Which lap steel to choose ?

Ed Altrichter · Post by **Ed Altrichter** » 8 Mar 2005 5:14 am

Hi gang,
I'm a Dobro player, looking to buy a lap steel , and there are so many to choose from that it's making my head swim ! I live far away from where the shows are held, so I'd like to get your opinions.
I'd like to get a comparison between the new MSA superslide; Sierra lap steel; Georgeboard; Crafters; Fouke Industrial and some others (as far as tone, quality, cost, etc.)
Another question is : I like a tuning of: E G# B E G# B E on my Dobro. Is that a suitable all-purpose tuning for a lap steel? I don't play much Hawaiian music; I'd play more stuff like Ray Price tunes, for instance.
Thanks for your help.
Ed

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 8 Mar 2005 8:09 am

Ed,
I think that if I were buying a lap steel for the first time, I would keep a sharp eye out on e-bay for a Fender. They are on there all the time and it's really hard to beat an old Fender.

Erv

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 8 Mar 2005 8:13 am

I fully agree with Erv. However, some of these "golden oldies" are a bit pricy for a beginner. You might want to e-mail Elva West... elvawest@hotmail.com who makes the TRADEWIND guitar. They are priced very reasonably and have a great sound. He lives in Anaheim.

Ed Altrichter · Post by **Ed Altrichter** » 8 Mar 2005 8:55 am

Thanks for the input guys, but I'm 63 years old, and the lap steel I buy will be a good one . I'm not looking at doing a lot of trading up in time to come. I want to know which one is the best.
Ed

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 8 Mar 2005 9:12 am

Ed,

How much money do you want to spend? From what you've described so far, an eight string steel would be a good fit, but you could easily do what you want with a six string steel.
For new lap steels, you're living in a golden age of manufacturing. There are more good high quality lap steels out there right now than at any other time.
For the price, one of the best deals going is the Chandler RH-2 lap steel. Another good relatively low cost steel is the Gold Tone. The Fouke Industrial is a good choice, but I feel it has a unique sound which may or may not fit what you want to play. The Sierra is referred to by many as the Rolls-Royce of nonpedal steels, but I think the Georgeboards steel is right up there. The last two are quite expensive compared to the first ones.
I think you'll have trouble finding someone who's played all the varieties of lap steels out there. Perhaps a visit to Elderly Instruments in Lansing, Michigan wouldn't be too far out of your way. They seem to carry a lot of different models.

------------------
Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 8 Mar 2005 9:23 am

Edited.[This message was edited by Bill McCloskey on 09 March 2005 at 03:25 PM.]

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 8 Mar 2005 9:42 am

I have the Sierra, and I have to say it is the finest steel I have ever seen, heard or played. The string spacing is a bit wider than you might be prepared for, but the tone is wonderful and very good with effects. I feel like it deserves the "Rolls Royce" comparison... it is a great guitar!!!

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 8 Mar 2005 9:54 am

I'm with Keith here, altho I don't own one.

Having heard Rick Aiello's clip of his 'shoe' equipped Sierra, that's where I'd be.

Dan Sawyer · Post by **Dan Sawyer** » 8 Mar 2005 10:48 am

One thing you should think about is string spacing. I know one person who bought a Georgeboards and realized the spacing was too close for him. Most lap steels have wide spacing. Gibson seems to be about the widest.

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 8 Mar 2005 11:06 am

For a reasonable price you should be able to pick up a nice post-war Rickenbacker bakelite (the black one with white plates) 6-string. I believe this guitar will give you biggest bang for the buck in terms of tone and playability.

Craig Hawks · Post by **Craig Hawks** » 8 Mar 2005 11:51 am

Ed has pretty much said that cost isn't the issue. He's interested in quality, tone and playability, etc.

Ed, I think for most people the Fender Stringmaster is the gold standard. eBay has them from time to time. Remminton makes the closest thing to a Stringmaster that you're going to find these days.

The other instruments that are in production today are trying fill one particular need or another. None are trying to be "all things to all people". So, the search within these instruments will have to governed by your individual needs.

If you're looking for a Rolls Royce instruments, look to guitars that are designed and built by players. Think Remmington. Think SS Hawaiian.

Or look to some of the other custom builders that will create something exactly for you.

Just my 2 cents.

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 8 Mar 2005 1:27 pm

them ol' Gibson EH 100 & EH 150 sing & shout
check "em out if you can Ed
7 & 8 string jobs were made too but harder to find

Fo'Bro' quote :
So many guitars, so little time

Denny Turner · Post by **Denny Turner** » 8 Mar 2005 2:10 pm

My personal preferences would limit my choices to short scale and string spacing close to 3/8". Prior to making a final decision I think my preferences would LOOSELY stack up somewhat like this:

Ric fry pan or Rick bakelite (slight pre-war preference over post-war).

Next, I would find it difficult to choose between a Ric aluminum body / bakelite neck DN8 or DN6 in that order (Currently a quite affordable "sleeper" price-wise, with exception tone and playability, IMHO) and a Stringmaster or Georgeboard. I would choose a Georgeboard slightly over a Remington Steelmaster because I love the Georgeboard tone and it's craftsmanship and well thought-out features ...such as the placement of the volume and tone controls at the fingertips on some models, and each part designed and placed for the very best Playing considerations, further witnessed and reported by very respectable Players. Herb and George are both mighty fine folks, and put an extreme Love / Mana and expertise into designing and building their Steels; ...but a Georgeboard wins out by a small amount for my tastes. George has been running some VERY attractive Sales on ebay recently; And were I in the market for a Steel (or able to buy one), I would sure contact him now. And by the way, although I don't think George's standard string spacing would be too tight for an experienced bar-slanting "dobro" player to play Steel upon, I think George offers a drop-in wider string spacing for those that prefer it.

Next would be a Remington Steelmaster. I would want much more info and Player reports about the Playboy before I would include the Playboy in my sub-final list.

Next would be an early Fender Custom, Excel JB fry pan or ShoBud fry pan ...and I suppose a Sierra would wind up about here in line-up. Unless any of these had exceptional tone, I would likely have Proffesser Aiello provide a horseshoe pickup for it.

Were my choice not limited to LAP Steel, I would surely want a good Bigsby as a top choice ...due to the volumous great reports. And before I made my decision, I would surely contact and confer closely with Bobbe Seymour to investigate him having the time to assemble one of his "Sho Bud" non-pedal Steels, ...or purchase one from him in some kit form if I couldn't afford his assembly and if my hectic circumstances allowed me to assemble it myself, ...and I have a strong suspicion one of those "Sho Buds" would rank at the top of my difficult choices. In any event I have high hopes of becoming able to get one of those kits in the not-too-distant future while they still exist ...even if it takes some time to get around to assembling it. Sho Bud non-pedal kits with Bobbe's expert advice standing by; Don't get much better than that!

And simply for this SGF discussion, I would also consider some Gibson and Ric console models on a list for other folks, although I don't think they would win out over all the above choices in my decision.

I have probably inadvertantly left out a few other Steels I would find in my files or here on the SGF to consider.

Aloha,
DT~
[This message was edited by Denny Turner on 08 March 2005 at 02:11 PM.][This message was edited by Denny Turner on 08 March 2005 at 02:13 PM.]

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 8 Mar 2005 2:12 pm

Gosh that's an easy answer for me; because I've owned and played every steel mentioned here; especially the Stringmaster from Every year....and I DO NOT own or have any of them anymore; since I got my GeorgeBoard.
One fella mentioned a guy said the spacing on a georgeboard was too close; I can't imagine that at all...3/8" is not close and to go wider than that would be insane..(as Morrell puts it..ha.)...
I even sold my SS HAWAIIAN as I just am not playing it anymore.
So if your asking me what Steel one should get?? Well it's GEORGEBOARD made by George Piburn and That is the rolls royce of Steel guitar hands down.

------------------
Ricky Davis

Rebel™ and Ricky's Audio Clips
www.mightyfinemusic.com
Email Ricky: sshawaiian@austin.rr.com

Denny Turner · Post by **Denny Turner** » 8 Mar 2005 2:28 pm

Ricky,

George's standard string spacing as of last year was .335 at the nut and .362 at the
bridge ...a happy medium of many Steels he measured; A bit tighter than 3/8"; BUT after much research he began to offer wider spacing drop-in optional / replacement nuts and bridges closer to 3/8" at the bridge (metric on the CAD / CNC) for folks that might prefer it. Something to consider when buying used or new. You might have one of those later / wider sets?

Aloha,
DT,
[This message was edited by Denny Turner on 08 March 2005 at 02:30 PM.]

Dwayne Martineau · Post by **Dwayne Martineau** » 8 Mar 2005 3:05 pm

Ricky, that's some endorsement. Do you have any sound clips of your Georgeboard? I'd love to hear it in action; I've spent more than a few minutes looking at that thing.

George Piburn · Post by **George Piburn** » 8 Mar 2005 3:10 pm

edited

Ed Altrichter · Post by **Ed Altrichter** » 8 Mar 2005 3:11 pm

hmmm... nobody has said anything about the MSA "superslide" yet...
I wonder how that compares to Sierra... ?

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 8 Mar 2005 3:14 pm

Edited.

[This message was edited by Bill McCloskey on 09 March 2005 at 03:25 PM.]

Stephan Miller · Post by **Stephan Miller** » 8 Mar 2005 4:19 pm

Denny's right about the standard GeorgeBoard
string spacing: just under 11/32" at the nut, and not quite 3/8" at the bridge. I bought my D-8 in July, and after a few months I knew I wanted wider (3/8") spacing at the nut. George doesn't have "drop-in" replacement parts handy, but was helpful with a number of "do-it-yourself" type suggestions.

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 8 Mar 2005 4:41 pm

Cool Denny. Yes George just answered that question.
Dwayne; I'm sorry, I don't have any sound clips as I haven't recorded with this steel yet....but hopefully soonish....
Yes the sound is much much better than the clips on the Georgeboard site; as I will prove that when I do record with it. To have sound clips on a site; does not counter in the way it was recorded and who is playing and what they are playing through; but it is a quick sample of the idea of the sound as that was what it was meant to be. My Hawaiian Band "The Island Echoes" will be recording a demo 3 song CD in the near future; Then you will hear the sound of the Georgeboard and believe me; you will never look back..ha.
Ricky

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 8 Mar 2005 4:46 pm

If "kala" (money) is not a problem...go with the SIERRA...it's a great guitar ! I wish I had one.

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 8 Mar 2005 5:18 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
hmmm... nobody has said anything about the MSA "superslide" yet...
I wonder how that compares to Sierra... ?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Since it was just shown for the first time at the Texas Steel Guitar show, I don't think too many people have had ANY experience with it yet.

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 8 Mar 2005 6:32 pm

I wasn't even gonna comment here ... but since my name has been mentioned twice ... albiet about our pickups ...

The finest compliment that has been payed to my Dustpan came from ...

Mike "Malahini" Scott ...

I have never heard a guitar ... any guitar ... that has had the harmonic content of yours.

Of course that was after Bobby Ingano played it ...

I think Craig Hawks has given the best advice so far ...

The other instruments that are in production today are trying fill one particular need or another. None are trying to be "all things to all people". So, the search within these instruments will have to governed by your individual needs.

------------------

Aiello's House of Gauss


My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 08 March 2005 at 06:34 PM.]

George Piburn · Post by **George Piburn** » 8 Mar 2005 6:49 pm

edited