That sounds like fun. Reminds me of the old Silvertone Danno in amplified case. I think that some beginning students would be interested if they are young and need a woodshed model. I think that many of us these days "find" the steel after playing other instruments. Consequently such a beginner will have both money and desire for something "bigger", unless it is just too funky to pass up. An exception might be in the sacred steel community where there is a strong awareness of and interest in lapsteel by young kids. The mobility of a self amplified electric lap would be really cool if I was a kid wanting to learn.
What I really want is a banjo with a speaker stuck to the head under the bridge, and plenty of power. Heck, I could even do movie soundtracks with that, if I could fight off all of the feral cats attracted by the sound! 
I like your ideas. I think you just have to find the right market for this one, and it might take some digging.
You know what might be attractive to me and perhaps others is a short "practice pad" that has your amplification on board so that you can actually hear what you are doing when you are doing exersizes. I suppose the same thing could be done with a cheap pickup and headphone amp, but yours might be ideal for some folks.
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T. Sage Harmos
Sage Musical Instruments
[This message was edited by Sage on 07 March 2001 at 06:23 PM.]
[This message was edited by Sage on 07 March 2001 at 06:25 PM.]
