timing.
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old Melobar guy |
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Bill Groner
From:
QUAKERTOWN, PA
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Posted 28 Mar 2024 4:56 pm
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I hear you buddy! Lost a pile $$$$$ that year!
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Currently own, 6 Groner-tone lap steels, one 1953 Alamo Lap steel, Roland Cube, Fender Champion 40 |
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Joe A. Roberts
From:
Seoul, South Korea
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Posted 28 Mar 2024 5:04 pm
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Damn shame about the fire, that is crazy...
Lot of nice details on this guitar indeed, just noticed the subtle lip ("French carve"? on the transition from the upper to lower bout.
That tuning you quoted is nice, I think major tunings with the 3rd as the highest note like that are underrated and definitely worth exploring.
It might be worth trying to switch the order of the high F# and the E strings.
That way it would feel less weird since you'd have the straight major chord and the E out of the way except for when you want it,taking your time to get used to it..
If you tune up to E tuning, going on the high F# string to high G# could be an issue if the string is too heavy, should work around an .10 or .11.
Could also be useful to insert a C string in the middle for a dominant chord sound without messing up the open D character. That would of course require more extensive restringing though.
Another option still would be to have the straight open tuning in the middle with the high 3rd on top, and a low 5th (.68 or so) on the bottom.
Glad you're liking the instrument and it checks all the boxes, enjoy it in good health! |
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Bill Groner
From:
QUAKERTOWN, PA
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Posted 29 Mar 2024 12:44 am
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Ted, what material did you use for the out rigger?
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Currently own, 6 Groner-tone lap steels, one 1953 Alamo Lap steel, Roland Cube, Fender Champion 40 |
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Bill Groner
From:
QUAKERTOWN, PA
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Posted 29 Mar 2024 12:56 am
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| Ted Smith wrote: |
| just caught this post...George steered you right except they were modeled after the Melobar SXL (Ned Steinberger designed open head/hundred of those head types on various models and no problems reported), I would have bought it myself at that price |
Back in 2017 the 3rd lapsteel I built had an open head very similar to yours. I was told it would not stay in tune.....well it did, I never experienced a problem with it going out of tune.
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Currently own, 6 Groner-tone lap steels, one 1953 Alamo Lap steel, Roland Cube, Fender Champion 40 |
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