The weirdest looking lap steel...........

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 17 Jul 2004 4:57 pm

Check this:

More photos here.

It actually looks quite old, like something Chris Knutsen could have come up with if the electric guitar had been around in his lifetime. What's the 'diagnosis'?

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

Ron Bednar · Post by **Ron Bednar** » 17 Jul 2004 6:05 pm

Hi Steinar, I don't know, hard to tell with the lousy photo's, I suspect a hack job though. If it is, they ought to take whoever did it out behind the barn and whack'em on the head with it. That handle was nice touch. The thing kinda looks like it came from that Ewok movie, or maybe an early Hawaiian bondage flick. [This message was edited by Ron Bednar on 17 July 2004 at 07:06 PM.]

Ron Bednar · Post by **Ron Bednar** » 17 Jul 2004 6:38 pm

On second look Steinar, it's really a weirdo. Looks to be a short pudgy thing, got a very short neck, only 14 frets. I wrote the guy and asked about it's history...see what he says.

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 17 Jul 2004 6:52 pm

Didn't Prince use that lap steel in "Purple Rain"?

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 17 Jul 2004 7:53 pm

Looks like a Frankenstein.

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 18 Jul 2004 3:34 am

Woodworking tools and psychoactive drugs are a dangerous combination in more ways than one.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 18 Jul 2004 5:50 am

I think it must have been made in Sweden!

Uff-Da!

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 18 Jul 2004 6:03 am

My first reaction was that I loved it! But on closer review, unless there's weird perspective parallax stuff going on, it looks like an awful job where it counts--the fretboard is going off in one direction ignoring the fact that the strings are off in another. Who knows what else. Hard to imagine this is a player. Which is the first test any axe ought to pass, don't you think?

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 18 Jul 2004 7:18 am

I love the handle, what a weird idea! Makes me wonder what else this guitar has going for it,- maybe there's a cuckoo clock in there too?

But there's something about the shapes of the 'decorations' on the top that makes me think of some of Knutsen's weidest creations. Now I can't imagine this guitar have anything to do with him, but whoever built it have probably been inspired by some of his stuff.
If it hadn't been for the off-axis strings/fretboard I would probably have bid on it,- even if it sounds horrible (which it probably does) this is such a weird creation that it's very tempting.......

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

Russ Young · Post by **Russ Young** » 18 Jul 2004 7:48 am

I initially chuckled when I saw the seller's description of it as a "Weissenborn style," but the shape is somewhat reminiscent of the few teardrop-shaped guitars produced by Weissenborn. (Check out Ben Harper's. Herman W. didn't use the handle idea, though.)

That being said, I support the theory that hallucinogens are involved here ...

[This message was edited by Russ Young on 18 July 2004 at 08:51 AM.]

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 18 Jul 2004 8:08 am

Steinar, no doubt this guitar conjures up a Norwegian Viking kind of vibe. It also has a pseudo-Medieval torture chamber look, too. Maybe in the right hands this thing can inflict some real pain.

Russ Young · Post by **Russ Young** » 18 Jul 2004 8:10 am

Mike, is that a comment on my playing?

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 18 Jul 2004 8:26 am

Hm. Could it really be from the Leiv Erikson discovery of "Vinland" (America) 1000 years ago? Did Eirik Raude play this thing for his bride Tjodhild and their sons Torstein and Leiv in the late 980's?
Guess we'll never know........

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

Russ Young · Post by **Russ Young** » 18 Jul 2004 8:34 am

Very possible, Steinar. There is always someone out there who can't resist the urge to add a pickup to an historic acoustic instrument ...

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 18 Jul 2004 8:44 am

It's also symbolic that they are Tele pickups--

tele--Distance; distant: telesthesia

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 18 Jul 2004 8:46 am

Of course, out of all this we can see the big question arising:
Did the Vikings not only go to America, but also to Hawaii?

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 18 Jul 2004 8:50 am

Well, the Norwegians did go west....

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 18 Jul 2004 9:22 am

You have to be 18 even to look at that guitar.

Walt Wittich · Post by **Walt Wittich** » 18 Jul 2004 12:19 pm

A conversation piece to hang on the music room wall? A war club in disguise (perhaps used since fretborad and strings don't align)? Interesting piece!

John Pelz · Post by **John Pelz** » 18 Jul 2004 12:30 pm

Looks like something Thor Heyerdahl could have made out of spare parts from the Kon-Tiki, to pass his time during his 1947 expedition across the Pacific...

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 18 Jul 2004 12:41 pm

LOL John,- somehow I expected the name of Thor Heyerdahl to show up here! Heyerdahl, the Vikings, Chris Knutsen, does it matter,- it has to be a Norski!

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

Chuck Fisher · Post by **Chuck Fisher** » 18 Jul 2004 12:55 pm

The Bible says "to everything there is a season"

The Autumn of chipper-shredders comes to mind...

CF

Wayne Douglas · Post by **Wayne Douglas** » 18 Jul 2004 8:16 pm

Looks as if Adam was making a planter for
Eve and got carried away.Wonder where he
found the handle??? I WANT ONE[This message was edited by Wayne Douglas on 18 July 2004 at 09:18 PM.]

Jennings Ward · Post by **Jennings Ward** » 19 Jul 2004 3:52 pm

Wayne, I asked Jane and she said I could not have one.. Can I come over and play yours.. Do you have the SHAPE NOTES for it? Tell Rita [granny] I love her... Jennings

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