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Anybody into Lap Steel?
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 11:59 am
by dorfmeister
I've been thinking about getting a six or 8 string Lap steel guitar. I think there are some interesting possibilities with these. Anybody have a lap steel. Anybody have some recommendations as to what to buy?
Re: Anybody into Lap Steel?
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 1:04 pm
by masked elwood
i'm a lap steel guy.
older laps by valco/supro are the best value for the money. there are many off brands that were made by valco and all the usual suspects from the 60 made great sounding laps: kay, magnatone, harmony, airline, silvertone, tiesco.....
old ricks pop up fairly cheap from time to time too. you'll mostly want the horseshoe pickup and not the fender style (tele) as they tend to get shrill through fuzz.
you can spend 250 and get killer.
Re: Anybody into Lap Steel?
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 1:09 pm
by rattler420
dont have one, but want one myself. ralph mooney is the bee's knee's
edit: just realized you said lap steel. they are cool too, but i just lay my tele in my lap to get that effect for own enjoyment. i want a pedal steel fer sure :P always been curious what one would sound like with some fuzz tones

Re: Anybody into Lap Steel?
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 1:19 pm
by masked elwood
Re: Anybody into Lap Steel?
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 2:01 pm
by sonidero
F that Moog just made a lap steel... I'll post a link when I'm not on my phone but Google for the demo... It's dope and cooler than their guitars by far...
Re: Anybody into Lap Steel?
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 2:08 pm
by StudioShutIn
Another good resource might be Brad's Page of Steel

It has tons of info on instruments, technique, pro player bios, etc..
Re: Anybody into Lap Steel?
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 2:33 pm
by dubkitty
what Elwood said. also, old Gibson and Epiphone lap steels are often nice and sometimes surprisingly affordable, the Epis particularly so. i still need a lap steel. i waver on whether i'd go for six- or eight-string, but would probably go for 6 since i have a pedal steel for the 9th-chord stuff, and for a Rickenbacker because i'm a slut for David Lindley. i'd avoid most of the cheap lap steels out there nowadays, because the pickups are crap. get a pedal steel-type bar--the cylindrical type--NOT a dobro-style bar...dobro bars have too much friction for the electric instrument.
Re: Anybody into Lap Steel?
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 3:30 pm
by Holy Schnikes
I've never had the chance to play a lap steel but they sound amazing. Troy Van Leeuwen used one when I saw Queens a few years back, all distorted and delayed, sound incredible. Sustains for eternity too, Go With The Flow has a pretty good example on the lead line.
Re: Anybody into Lap Steel?
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 3:33 pm
by dorfmeister
I know the various Wilco guitarists have used them over the years. I saw Nels Cline use one on a few songs when I saw them live back in 2007. I've got a bug for alt-country - - - Wilco, Scud Mountain Boys, Will Oldham, etc. I'd really like to explore of some that territory.
Re: Anybody into Lap Steel?
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 4:24 pm
by devnulljp
I've been hovering on getting one the last while. Friend of mine plays very well, and I've got the bug ... Harder to find in Canada, I've bid on a couple on fleabay but always been beaten out. I'd like an old Valco but I'm not paying $1000 for one.
Re: Anybody into Lap Steel?
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 5:03 pm
by sonidero
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VanHZRkhhUY[/youtube]
Also we got hella lap steels in Austin, 'specially South Austin... The South Austin Music store is almost all string stuff besides guitar... I'll look out for ya...

Re: Anybody into Lap Steel?
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 5:33 pm
by dorfmeister
sonidero wrote:[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VanHZRkhhUY[/youtube]
Also we got hella lap steels in Austin, 'specially South Austin... The South Austin Music store is almost all string stuff besides guitar... I'll look out for ya...

I like how Cyril Lance has the title "Chief Technical Alchemist".
That is pretty damned cool. I wonder how a lap steel might track with my Snazzy Mini-Ark or with one of those Sonuus G2M guitar to midi boxes? Seems like some possibilities for some hella expressive wailing.
Re: Anybody into Lap Steel?
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 11:28 pm
by Mudfuzz
I will admit to thinking those moogs are realllllyyyyy cool
As for lapsteel... I made my own

really for a simple one all you need is a 2X6 and hardware/pickup

Re: Anybody into Lap Steel?
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 11:55 pm
by Caesar
I have a cheapo Rogue. I play it here and there, but it's cheapo, and it sounds cheapo.
Re: Anybody into Lap Steel?
Posted: Sat Feb 26, 2011 2:13 am
by SpaceFlunky