Market for lap steel?

[Darrell Criswell]

I see a lot of old used lap steel guitars at pawn shops, guitar stores and on eBay for what seems to me phenomenal prices. I was just wondering if there is really a big market for these and who primarily buys them. Thanks!

[Noah Miller]

Compared to the guitar market, at least, the lap steel market is tiny. We're out there still buying them, but in light of the sheer number that were built between the '30s and the '60s, and the fact that they're not a central part of most popular music genres anymore... it's not surprising that they're far less valuable than their round-necked counterparts.

[Allan Revich]

Please define “phenomenal”? Are you talking about really high prices, or really low prices?

As for high prices, I think a lot of online sellers have unrealistic expectations. You’ll notice that the really overpriced instruments just sit there.

As for low prices at pawn shops or Craigslist. It’s all “luck of the draw”.

I think the market for lap steels is very small, but so is the supply of good vintage instruments.

[Glenn Wilde]

I kinda wonder who is buying them too, Ric's and Fenders seem to have more than doubled in the last 10 years yet i rarely see or meet someone that plays steel. I'm actually looking at bakelite's right now and its pretty shocking what the nice ones are listed for, i should have kept one, ive had three and think i got 4 or 500 for the last one i sold. I did trade one for my '50 Deluxe 8 so i did okay there.

[Jack Hanson]

There'll likely be less and less as time goes by, because a large portion of 'em go to guys with a few hand tools who strip 'em and flip 'em on eBay and Reverb.

[Darrell Criswell]

Please define “phenomenal”? Are you talking about really high prices, or really low prices?

As for high prices, I think a lot of online sellers have unrealistic expectations. You’ll notice that the really overpriced instruments just sit there.

As for low prices at pawn shops or Craigslist. It’s all “luck of the draw”.

I think the market for lap steels is very small, but so is the supply of good vintage instruments.

My definition of phenomenal is over 500 dollars for an instrument that probably has bad pickups and doesn't look anywhere close to mint, and is still dirty with rusty strings. I see a whole lot of them around, I would think they would be dirt cheap as so few people play them.

[Lloyd Graves]

Could be that, in part, they are being priced as antiques.

I recall having to I talk an antique dealer down for my banjo ukulele. She looked perplexed as I pointed out that it needed a new head, flesh hoop, nut, and the back needed gluing. She thought of it as something for a wall.

[Carl Gallagher]

I bought my son a Fender Champ lap steel in 2000 for under 200 bucks when he was attending Berklee college of music in Boston.Recently I took up lap steel and was surprised to see them now going for over a grand.

[Mike Ormsby]

I guess I'm the exception rather than the rule....just bought my third lap steel in about a month....

I have a 56 National Princess (student model), a Tom Pettergill (second one he built) and a vintage Fender Studio Deluxe (mid 60s to early 70s...that I just got a set of proper legs for)....because of difficulty with my left (fretting) hand (due to old break and arthritis), I decided to add lap steel to my instruments of choice....plus for a bit of variety too....and quite frankly lap steels are easily adaptable to many genres including rock and blues.

I paid what I think are reasonable prices....and am thoroughly enjoying my venture into the world of lap steel....

[Glenn Wilde]

Please define “phenomenal”? Are you talking about really high prices, or really low prices?

As for high prices, I think a lot of online sellers have unrealistic expectations. You’ll notice that the really overpriced instruments just sit there.

As for low prices at pawn shops or Craigslist. It’s all “luck of the draw”.

I think the market for lap steels is very small, but so is the supply of good vintage instruments.

My definition of phenomenal is over 500 dollars for an instrument that probably has bad pickups and doesn't look anywhere close to mint, and is still dirty with rusty strings. I see a whole lot of them around, I would think they would be dirt cheap as so few people play them.

I still find instruments as you describe them for $150.00 to $350.00 quite frequently, you just need to be patient. A month ago i got a Supro Airliner with the legs for $350, kinda thrashed with no case or handrest but totally playable and cool, a bluesman special.
20 years ago though, my $350.00 would have (and did) buy me things like a minty National New Yorker or '41 EH 125....

[Gene Tani]

I think like any other used instrment market, if you can't see what sold and at what price like on reverb, you're biased into thinking prices are high. But I've seen people asking for value of ___ here which i think will get knowledgeable answers

[Jeffery Mercer]

Many people are itchin to try new things such as the Lap Steel Guitar since they have so much time on there hands due to COVID!

[Kirk Francis]

as a case in point: there seems to be something about tastelessly "customized" rick fry pans to cause wild dreams in their owners' minds.

a severely bowdlerized pre-war A-22 7 string rick fry pan was just put on sale at ebay for a scant $29,999.99 (or best offer!). in an apparent attempt to make this once fine instrument look like a far less desirable jerry byrd fry pan, whoever performed the obscenities even applied colored tape fret markers in the same motif as the byrd instruments. also on ebay, another rick A-22 with decorative holes drilled all around the edge of the body and peghead--but thankfully no added tone control--is a relative bargain at only $29,500.00. it has been on the block for months and months.


de gustibis non est disputandum, as the romans used to say.

[John Viterito]

I know about the value of "old", as sentimentality is hardwired into us humans. And while the quality of "old" or "vintage" is hard to argue against, it is doubtful that many of these old lap steels (with few exceptions) are worth the price folks are fetching for them simply due to age. For a fraction of the cost, I'm not sure why anyone would risk it (other than collecting; we are talking about playing here) when they could invest in a quality new guitar from the likes of Asher, Rukavina, etc.