Lap steel standing up?

Greg Gefell · Post by **Greg Gefell** » 15 Aug 2008 6:47 am

Has anyone had luck putting a resonator strap on a lap steel and playing it standing up? It seems like without the thick body of an acoustic it would constantly be slipping out of playing position. I love playing my resonator standing up at gigs but I miss having an elec/overdrive sound for some songs.

Perhaps I could take an old acoustic and convert it to an electric?

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 15 Aug 2008 7:27 am

Lap King offers a "support arm" for the Bel Aire models, as seen in this photo of Jerry Douglas playing his Bel Aire:

You can find more photos and info on Lap King's website - www.lapking.com

I am experimenting with a design that won't require drilling holes in the body, but it's still only on the drawing board...

Greg Gefell · Post by **Greg Gefell** » 15 Aug 2008 7:56 am

Thanks for the heads up Steinar. I'll check out that link.

I have an old unused strat copy guitar I would be willing to add a support to. That might get me started.

Terry VunCannon · Post by **Terry VunCannon** » 15 Aug 2008 8:01 am

I am still having good luck using stands for my lap steel...with an A/B box, I can go between guitar & lap with almost no trouble............TerryV.

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 15 Aug 2008 9:58 am

Melobar use to make electric steel guitars designed to be played with a strap standing up. I don't know if they are still making them.

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 15 Aug 2008 10:35 am

Harmos has their "Dance Bar"...

...while MSA Superslide has their "Freedom Bar"

I guess it's all up to ones imagination and creativity..

Greg Gefell · Post by **Greg Gefell** » 15 Aug 2008 10:44 am

Ooh

- I like that freedom bar idea. I could add that to an existing lap steel pretty easily.

Mark White · Post by **Mark White** » 15 Aug 2008 1:07 pm

I don't think you can purchase a Freedom Bar unless you are a Superslide owner. I could be wrong though.

George Piburn · Post by **George Piburn** » 15 Aug 2008 1:34 pm

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 15 Aug 2008 2:12 pm

The old single neck steel stands are a bit shaky when extended for stand-up playing, but OK if you are careful. I used one in the late forties and early fifties in country music bands where every one stood on stage, no sitting etc.

Edward Meisse · Post by **Edward Meisse** » 15 Aug 2008 2:16 pm

There is a pedal player for a big name band who has recently made swing CD on resonator guitar. He is on the Gold Tone website. It shows him using a strap on a 6 string Gold Tone.

Rich Hlaves · Post by **Rich Hlaves** » 15 Aug 2008 2:18 pm

If you mount legs to a board (lumber) and cover the board with speaker cabinet carpet, you can apply velcro to the bottom of your steels(s) to avoid slipage. With std. steel legs it can be used sitting or standing.

I'm building one double wide for two lap guitars at different heights and will post pics when completed.

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 15 Aug 2008 2:38 pm

For me, using a stand and a strap are two quite different solutions. My issues with a stand are -

1 - I can't move around on stage
2 - I'm too tall for the "X" type keyboard stands anyway.. I tried using one for a while and had to place it on top of my pedalboard flight case, which made it very unstable.
Plus, since there were no room for my pedalboard in front of me I had to go through some weird gymnastic exercises when using the wah pedal..

So, personally, I'd much prefer to stand up with my lap steel(s) "dobro style".

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 15 Aug 2008 10:43 pm

Have you tried modifying an old ironing board ?

Another idea is one of those metal music stands. Rotate the top so that it's horizontal.

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 16 Aug 2008 8:15 am

I forget who, but someone here had a cool custom Dobro shaped "tray" that held / cradled the steel.

I have some nice light weight swamp ash that I've been thinking of using for a "stand up" steel, though using my belly as a model would require a big cutout

Mark White · Post by **Mark White** » 16 Aug 2008 9:27 am

Tom, I think it was Peter Jacobs.

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 16 Aug 2008 10:05 am

Mark, thats it, Peter's rig

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 16 Aug 2008 2:31 pm

And some of us are still waiting for the affordable Peavey Power Slide standup (with a strap) lap steel to make its debut:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEK4rGt7-As

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 18 Aug 2008 5:16 am

Here is the Lap King support arm that Steiner was refering to. The attachment looks a bit crude but the belly pad appears as though it would be comfortable. This option on a Belair costs $150.

Greg Gefell · Post by **Greg Gefell** » 18 Aug 2008 6:44 am

OK - those are all good suggestions but let me twist my own thread with a different question. Is there any way to continue to use my resonator (since its already designed to play nicely standing up) and add a piezo or other type of pickup that would make it purposefully not sound like a resonator but rather just an amplified acoustic body steel guitar?

I have a schatten pickup in now, and it sounds pretty faithful though a PA situation, but since its basically a contact microphone type pickup, I can't put it into a guitar amp without insane feedback.

If I could find a different pickup that would amplify it without regard to faithful reproduction that might solve my problem.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 18 Aug 2008 7:04 am

There are any number of magnetic pickups that can be mounted on the top of the guitar underneath the strings between the cover plate and the screens, but those will make it sound like an electric lap steel.

As far as taking a resonator and making it sound like an acoustic lap six-string, I have no idea how one accomplish that. Take out the resonator cone?

Greg Gefell · Post by **Greg Gefell** » 18 Aug 2008 7:23 am

Mark, that's exactly the point - in this case I would be OK with it sounding like a lap steel. I'm hoping that a magnetic pickup would not feed back like a microphonic pickup does.

I have no intention of removing or baffling the resonator as I still want it to sound like a normal resonator when we do acoustic/unplugged shows.

Can you recommend any brand names of these magnetic pickups?

Dan Sawyer · Post by **Dan Sawyer** » 19 Aug 2008 10:03 pm

Greg Gefell wrote:Is there any way to continue to use my resonator and add a piezo or other type of pickup that would make it purposefully not sound like a resonator but rather just an amplified acoustic body steel guitar?

As long as there's a resonator cone in your guitar, it's not going to sound like a regular acoustic or a lap steel.

Greg Gefell · Post by **Greg Gefell** » 20 Aug 2008 6:43 am

Dan - this is true, but I would guess a magnetic pickup would make it sound more like an electric steel than a piezo or fishman type transducer that was designed to preserve the reso tone.

Tom Wolverton · Post by **Tom Wolverton** » 20 Aug 2008 1:56 pm

I've seen camera tripods used as well. You bolt a camera thread plate to the bottom of your lap steel and bingo - you are see. The tripods are usually light and fold up kinda tight too. I think I saw a guy playing with Hal Ketchum do it this way.

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Lap steel standing up?

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