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Topic: Need lap steel build advice & parts |
Nicholas Cox
From:
California, USA
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Posted 7 Oct 2020 11:27 am |
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Hi all,
I apologize if this topic has been covered a lot.
I’m about to start building my first lap steel and I would love some advice, warnings, “must-havesâ€, etc... I will also be needing some parts as soon as my plans are finished.
I’m aiming for a 6-string C6 lap steel with a volume and a tone pot.
Firstly I’d like to hear some recommendations on types of wood, pickups, bridges, and other parts. Why do you think they’re better than others?
Secondly, any advice on shaping the instrument? I’m sure the final shape doesn’t matter very much but what about preferences between one piece of wood vs 3 layered pieces and other such specificities. How did you carve yours? What tools did you use?
Thirdly, what will help me get the desired tone/style? I am looking to mainly play country style or Western swing style music. What will help me achieve this sound as opposed to Hawaiian or blues style lap steel? Im sure the tuning has a lot to do with that, but what aspects of the build factor in? Is it just the tuning and amp/effects?
Lastly, if you have any spare lap steel parts laying around I may be interested in purchasing. I will need bridge and nut, pickup, tuning keys, and fretboard. I have the pots and knobs and will buy the wood locally.
Thanks in advance! I look forward to hearing responses.
Nick |
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David Matzenik
From:
Cairns, on the Coral Sea
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Posted 7 Oct 2020 3:00 pm
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There are some philosophical points to be established first. Do you want to simply throw something together to prove that its just strings on a plank, or do you want to make the best sounding instrument possible? Or something in between? Of course, great music can be played on any of them.
My belief is that if the body material has any influence on tone, then the bridge and nut need to be as integral as possible. Not just screwed down to the top with a battery drill as an after thought. This is also about sustain.
_________________
Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother. |
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Nicholas Cox
From:
California, USA
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Posted 7 Oct 2020 3:17 pm
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| Thank you David. I imagine it will end up being of medium quality, but I’d like to make it as nice as my abilities allow. |
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Doug Palmer
From:
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 7 Oct 2020 3:52 pm Steel build
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Contact Jimmie Hudson here on the Forum.
_________________
Emmons D-10, ST-10,LD-10 III, NV-112,Fender Deluxe Reverb. Authorized wholesale dealer musicorp.com! |
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Gene Tani
From:
Pac NW
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Nicholas Cox
From:
California, USA
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Posted 7 Oct 2020 5:44 pm
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| Thank you Gene. I’ll be sure to check old forum posts. |
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JB Bobbitt
From:
California, USA
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Posted 7 Oct 2020 6:07 pm
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Yikes. I'm into my first build too, quite a way past you. I know lots. Have fun.
1. Decide now between a "plank" or "console" shape vs. a body that looks like a regular guitar. See examples and inspiration:
- http://crystalforestmandolins.com/lapsteelplans.html
- https://www.rukavinaguitars.com/
- https://www.industrialguitar.com/product-category/industrial-six-string-lapsteels
Also google the old standards, e.g., "Rickenbacker" or "Fender steel" and see images of those body shape.
Decide now if you're building a steel guitar or crafting a fine piece of woodwork, or both. Plan and spend accordingly.
2. You can buy pre-made fretboards for various scales at many places (Stewmac.com has been great for me, and great service); plus all the electronics you need and tools you may or may not need. Georgeboards can supply nuts and bridges, lots of other stuff.
3. Plan ahead for your PUPS as well, for both pole spacing and string height (my Lollar String-Through requires a specific string height, 7/16"). Note that the builders I listed use common single-coil and humbuckers and sets, in addition to specialized "steel" PUPs.
4. See/play around at Lollar's site, -havehttps://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-steel-guitar-pickups/string-through-steel . They have 5 PUPs for steel guitars, you can listen to them. Fun.
5. Wood: Not much of the plank/body shows, except the back. I can't justify using a exceptional or "musical grade" board for that (e.g.; $300 - $400 plank of exotic hardwood). A stable domestic hardwood like ash or maple, or mahogany, will work well. All those woods are commonly used by mass builders like Fender and Gibson. Joining multiple boards is fine, the final board has to flat though. You can cover with fine veneer or micro-lumber.
6. Construction: have it all layed out: scale, PUP placement, control cavity, tuning machines and placement, string-though body vs. top-load bridge, string height, flat or angled peg head, before you commit to cutting or routing an expensive board. I've got a $20 plank of poplar I'm using for this build, if it goes right I'll craft a the body from a fine board. I'm crafting my own bridge and nut, the pic show a mock-up in poplar. Pic shoes a ziricote fret board.
Have fun
 [/quote]
_________________
"Time is an enemy"
-Bob Dylan |
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Nicholas Cox
From:
California, USA
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Posted 7 Oct 2020 7:02 pm
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| Thanks for the advice JB. I already decided against console style. I’d like to shape it into a somewhat unique shape. |
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Jim Pitman
From:
Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA
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Posted 8 Oct 2020 6:30 am
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| Nick if you are into slants, the consensus is to make the string to string distance at the nut the same as the string to string distance at the bridge. This takes one variable out of the "degree of slant required to be in tune" equation. |
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Nicholas Cox
From:
California, USA
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Posted 8 Oct 2020 6:55 am
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| Thanks Jim. I’ll keep that in mind. |
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JB Bobbitt
From:
California, USA
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Posted 8 Oct 2020 9:08 am
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RE: "What tools do you use"?
I've made templates out of cheap plywood using a jig saw, disk sander on my table saw, and a drum sander on my drill press. I'll cut the basic shape out on the plank to within 1/8" - 3/16" with a jig saw (band saw if I had one), attach the templates, then use a flush-trim router bit to trim to final shape. I'm using ~1-1/4" thick wood. Note that you can purchase plexiglass templates for almost any common guitar bodies, e.g. Telecaster, Stratocaster, &tc. Same for control cavity and PUP routs. StewMac has some but google "guitar template" for the full plethora.
_________________
"Time is an enemy"
-Bob Dylan |
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Nicholas Cox
From:
California, USA
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Posted 8 Oct 2020 9:22 am
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| Good to know pickup cavities have premade templates. Wish I knew that when I redid my Gretsch. |
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David Matzenik
From:
Cairns, on the Coral Sea
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Posted 8 Oct 2020 2:13 pm
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On the point that Jim Pitman made about string spacing and slants, it is theoretically accurate, but the angle of the slant is changing incrementally anyway as you move along the fretboard. We don't really think about our slant angle as in geometry, we find it by ear. Playing both parallel and tapered necks, I find no noticeable advantage. What I would say is more important for slants is the overall scale length. Shorter being (once again) theoretically correct, but its a trade off with the sustain of longer scales.
_________________
Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother. |
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Nicholas Cox
From:
California, USA
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Posted 8 Oct 2020 3:10 pm
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| Scale length is another point I meant to bring up in the original post. What advantages do each have? |
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Gene Tani
From:
Pac NW
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 21 Oct 2020 8:32 am
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One factor often overlooked is string spacing. Some (myself included), prefer a wider spacing than can be achieved by simply installing the generic bridges, pickups, nuts, etc. that are widely available to retrofit on standard electric guitars.
For example, the popular Gibson "P-90" 6-string pickups for Hawaiian guitars had their polepieces spaced about 58mm apart. The P-90s Gibson installed on Spanish guitars were spaced approximately 52mm apart. |
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Greg Forsyth
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 21 Oct 2020 8:37 am
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JB,
I like your fret board. Is that a blank that you bought from Stewmac w/ out the fret slots and added your own fret slots or was it slotted when you bought it? What scale length are you using?
Also I like your idea of putting the fret markers nearest to player instead of in the middle of fret board. Makes it easier to see when barring . |
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Bill Groner
From:
QUAKERTOWN, PA
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Posted 21 Oct 2020 9:57 am
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Also I like your idea of putting the fret markers nearest to player instead of in the middle of fret board. Makes it easier to see when barring .[/quote]
That depends how much your stomach sticks out!
_________________
Currently own, 6 Groner-tone lap steels, one 1953 Alamo Lap steel, Roland Cube, Fender Champion 40 |
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JB Bobbitt
From:
California, USA
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Posted 21 Oct 2020 4:09 pm
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| Greg Forsyth wrote: |
JB,
I like your fret board. Is that a blank that you bought from StewMac w/ out the fret slots and added your own fret slots or was it slotted when you bought it? What scale length are you using? . |
The fretboard is pre-cut Zircote (Central American hardwood) I bought from StewMac. They have numerous types ("Fender", Gibson", &tc.) and scales, both precut and blank. The one in the pic is a 25" scale (to match my reso). I bought pre-cut frets that match the radius of the fretboard, which are convenient but you still have to trim. It's nice not having to toil over precise precise measurements for cuts and fret alignment.
-jbb
_________________
"Time is an enemy"
-Bob Dylan |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 22 Oct 2020 5:02 am
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George Piburn's GeorgeBoards site is in the discussions, in the links above, but it deserves prominent mention here as a source for lap steel parts.
https://www.georgeboards.com/parts.html |
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