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Topic: Lap Steel T-Shirts |
Nate Hofer
From:
Overland Park, Kansas
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Posted 23 May 2012 7:59 pm |
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Guys, I need your opinions and help. If I produced lap steel T-shirts do you think anyone would be interested in buying them?
I'm a graphic designer by trade and love great T-shirts. It bugs me to no end that there are not hardly any good lap steel T-shirts out there. So I've been brainstorming on a few ideas. But I need a focus group to tell me what they think or give me more ideas.
So right now I have either standard 8-string tunings and then the first names of the old swing guard. (Do I have these names right?)
Visually I love the visual boldness but there's a joke in each concept too - I mean it's only going to speak to other lap steelers (maybe peddlers too.)
(Joaquin's tuning or at least one he's known for.)
Thanks,
nate |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 23 May 2012 8:22 pm
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The tunings are cool, and the names are OK, but I'd have the high on top and comas instead of &s except at the last, otherwise it kinda look's redundant.
The real kicker would be individual HoFer's pictures with their name and maybe a famous quote. Custom orders?
To get decent sales from a niche market you gotta make'm pop! |
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Nate Hofer
From:
Overland Park, Kansas
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Posted 24 May 2012 4:35 am
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Custom orders would be cool if there was a low cost way to do that. Iron ons I'm afraid wouldn't cut it.
The tunings actually do run high to low. (Murph's tuning with the high B at the bottom may throw some folks - understandably.)
Heh. Okay, well it was fun to try! |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 24 May 2012 5:11 am
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I'd wear it.
I'd like Sol, Jules, Barney, Feets
Speedy, Buddy, Vance, Jimmy, Moon
Also, Leon, Joaquin, Herb, Noel
_________________
http://www.steelinstruction.com/
http://mikeneer.com
Last edited by Mike Neer on 24 May 2012 6:56 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 24 May 2012 6:36 am
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| Solomon Hofer wrote: |
| The tunings actually do run high to low. Okay, well it was fun to try! |
duh..., I failed to look beyond the word, high, my bad. I like'm. Definitely worth a try, but right now isn't the best time to test the market on this forum, not sure what the lurker rate is but we're in a real contribution rut. |
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John Faulkinbury
From:
Topeka, Kansas
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Posted 24 May 2012 6:40 am
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| They look good to me also. I like the tunings. |
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John Bartlett
From:
South Carolina, USA
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Posted 24 May 2012 9:26 am
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Good job!
I'd buy it and wear it too.
But, I'd like it in 8 string, E7 tuning -
E, B, G#, E, D, B, G#, E,
And, I like the Sol, Jerry, Bob and Leon.
One of each! Let me know! |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 24 May 2012 9:30 am
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How about two for the resophonic players?
D
B
G
D
B
G
and
Buck&
Josh&
Jerry&
Rob
Great idea, nice execution. I'd be interested.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Jim Rossen
From:
Iowa, USA
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Posted 24 May 2012 11:48 am
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| Like the steel geek teeshirt idea. Would favor something with a bit more graphic interest- maybe copy the lettering style of the name a well known maker, or include a stylized image of a steel or part there of- maybe a Stringmaster tuner assembly7 Groovy tab image? Stringmaster cartoon with scores of necks disappearing into the horizon? |
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Earl Hensley
From:
Las Vegas Nv.USA
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Posted 24 May 2012 12:27 pm Tishirts
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I would wear one like ::
Speedy, Jerry, John, Don, Jimmy, Curley,
these may not be lap but they were some of the greats
now gone.
_________________
300 watt Tube Works Bass Head, Peavey Bass Amp,
Hand made George Washburn Spirit,
Fender Tele', Native American Flute, Rogue 6 string lap steel
Epiphone Les Paul, potato-bug mandolin |
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Wayne D. Clark
From:
Montello Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 24 May 2012 6:20 pm
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| I Like the idea, and I would buy one or two. How about two or three standard tunings 6 and 8 string like C6th, E7th, E9th, ect. and "I'm A STEEL PLAYER' your going to get ALLLLLL sorts of ideas from this sight. |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 25 May 2012 4:44 am
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I don't know about wearing a T shirt with a bunch of guy's names.....people might think that I'm......happy......not that there's anything wrong with it.......
Here's my candid opinion.....I applaud your idea & effort, but I feel that it falls short......t shirts with messages are fun, quirky, and say something.....they send a message and project the thing that you are into.....
Aside from steel guitarists (and not even all steel guitarists) other people will not know who Bob, Noel, Speedy, Curly, Buddy, Sol etc...are.....same with the tunings......I think that your idea could be improved with the addition of an image.....for example, an image of Jerry at the steel.....or an image of Jerry and a steel guitar and the addition of one of his quotes.....or a catch phrase....
The same thing with the tunings.....an image of a steel and the tuning written out horizontally as reading it it vertical form is more difficult and involves effort..... |
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Earl Hensley
From:
Las Vegas Nv.USA
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Posted 25 May 2012 5:37 am T-shirts
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I designed a t-shirt for John Hughey that he did very well with. It said;
"Thou shalt not steal,
But thou should steel"
with a photo of a steel guitar in the middle.
Just an idea.
_________________
300 watt Tube Works Bass Head, Peavey Bass Amp,
Hand made George Washburn Spirit,
Fender Tele', Native American Flute, Rogue 6 string lap steel
Epiphone Les Paul, potato-bug mandolin |
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John Faulkinbury
From:
Topeka, Kansas
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Posted 25 May 2012 7:09 am
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Earl, I like that  good idea ! |
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Wayne D. Clark
From:
Montello Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 25 May 2012 7:44 am
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Earl I like that idea also. The steel guitar makes a connection with the Prase or the Tunning.
Looking back on Solomon's "T" shirts, I think identifying the tuning like C6th or E9th or what ever would identify their significence to those who may not be have a clue as to what those letters mean.
Last edited by Wayne D. Clark on 25 May 2012 7:50 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Kirk Eipper
From:
Arroyo Grande, Ca.
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Posted 25 May 2012 7:46 am
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The Tunings are cool.
_________________
'10 Williams 700 Series SD10 4+5/ '71 Emmons S-10 3+4/ '73 Emmons D-10 8+4/ GK MB 200/ Custom Tommy Huff Cabinets/ Webb 614-E/ Steelseat.com Pak-a-seat/ Magnatone and Fender lap steels/ Cobra Coil bars & Strings/ pod 2.0/ Peterson Tuners/Goodrich V.P./ Boss RV5/Teles and Martins
www.kirkeipper.com |
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Nate Hofer
From:
Overland Park, Kansas
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Posted 25 May 2012 2:04 pm Steel Geek T-shirts
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Thank you everybody. I'm encouraged by the awesome feedback.
| Dina Janzen wrote: |
| Like the steel geek teeshirt idea. Would favor something with a bit more graphic interest- maybe copy the lettering style of the name a well known maker, or include a stylized image of a steel or part there of- maybe a Stringmaster tuner assembly7 Groovy tab image? Stringmaster cartoon with scores of necks disappearing into the horizon? |
Actually I also thought about the SM tuner assembly too. Heh. The goal for now is to refine these two simple ideas and then see where it goes from there.
@Wayne D Clark:, Howard R, Earl Hensley, John Faulkinbury:
I hear ya, but I feel pretty good about the visual simplicity. I don't want to be too literal. Like great music and art I want to try to keep some mystery to it. And I think it's great if only steel guitarists and some other musicans get it. I like to think of it kinda like a code. Most people won't get it! But that makes it all the more fun and cool for those that do!
| Brad Bechtel wrote: |
| How about two for the resophonic players? |
Resophonics! (Slapping myself on the forehead.) But of course!
Actually, I like Brad's idea too because it gets at setting up themes. So, I may move forward with something of the following:
Dobro:
Buck&
Josh&
Jerry&
Rob
Lap steel:
Leon&
Joaquin&
Herb&
Noel
West coast guys (Both lap and pedal):
Speedy&
Vance&
Joaquin&
Mooney&
Tom
Hawaiian to country lineage:
Sol&
Jerry&
Herb&
Bob
Hawaiian:
Sol&
Jules&
Barney&
Feets
What about the ladies of steel: (admittedly I'm foggy on this)
Letritia&
Marian&
Cindy
For now, I'm leaving out most of the heavy hitter of pedal steel. I wanna focus on normal steel guitar for the most part.
Tunings:
• C6 (as shown or maybe high E variation?)
• E13 (This one is Leon's)
• C6/A7 (Also a staple - maybe stick with the Murph version since I'm such a fan)
• Standard Dobro G
• Perhaps Speedy's "I'll Never Be Free" tuning Wildcard option. |
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Russell Baker
From:
Owego NY, USA
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Posted 25 May 2012 2:14 pm
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I'd be in for a few of the C6 for 6 string.
Not everyone plays an 8!
_________________
R.E. Baker
There's lots more of me where I come from! |
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Nate Hofer
From:
Overland Park, Kansas
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Posted 25 May 2012 3:11 pm 6ers
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| True! High G or E? |
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Russ Wever
From:
Kansas City
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Russ Wever
From:
Kansas City
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Posted 25 May 2012 7:47 pm
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( dupe )
_________________
www.russface
www.russguru
Last edited by Russ Wever on 26 May 2012 5:28 am; edited 9 times in total |
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Mike Anderson
From:
British Columbia, Canada
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 25 May 2012 8:22 pm
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I could be interested in one that simply says:
E9/C6
No picture, don't spell out the strings, just leave it at this. Still has mystery and if folks are curious, they'll ask what it means. Then... WHAMMO! They'll be sorry they ever asked! LOL. 
Might like it even better on the pocket of a polo shirt with a collar...
_________________
www.JimCohen.com
www.RonstadtRevue.com
www.BeatsWalkin.com |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Nate Hofer
From:
Overland Park, Kansas
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Posted 25 May 2012 9:04 pm
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| Russ Wever wrote: |
no tom morrel ? 
~rw |
Woowee. Good catch Russ! |
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