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Topic: Video/feature on Musicradar about my 1939 Vega lap steel |
Fred Kinbom
From:
Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 5 Jul 2021 3:58 am |
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I'm happy to have played a very tiny part in introducing you to Madame Vega, Fred. The music you've made with it (and other instruments) is so personal, unique and beautiful.
My very first lap steel was a Vega that my wife surprised me with for my birthday around 1989. The case smelled like a dirty laundry basket and I don't think she has still quite forgiven me for selling it to buy a mandolin that is now also long gone.
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com
Last edited by Andy Volk on 5 Jul 2021 5:50 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Fred Kinbom
From:
Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.
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Posted 5 Jul 2021 4:15 am
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Andy - haha, the case smell. It makes me wonder what it is that makes all old cases smell?  My Vega case smells fine (it just "smells old") but a previous owner had the quiestionable idea of painting the case - which was made in beautiful, lacquered brown tweed with reddish/brown stripes - grey.  I assume this stylistic "improvement" was made in the 60s or 70s. I removed the paint from half the case, but this was such a messy experience that half the case still remains grey.
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www.fredrikkinbom.com - New lap steel album out now - listen here: fredrikkinbom.bandcamp.com/album/songs-for-lap-steel-and-harmonium |
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Gene Tani
From:
Pac NW
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Posted 5 Jul 2021 5:31 am
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Wow, that Vega's way ahead of its time, when did somebody reinvent keyless steels, 70's?
And i've tried to air out 1st half of 20th century cases. Leave it out in the sun, vacuum and blow dry it, see how far that gets you. I read somewhere that ozone treatment is effective, haven't figured out how to do that.
i put in a violin bow in one case and the hair was gone in a week, another i was told might have bugs that eat hide glue.
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- keyless Sonny Jenkins laps stay in tune forever!; Carter PSG
- The secret sauce: polyester sweatpants to buff your picks, cheapo Presonus channel strip for preamp/EQ/compress/limiter, Diet Mountain Dew |
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Noah Miller
From:
Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 5 Jul 2021 6:20 am
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| They're not keyless. Vega took conventional Grover tuners and soldered long shafts onto them which end in those circular knobs. They may look different from the outside but you can see the gears when you remove the bottom cover. |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 5 Jul 2021 7:24 am
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| Nice music, Fred. Thanks for sharing. |
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Ryan Lunenfeld
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 6 Jul 2021 8:17 am
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damn! now I want one! So for the tone controls they're just switches? What is the Contra on that?
It looks like the 6 string is hard to come by, I see a few 8 strings sold but 6strings , hmm...
I told myself no more prewar lap steels after picking up a b7..it never ends does it haha |
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Fred Kinbom
From:
Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.
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Posted 7 Jul 2021 3:43 am
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Thank you Jack!
Ryan - haha, that's how I felt when Andy posted about this model years ago.
Correct - the tone control is the 5 switches. The middle one, "normal" (the only one I ever use) is the clear signal and sounds great. "Bass" and "contra" are muddier and "treble" and "clean" are thinner.
Cheers,
Fredrik
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www.fredrikkinbom.com - New lap steel album out now - listen here: fredrikkinbom.bandcamp.com/album/songs-for-lap-steel-and-harmonium |
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