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Topic: Harmos guitar |
Andrew Waegel
From:
Berkeley CA USA
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Posted 23 Feb 2002 2:08 pm |
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Hello,
I read somewhere here about the way-out looking Harmos steel guitars with the bucky fuller frames (http://www.harmosmusic.com/) and wondered if anyone has any experience with these things. I'm captivated by their appearance and by how well suited they seem to playing while standing.
Seems like they might have an interesting idea but of course the proof is in the tone.
Thanks!
- Andrew |
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Rick Aiello
From:
Berryville, VA USA
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Posted 26 Feb 2002 7:20 am
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I want one !!! I think I'd like a clear fretboard so I could enjoy looking at that cool "molecular geometry" frame. 
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 26 Feb 2002 10:15 am
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very interesting indeed....Thanx Andrew
Steel what ? ...  |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 26 Feb 2002 12:26 pm
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| If I'm not mistook, Harmos is brutha Sage of the Steel Guitar Forum. I have admired these guitars and I've been silently cheering from the sidelines, noting the Robert Randolph connection, waiting for word to start trickling down about these instruments. No, I don't know how they sound and I'd like to hear any comments too. |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 26 Feb 2002 1:34 pm
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| brutha Sage is developing a cool rig. I got to play the prototype without pedals. Besides the design, which is "geodesic spaceframe", I was struck by how light it is, and it sounded good even without the 'mass' of a Sho-Bud. I'd say brutha Sage is onto something. |
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Jason Lollar
From:
Seattle area
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Posted 26 Feb 2002 9:54 pm
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It is indeed Sage and his pardner James Baecker that make those. They have a pretty good tech explanation on the idea behind the instrument on thier site. If my little pea brain gets it, the instrument is basically transparent leaving the string to do its thing. No doubt a unique tone quality!
They had me make a couple different types of pickups for them with custom pole spacing and wound specially for calibrated sets, I dont doubt that they sound good. |
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Bob Stone
From:
Gainesville, FL, USA
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Posted 27 Feb 2002 5:49 am
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I played Sage's protype at the 2001 Sacred Steel Convention. His design premise is that tone and sustain are a function of guitar body stiffness, rather than mass. His prototype sounded really good and was nearly weightless as the geodesic spaceframe was made from carbon fiber struts.
Sage, how about an update? |
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Sage
From:
Boulder, Colorado
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Posted 27 Feb 2002 11:42 am
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Howdy to all- I've been on the road and getting set up here in Colorado, where I'll be for a few weeks. Consequently, This is the first chance I have had to post a reply.
Yes, The Harmos lap steel is made by myself and James Baecker, my friend and business partner.
Rick- The first prototype has a beaded line (running just outside of the first string) to indicate the frets. In fact, Bobby Ingano wants his done this way. Most players are not used to being able to see thru the guitar and prefer a fretboard  .
Jon- Thanks for your support. It was a great gift that Robert Randolph (and Marcus R) took such an interest in the instrument, three months before the first NY Times article came out. I told him (after hearing him for the first time) that every guitar maker would want to be able to make guitars for him, and that has surely come to pass.
Andrew- you are right about it being easy to play standing up, and Robert R has helped a great deal in refining the ergonomics of the hip bar and strap. Even though the PSG is his main instrument, he wanted a lapsteel he could dance around with on a few songs. I'm glad that he is including the lap steel in some of his performances- It is good for the future of the lap steel in general.
I haven't wanted to make a big deal about this on the forum for two reasons- One, I want to respect the neutral nature of the Forum and not turn it into a promotional platform- I want to keep it informative and not use it as ad space. The other reason is that while we are in the middle of our first production run of 6 lap steels, it seems that the last 10% takes about half of the time required, so they are not finished yet. We're going to start our next run as soon as these are made, as they are nearly all spoken for.
In addition to fulfilling the orders already placed, we have a list of interested players who will recieve an instrument for testing and evaluation purposes so that more people can get to know it, and offer thier opinions on it. That is one of the challenges of growth, giving people a chance to hear something new and rare. We will have dealer representatives at some point, but we are not there yet. I'm sure that brother Ted Smith would have some truly sage advice about this realm. I sure respect what he does, and continues to do.
Chas- Thanks. You have been very influential in my design choices. You are the reason that titanium and silicon bronze are featured metals in two of our models. It is because you called them the most musical of the metals, and I trust you (especially after hearing your instruments made of these).
Jason- You're da man
Thanks Bob- That is it. Prototype A (under the Harmos logo on our website) weighs 2 1/2 lbs. That frame by itself weighs 9 ounces. Not bad for holding a couple hundred pounds of string tension (9 strings). Prototype B and the production frames are heavier, but still not heavy (still less than a pound). I'll weigh in with more philosophy of resonance in the "what kind of wood is best" thread when I get a chance.
Thanks very much to everyone for your interest.
T. Sage Harmos
Harmos Steel Guitars http://www.harmosmusic.com/
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