Thinking About Getting a Lap Steel

[MrTwang]

I own a 51' Fender Triple Eight Professional (3 x 8 strings) and a very worn down 56' Deluxe (1 x 8 string). I think it was worth the extra money to buy the "originals", because they sound very very sweet.

Due to Fenders weird and inconsistent naming policy on their steel guitars (not helped by the model name not appearing on the instrument) your triple neck is actually called a "Custom Triple 8" The double neck version, however is called a "Dual Professional".

I have one of each and they are great sounding guitars.

Leo Fender himself said that the pickups in them (the trapezoid shaped ones where the strings go through the pickup) were the best sounding pickups he ever made. I wouldn't want to argue with him

 

[Vortexan]

I just got one about a month ago and absolutely love it. I picked up this 1961 Fender for about $800. It was so pristine I just couldn't pass it up. There are a ton of vintage lap steels to be had for a lot less though. I figured going the vintage route I should be able to get my money back out of it if I wish to. I had never played one before, it was just a pipe dream to have one. Now that I've been playing it a while I wonder what took me so long to get one. It is addictive to play. Good luck in your search I hope you find one you like.
image removed

 

[magicguitar]

A few years back a was interested in getting a lap steel. I decided I'd pick up a cheap one just to see if this was an instrument I really wanted to mess around with. I did some searching and found one of those Rogue lap steels for $69 and free shipping. That was the BEST $69 dollar investment I've ever made! I tuned it to C6 and within 10 minutes I was picking and sliding away. A truly FUN instrument to play. Now I've got the bug to build a few lap steels myself. And as soon as my buddy gets his workshop set up I think I will.

 

[SpenserEller]

Vortexan, that's a beautiful Fender you have there. I would love to own one of those, but they are a bit out of my price range. I seem to recall that Fender made a reissue lap steel a few years ago, but I was just learning how to play the guitar at that point and wasn't in a position purchase one then and, so far, I haven't been able to find one on the used market.

Does anyone know anything about these?

They are made by Magnatone and there's a lot of them out there in my price range, but I don't know what model it is, so I can't find much info on them. Also I found a vintage Gretsch Electromatic that is reasonable, but again there isn't much info out there, so I'm not sure if it is a good deal.

thank you all for the information.

 

[getbent]

wow tom pettingill and tim bowen on one thread! What a treat!

Good to see you guys!

 

[Vortexan]

I think that looks like a fine instrument from the photo to start with although I don't have experience wth the brand. I tuned mine CEGACE C6th tuning and as a guitar player it started making sense right away. For what it's worth I bought a couple different slides and the Dunlop Lap Dawg seems to get more use. I was always a pretty decent acoustic guitar finger picker and I have found all that experience very useful however only with a plastic thumb pick. Can't put metal picks on my fingers even though I've tried and tried. Get one you will have so much fun!

 

[drmcclainphd]

Originally Posted by silverybrown
I own a 51' Fender Triple Eight Professional (3 x 8 strings) and a very worn down 56' Deluxe (1 x 8 string). I think it was worth the extra money to buy the "originals", because they sound very very sweet.

Due to Fenders weird and inconsistent naming policy on their steel guitars (not helped by the model name not appearing on the instrument) your triple neck is actually called a "Custom Triple 8" The double neck version, however is called a "Dual Professional".

I have one of each and they are great sounding guitars.

Leo Fender himself said that the pickups in them (the trapezoid shaped ones where the strings go through the pickup) were the best sounding pickups he ever made. I wouldn't want to argue with him

Do either of you (or anyone) know where I can purchase such a pickup?

 

[syrynx]

what makes a good lap steel?, what are good brands for a beginner?, price, what other gear I would need?, etc

I've been playing steel for 40 years. As often seems to happen, I disagree with much of the advice already proffered in this thread.

It's my contention that you can't possibly know what you want and don't want in a lap steel until you've actually had one across your lap for some time. The first one's job is to let you answer two questions for yourself: Whether you're actually going to stick with it (most people do not...), and what you want and don't want in your second lap steel, with respect to such matters as scale length, string spacing, string height above fretboard, controls and their locations, pickups and their locations, and fretboard appearance.

Considered from that perspective, it makes sense to me to spend as little money as possible on your first lap steel. The least expensive way is to put an extension nut on a guitar you already own, or something that you can acquire used, inexpensively, and flip for what you paid for it when you've learned what you can from it. I set forth my arguments in detail, complete with lots of video clips, in the recent Good first Lap Steel? Joe Morrell? thread.

Once you have a lap steel, you're gonna need something to slide on its strings. Amid a forest of "You gotta use this!" commandments in looking for an unusual lap steel slide, I explained in detail, complete with lots of video clips, why I think only you can make that decision.

Then, you're gonna have to decide on a tuning (or a group of tunings which can be achieved with a given set of string gauges). (This decision, by the way, could well have an impact on what bar and even what lap steel you need.) Lots of possibilities, and lots of video clips, in Lap steel advice needed and 6 String Lap Steel Players- cool tuning!!.

A few things that would be red flags for me, though not necessarily for you:

The tone control "doo-wah" effect frequently used by Western Swing players is impossible if the tone control is under your wrist, as is the case with the Valco-made instruments pictured in Tom Pettingill's post above. (Unless, of course, that's the volume control under your wrist, in which case you can doo-wah to your heart's content, but can't do the violin effect with the volume control. Unless, of course, you use a volume pedal.) The controls on the Magnatone you posted may or may not lie within reach of your little finger, if you remove the pickup cover...

The Supro/Valco/National string-through pickups sound wonderful, as do Rick horseshoes (though not, in many cases, until they've been rewound and the magnets rejuvenated), but they get in my way when I'm partially muting strings with the heel of my hand on the bridge. (This wasn't a problem for David "Feet" Rogers, and it isn't for his modern disciples Timi Abrigo and Derrick Mau, and it might not be for you, but it is for me.) Bridge or pickup covers are similarly a problem.

I used to own a student model National Reso-Phonic with a fretboard design that obviously inspired the fretboard layouts of both the Morrell lap steels and the Peavey PowerSlide. Under stage lighting, glare from the paint made it completely useless, and the low-contrast artsy design made it less helpful than it should be even under favorable lighting conditions. I gigged happily for many years with Fenders (a triple 8 Stringmaster, a Deluxe 8, and two Fender 400 pedal steels), all of which have the same sensible and player-friendly fretboard design shown in the picture above of Vortexan's Studio Champ: Matte black, with raised white fret lines. In my be-trifocaled old age, I've come to appreciate the even greater contrast offered by actual polished metal frets on a dark wood board-- the (probably) dyed ebony on my Ovation Balladeer, the nearly-as-dark rosewood on my Martin 0-15, and the rosewood on my Harmony H165 (all played as lap steels with extension nuts; I practice what I preach...).

 

[MrTwang]

Originally Posted by silverybrown
I own a 51' Fender Triple Eight Professional (3 x 8 strings) and a very worn down 56' Deluxe (1 x 8 string). I think it was worth the extra money to buy the "originals", because they sound very very sweet.



Do either of you (or anyone) know where I can purchase such a pickup?

Nobody makes these pickups any more but they do occasionally come up on Ebay (for rather a lot of money, usually) if someone is parting out a dead instrument.

If you have one that doesn't work, they can be re-wound.

 

[Paul in Colorado]

What D8 are you getting? Look forward to seeing some pictures when you get it.

It's on the way. I should receive it Thursday. It's a '50's National D-8. I've been looking for one for several years and this one showed up right here on the classifieds. It needs tuner buttons, strings, a good cleaning and polishing and who knows what else, but I got it for what I feel is a good price. It's my Christmas present to myself. I'm looking forward to restoring it and playing it.

 

[Warren Pederson]

You don't have to spend much money to get into

Lap Steel. By a bullet type bar. The sooner you get into C6 tuning, the better. A 2x4 with some strings and a pickup will work, but your life will change when you get into c6

 

[MrTwang]

It's on the way. I should receive it Thursday. It's a '50's National D-8. I've been looking for one for several years and this one showed up right here on the classifieds. It needs tuner buttons, strings, a good cleaning and polishing and who knows what else, but I got it for what I feel is a good price. It's my Christmas present to myself. I'm looking forward to restoring it and playing it.

Nice. I picked up one of those in Nashville a few years back for a friend of mine.

It's unusual to find them with all the plastic covers intact - especially the ones at the tuner end.

It was a great sounding guitar. Looks great too with that Art Deco styling.

 

[Ed Boyd]

Just for giggles want to see a guy I think is a badass lap steel player?

 

[RevMike]

I've got a lot of experience with Morrells. I've visited Joe many times at his factory/workshop. I can honestly say I've never seen any guitar made with the quality he put into them that cost as little as his. He lap steels are what I beta tested my bullet end bottle nose slides on.

As far as the 8 string having a 6 string pup, it never seemed to make a difference to my hearing. But if I were buying one, I'd have him replace the lipstick pup with a Hot Rails used on the Relic model 6 string (both Kent Armstrongs).

Call them at 800-545-5811 and ask what they'd charge for the swap-out. Take a look at the web page first -- the 8 string is on sale for $269, marked down from $449.

I'm not much of a lap steel player, but my wife bought me a Morrell about 15 years ago for Christmas. I've had a ton of fun with it, it sounds great, and still looks as good as new. Its a sturdy lil piece, thats for sure.

 

[String Tree]

Mine was made by VEGA.
Made in Massachusetts between 1937 and 1963.
That is all I can find on it.

Bought it about 5 years ago because it came with a '73 Fender Champ for $100.

Never thought I'd enjoy it as much as I do.

The Chunk of Strut next to it was to give myself ideas as to how to build one from Strut. Impractical, heavy, but I just might do it early next year.

 

[Flaneur]

Vortexan, that's a beautiful Fender you have there. I would love to own one of those, but they are a bit out of my price range. I seem to recall that Fender made a reissue lap steel a few years ago, but I was just learning how to play the guitar at that point and wasn't in a position purchase one then and, so far, I haven't been able to find one on the used market.

Does anyone know anything about these?

They are made by Magnatone and there's a lot of them out there in my price range, but I don't know what model it is, so I can't find much info on them. Also I found a vintage Gretsch Electromatic that is reasonable, but again there isn't much info out there, so I'm not sure if it is a good deal.

thank you all for the information.

Yep, I have one..... the best raunchy blues Steel I ever played. Lots of great Supros and similar Valco products in your price range, too. Clean up nicely for country, as that's your thing.

 

[Tim Bowen]

Good to see you guys!

Thanks brother, it's nice to be back!

 

[SpenserEller]

Thank you all for convincing me to go the steel guitar route and thanks for all of the info. I heard about a nice Supro in my area, so I'm gonna go check it out.

 

[syrynx]

Good luck with the gateway drug!

You may also find The Steel Guitar Thread and the Steel Guitar Club to be of interest.

 

[drmcclainphd]

Nobody makes these pickups any more but they do occasionally come up on Ebay (for rather a lot of money, usually) if someone is parting out a dead instrument.

If you have one that doesn't work, they can be re-wound.

Thanks. No, I don't have one. But seeing as they're no longer made, I'd like to try to build one. I had the idea for one about a year ago. I can tell it was a good idea because someone else had the same idea and built it.

I suppose I can look up the patent.