Can today’s lap builds equal vintage laps tone?

[Johnie King]

Here you go David my table with Grandpas old iron wheels .
With a strong market for vintage laps I’m wondering if
Some new hand crafted laps equal the tone of the average vintage laps, notice I’m asking
Average vintage tone not your very rare tone too the bone high dollar lap steel with horse shoe pickups. I do see Jerry Douglas plays late model custom made laps an so dose The great Billy Roberson he’s the only guy I know that can slant a bar both ways at the same time at least it sounds like he does.
Zking hand crafted laps come get you one!
Custom wound pickups on Six string laps
Ten stingers have True Tone pickups
Professionally wired with best parts available. I will

I will have a booth at Bobby Reeds stars a steel guitar show here in Nashville.
November 14/15/16 come check these an more out.

[Johnie King]

[C. E. Jackson]

Beautiful steels, Johnie. Which one is your favorite?


C. E. Jackson

[George Piburn]

Everything Johnie makes is far superior to vintage quality in every aspect.

He clearly does this as a labor of love not money, as his prices are less than 1/2 of their realistic values.

GeorgeBoards

[David Matzenik]

Never mind the guitars . . .look at that table!!!!!

But seriously, it is such a subjective question. To my ears, I have to say yes. A vintage guitar is not a requirement.

[Cartwright Thompson]

Yes, every guitar that Todd Clinesmith builds eclipses any “very rare tone too the bone high dollar lap steel”

[David Ball]

We are lucky to be living in a renaissance of great instrument makers. The frequently mass produced instruments of the past are being reimagined by talented modern "boutique" crafts people. Given the advances in technology as well as the lessons that have been learned over time, I think that modern instruments can definitely have the edge over the older ones.

OK, there's a certain mojo that old instruments have (and I've been a collector of different kinds of things both musical and not for years) that you don't get with a newer instrument. I really like that mojo. But, putting that aside, there are really great instruments of all kinds being built today that have a mojo of their own due to a combination of great craftsmanship and design, attention to detail, and a tip of the hat to the past.

There's a place for both new and old. But I think that objectively speaking, it's hard to argue that the old instruments are better than what's being built today, or really even close.

Dave

[Jeff Highland]

Absolutely
There are some great pickup makers around doing vintage style pickups, or there are modern types, your choice.
Better tuners are the rule rather than the exception, and there is no magical tonewood under the typical painted or covered vintage lap.
And these days with a custom builder you get choices in scale length and string spacing etc.
I am quite attached to my 49 Supro and 50 National NY but I'm under no illusions that they represent the best possible tone or playability.

[Johnie King]

Here’s my sons Zane’s favorite lap.
She has a large horseshoe magnet pickup.

[Johnie King]

Thanks CE here’s my favorite she has a three inch maple neck the full length of the lap with flame maple body wings. She’s a 25 inch scale , fret slots were miles into neck an filled with different natural color wood .0

[Lee Holliday]

Johnnie, with electric guitars Yes there are the electronics but if it is acoustically resonant in the 1st place adds to the chances of achieving good tone. Your choice of pickup and quality pots & wiring etc add to the tone, there is a Duesenberg regularly seen on youtube/facebook with Luke Cyrus Goetze and a Lollar Valco strings through pickup which sounds as good as any of the vintage ones.

So the formula as I can see it is resonant timber, correct electronics, in the right hands = half a chance at good vintage tone.

Regards

Lee

[Bill Groner]

Not sure if I told you this before, but if I didn't, my favorite one is the Spalted Maple peanut shaped body one. I like stuff that is different......and that one fits the bill. They are all nice and I'll bet they sound great. I'm surprised your son's favorite is that National.....do you still talk to him?????

[Nic Neufeld]

I think one reason the vintage ones seemed to sound better is who was around playing them when they were new!

I like the mojo of vintage instruments, feels like they could tell a story, but I'm under no illusion they are innately superior.

One area where modern builds kind of lose out to vintage is the non-pedal multineck / console market. There are probably a couple makers making these but by and large most custom builders these days are making lap steels, not consoles. If you want a D8 or a T8, it's either a -LOT- of money for a custom commission or head straight to the vintage market (which is what I did). I'm not saying its a problem...the market probably just doesn't bear it out. I kind of wish I could get something like the tone from my Clinesmith frypan in a D8 but I shudder to think of the cost...I'll just hump my console along with it, or just retune like a normal person haha!

[Glenn Wilde]

Beautiful steels Johnie. Yes to the original question, two of my vintage steels have new Duncan pickups in them and sound killer.

[C. E. Jackson]

Thanks CE here’s my favorite she has a three inch maple neck the full length of the lap with flame maple body wings. She’s a 25 inch scale , fret slots were miles into neck an filled with different natural color wood .0

Johnie, that is really an attractive steel design. I really like the way you anchor the strings at the end, and the
location of the plug-in for the amp. The 25" scale should make great harmonics. Great colors and design.

C. E. Jackson

[Johnie King]

Thanks George I love your personal collection of laps you have made. Would you post pictures of your favorite builds ones you have an ones you have sold.

[Ed Pettersen]

Here you go David my table with Grandpas old iron wheels .
With a strong market for vintage laps I’m wondering if
Some new hand crafted laps equal the tone of the average vintage laps, notice I’m asking
Average vintage tone not your very rare tone too the bone high dollar lap steel with horse shoe pickups. I do see Jerry Douglas plays late model custom made laps an so dose The great Billy Roberson he’s the only guy I know that can slant a bar both ways at the same time at least it sounds like he does.
Zking hand crafted laps come get you one!
Custom wound pickups on Six string laps
Ten stingers have True Tone pickups
Professionally wired with best parts available. I will

I will have a booth at Bobby Reeds stars a steel guitar show here in Nashville.
November 14/15/16 come check these an more out.

That 10 string third from the left is amazing!

[Johnie King]

Here you go David my table with Grandpas old iron wheels .
With a strong market for vintage laps I’m wondering if
Some new hand crafted laps equal the tone of the average vintage laps, notice I’m asking
Average vintage tone not your very rare tone too the bone high dollar lap steel with horse shoe pickups. I do see Jerry Douglas plays late model custom made laps an so dose The great Billy Roberson he’s the only guy I know that can slant a bar both ways at the same time at least it sounds like he does.
Zking hand crafted laps come get you one!
Custom wound pickups on Six string laps
Ten stingers have True Tone pickups
Professionally wired with best parts available. I will

I will have a booth at Bobby Reeds stars a steel guitar show here in Nashville.
November 14/15/16 come check these an more out.

That 10 string third from the left is amazing!

[Johnie King]

Here you go David my table with Grandpas old iron wheels .
With a strong market for vintage laps I’m wondering if
Some new hand crafted laps equal the tone of the average vintage laps, notice I’m asking
Average vintage tone not your very rare tone too the bone high dollar lap steel with horse shoe pickups. I do see Jerry Douglas plays late model custom made laps an so dose The great Billy Roberson he’s the only guy I know that can slant a bar both ways at the same time at least it sounds like he does.
Zking hand crafted laps come get you one!
Custom wound pickups on Six string laps
Ten stingers have True Tone pickups
Professionally wired with best parts available.

I will have a booth at Bobby Reeds stars a steel guitar show here in Nashville.
November 14/15/16 come check these an more out.

That 10 string third from the left is amazing!

[Ed Pettersen]

That 10 string third from the left is amazing!

[/quote]

Very, very nice!!!