How to build your own lap steel?

[Daniel Flanigan]

Mr. Robbins, I would recommend against a 25" scale if you plan to use a high tuning or do bar slants. The long scale length is fine for blues or rock playing (David Lindley, Duane Allman, Joe Walsh, Billy Gibbons, Rod Price, etc.), but will make life a lot more difficult when playing traditional Jerry Byrd-esque lap steel that incorporates a lot of bar slants. The standard scale length for lap steel is 23", and this scale length works good for all types of playing, and the shorter scale reduces string breakage in high tunings. If you're worried about measuring out fret spacing for a different scale length, don't be. It's easy to find the fret measurements for different scale lengths in any good lutherie book or I'm sure it can be found on the internet.

[Gerald K. Robbins]

Thank you kindly for your warning.

As i said, the slots have been cut by Cutom Inlay back when i bought that blank. All but the ones past the 24th fret.

There are two other choices available by cutting off one or two frets at the nut and cutting new ones by the bridge.
Those scales would be 23 5/8 or 22 1/4.

23 5/8 might be a good compromize. That would mean only cutting off one fret. Then cutting one or two by the bridge end.

Only picked 25" because the jobro, the Weissenborn, the new to me big box 6-string now set up as a steel,
and my first lap steel build all have 25" scales, within 1/4" .

I will want to learn Jerry Byrd style songs.
And I have already tried some bar slants that are almost parralell to the strings. they are a bit steep.
As of now leaning toward an extended C6th tunning for this build.

Thanks again for replying before I started with the inlays.

bkentr

[Per Berner]

You can make a lap steel fretboard of any scale you can think of, if you go with painted fret lines. This caculator gives you the exact positions automatically:

https://www.stewmac.com/fret-calculator/

Until last year, you could order a slotted fretboard with the exact scale of your choice (like between 15 and 40 inches or so) from Luthier's Mercantile, but sadly they are now closed for good. Maybe someone bought their machinery and will offer that service again (Stew-Mac took over some of their inventory), but no news so far.

[Jouni Karvonen]

Made from 2"x4"s.

[Jeff Highland]

Unles you use a tuning with a top string higher than E then the 25" scale is fine and will not present a problem for slants as long as you use a wide srting spacing at the nut. My Duesenberg at 25.5" with nut width matching bridge spacing requires less slant angle than my 23"supro with it's narrow nut.

[Gerald K. Robbins]

Thanks again for more replies.

My blank is one that had the fret slots cut, but it was for a longneck banjo, with extra wood at the bridge end, and 4+ " wide. No profiling.
I have removed 4 frets from the nut end, and still have extra room at the bridge end for some kind of inlay.

I sure have spent a bunch of $ at StuMac in the last 35 years for parts, not so much any more. their prices keep on going up.

Jorni, those "2x4" steels look great, and the pictures say more than words. And I was just wondering if there should be a taper, or go with
the same spacing at the nut as the bridge. I'll plan on 3/8th at both ends. Simple to plot out, and what I am used to for banjo and the jobro.

Thank you Jeff for your report. If the 25" works for you it would work for me too. High D or E for first.
I still have the option to use 25", or the 23 5/8, have not cut off the blank yet.

I have cut the extra slots above the 24th fret and started the somewhat slow process of cutting pearl pieces for inlay.
Why use pearl for inlay and fretwire for a lap steel ? because I have the parts on hand, that's what I'm used to using for banjos,
and i like the look of pearl on ebony.

I've picked out clouds for a motif. Simple shapes that can be cut and finished by hand with a dremel, files, and a small vise.
That way, when I'm finally playing it, my wife can say "he's got his head in the clouds again."

Hope to have the fretboard assembled in a week or two, and will post pics when done.

Siide Note, and off topic.
Jeff, your location says NSW. Any chance you have an interest in old steam trains?
There is a u-tube Belbin vidio of "Fassifern, NSW railway, 1968 to 1972" that shows double Garrats attacking a 1 in 40 with coal from Newstan .
What a show.

bkentr

[Jeff Highland]

Fassifern is across the lake from me, but no I'm not really into steam trains.
Spent enough time building coal fired power stations when I was younger, don't want to be around coal anymore.

[Gerald K. Robbins]

Thanks Jeff for an answer,
No wonder you don't like coal if you had to work with it. Black,dirty, and smoky.

It remains unique that you would live across the lake from Fassifern and also post on the SGF. Is that Lake Macquarie?
I've been looking around on Google maps of the area, looking for the connection between Newstan and Port Waratah.

I've been thinking about what you said about the slants and 25" scale and wide spacing at the nut.
It makes some sense this morning. Also settles what size nut to use. Still have the option of 25" and 23 5/8" scale.

After spending some time on the Steel 6th.com site and the "tunings" pages, I now wonder what tuning to start out
with on this new build and having 10 strings to work with offers a few more choices. Some use a high G for a first string.

Fortunatly, the SGF has a thread on 10 string C6th tunings active now, available to read.
And Steel C6th has a few more for 10 string. B 11th is interesting. So is extended C6th.

I'll repeat, as a new to steel player, I'll stick with high base G and open D for a while,
G works because of the banjo tuning I've used. That helps to find the notes with a slide.
Playing the same thing on strings 2-5 in D helps to learn choosing the inside strings.

bkentr

[Jeff Highland]

Thanks Jeff for an answer,
No wonder you don't like coal if you had to work with it. Black,dirty, and smoky.

It remains unique that you would live across the lake from Fassifern and also post on the SGF. Is that Lake Macquarie?
I've been looking around on Google maps of the area, looking for the connection between Newstan and Port Waratah.


bkentr

Yes, Lake Macquarie I am on the ocean side at Caves Beach
Why the interest in Newstan, it has been out of action for 10 years?

[Gerald K. Robbins]

The only interest in Newstan is the vidio of the double Garrats. Those class 40 Garrats were almost 100 feet long.

But the interest in old steam trains goes back to one of the very first songs I remember ever hearing, "Hobo Bill',
at age 7. I'm thinking it was Hank Snow. On a 45 rpm. That's 68 years ago now, and I thank my mom for introducing me to music.
Hobo Bill the song, retains a warm spot in my memory. Also spent many years a model railroader.

That introduction back then was what started my interest in guitar, that led to many years playing at, but not practicing guitar,
that led to many years with banjo, with a bit more practice, and that has led to a new to me interest in playing the music I know with steel.

So, even if the steam is "off topic", there is a connection for me with with music, train songs, life and artistic expression.

It was also back then I was first taught about DIY, fixing broken things, and making do. This by example by my dad.

And that continues with wanting to build yet another lap steel guitar, as opposed to buying one. Even if "store bought" is better.


so, Caves beach is right on the ocean. Looks like it might be a nice place to live. Any sailing ?

bkentr

[Joe A. Roberts]

Gerald, that is a very handsome first lapsteel you built there. I am looking forward to seeing your future build(s)

[Jeff Highland]

The only interest in Newstan is the vidio of the double Garrats. Those class 40 Garrats were almost 100 feet long.

But the interest in old steam trains goes back to one of the very first songs I remember ever hearing, "Hobo Bill',
at age 7. I'm thinking it was Hank Snow. On a 45 rpm. That's 68 years ago now, and I thank my mom for introducing me to music.
Hobo Bill the song, retains a warm spot in my memory. Also spent many years a model railroader.

That introduction back then was what started my interest in guitar, that led to many years playing at, but not practicing guitar,
that led to many years with banjo, with a bit more practice, and that has led to a new to me interest in playing the music I know with steel.

So, even if the steam is "off topic", there is a connection for me with with music, train songs, life and artistic expression.

It was also back then I was first taught about DIY, fixing broken things, and making do. This by example by my dad.

And that continues with wanting to build yet another lap steel guitar, as opposed to buying one. Even if "store bought" is better.


so, Caves beach is right on the ocean. Looks like it might be a nice place to live. Any sailing ?

bkentr

Im not a sailor we are about 50 metres from the ocean here. Just swimming and snorkeling for us.
Used to take my kids to the model steam trains at Edgeworth for rides but they are well and truly grown up now.
It's unfortunate that the rail line is on the other side of the lake, it would be handy for trips to Sydney, we have to drive to Wyee.
We used to have a rail service just North of us from Belmont to Adamstown but I think it closed in the 70's and the corridor and tunnels are now a bike and walk trail.
DIY skills are certainly being lost now, What we used to do with cars is just not possible now.

[Gerald K. Robbins]

Thanks for sharing,
We live 1 mile inland, but can still hear the surf pounding.
My "babys" are now 43 and 45.
Yes, DIY skills are fading away. but not qiite everywhere.
looks as if some are still willing to build instruments.

I won't try to build a Weissenborn, but banjos have been fair game. Both with store parts and from scratch.
We did wind up with a Weissenborn, a 2017 deep body Imperial Royal Hawiian. Beautiful sound, and has Fishman pickup.

Just for laughs I'll include a couple of pics of lap steel 2, in progress.

Shaping the clouds, and clouds on the fretboard, not yet inlayed.







bkentr