David Simmons lap steel guitars-Check this Design

Dennis Smith · Post by **Dennis Smith** » 22 Jan 2014 8:08 pm

Something different.

Black Magic Woman on one.
http://youtu.be/WBO0qQhH-8o

Nate Hofer · Post by **Nate Hofer** » 23 Jan 2014 4:44 am

Pretty creative! I wonder what the advantages are to that particular design? It reminds me of Charles and Ray Eames and their approach to bent plywood.

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · Post by **Jean-Sebastien Gauthier** » 23 Jan 2014 6:52 am

Look like a skateboard!

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 23 Jan 2014 7:04 am

I agree. my first thought was Eames. or a snow sled.

Ted Smith · Post by **Ted Smith** » 23 Jan 2014 7:25 am

Very innovative and cool, don't let people making fun of your creative work bring you down David Simmons, keep it up!!

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 23 Jan 2014 7:43 am

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier wrote:Look like a skateboard!

He also sells skateboards.

Pamela Kelly · Post by **Pamela Kelly** » 14 Jul 2015 12:19 am

Just seen this post from last year & not sure how it all works but will try this for a start!

Hello Brad Bechtel & Jean Sebastien Gauthier. Just correcting a misapprehension, David doesn't actually sell skateboards. He's a degree-qualified luthier with a lifetime of woodworking & guitar playing & was once asked to help a pupil make a skateboard. He loved the result & does now offer to teach people to make their own but in fact has an instrument workshop full time. (This instrument was never a skateboard, 'though obviously a lot of people think that. He made it from scratch.)

He loved the effect of bent wood, fell in love with the subtleties of shape that you can get and realized how strong it was. As a lap-style player he thought of using the same technology to make a lap slide. These were hand made from his own choice of veneers in maple using a press I helped make! The purfling on the solid one is ebony. There's also a rosewood one in the pipeline.

The cut-out version ties in remarkably well with his study of period instruments. Check out the Welsh crwth!

Hi Nate Hofer. The advantages are the strength & the fact that there is no vulnerable neck joint, plus the fact that it is so amazingly light you can carry it & a mini amp on a bicyle & know it won't get damaged. Or you can carry two on your back no problem for different tunings at a gig! Also the curve sits really comfortably across the knee. They stay in tune remarkably!

I had no knowledge of the Eames style so thanks for pointing me in the direction to have a look at this furniture. Hooe this info useful.

Thank you very much Dennis Smith, Ted Smith & Nate for your interest & encouragement

Pamela Kelly · Post by **Pamela Kelly** » 14 Jul 2015 1:26 am

PS. Should have also said is a registered design, both the guitars themselves & the logo.

Cheers

Keith Glendinning · Post by **Keith Glendinning** » 14 Jul 2015 3:01 am

Very different and it sounds good too. No doubt "traditionalists" wll be aghast at the shape, but if you never change things, you never improve them either.
Keith.

Pamela Kelly · Post by **Pamela Kelly** » 14 Jul 2015 4:14 am

That was cheery! Thanks Keith.

Some would indeed be aghast but was deemed cool by Ben Harper, Martin Simpson, Nils Lofgren (via photos & email) & "Very nice. About time" from Patrick James Eggle via Guitarist Magazine FB page. More than 1 pic went into Ronnie Wood's private photo album on FB too.

One is currently in oud tuning! Great fun. Also very useful when tuning a bespoke oud in the workshop last year & had the slide to hand as a reminder.

Stefan Robertson · Post by **Stefan Robertson** » 14 Jul 2015 4:55 am

Great shape for lap steel playing. I love creative new ways of approaching this instrument.

Thumbs way up.

Stephen Cowell · Post by **Stephen Cowell** » 14 Jul 2015 9:26 pm

The one with the holes down the side is a regular guitar, you can fret it. The one without the holes is a lapsteel.

Pamela Kelly · Post by **Pamela Kelly** » 14 Jul 2015 11:39 pm

Indeed. The idea of the cut-outs was that you could do both, reason being there are less lap-slide players in UK.
Cheers.
Also, thanks Stefan.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 15 Jul 2015 1:59 am

Right on target about the Eames reference, Nate. Their work is integrated into the fabric of design and visual media worldwide but most of the general public is unaware of them. Giants.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0vDWqp6J7Y

Johnie King · Post by **Johnie King** » 18 Jul 2015 5:59 pm

Man that's out there really cool very creative I dig it!

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 19 Jul 2015 6:32 am

Both look like they would be very comfortable to play
plus- they look great!

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 20 Jul 2015 4:43 am

Yahoo! The more the merrier. I'm somewhat amazed that the antiques market, "collectables," and "tradition" have gotten so intertwingled with the guitar market that a "good" Fender copy guitar can sell for $2500 to $7000. Look at a Toyota, look at a computer - then look at your guitar.

Look at your telephone.... Plug a dutifully-copied "1957" Strat with hummy little retro pickups into your Ax-FxII....

Search out high and low for a carefully-"relic'd" authentically-handwound motherboard.

Don Barnhardt · Post by **Don Barnhardt** » 24 Jul 2015 7:30 pm

Building lap steels is a 2 part endeavor. First and foremost is the sound. Getting the right combination of nut,bridge and pickup are a must. Once this is done the sky is the limit on design of the body. Some of the builds I have seen on this forum are true works of art. While these instruments aren't what I would want to play the workmanship is impressive and I imagine they sound great. I think the fella deserves an"A".