Rondo SX 3 Lap Steel -- First Impression

[Ken Koellner]

I started playing square neck reso a couple months ago. I play mandolin mandolin but repetitive stress flatpicking has me laying off that for a while and I figure I could finger pick reso so I could continue to go to bluegrass jams. I wanted something I could leave in my car when on the road where temperature changes would prevent using an acoustic instrument and figured a cheap lap steel would be fun. I saw an SX 3 on the Rondo site, b-stock with a cosmetic issue so I bought it for $89. I think it will be fun and it definitely suffices as a beater I can leave in the car.

Impression--

• Playable
  Sounds pretty good.
  No serious hum.
  Tuners work pretty good. I've had to replace tuners almost immediately on several other cheap instruments.
  Cosmetic issue is negligible and it was worth saving $40 to buy the b-stock. One part of the wood is smoother under the finish and one is a bit rough so there's a faint line where the tone of the finish changes, who cares.
  Seriously fun to noodle around on with the amp overdriven.

Nit Picks--

• Strings are a bit slack compared to my reso. I have it in GBDGBD as I want to practice what I'm learning for bluegrass reso. Not a big deal but would different gauge strings help? I don't know if they would be too taut if I pulled it up to C-6 and again, want some practice with the bluegrass tuning for a spell. (If I decide I really like lap, I may ask for an SX 8-string for Xmas and give A-6 a try.)
  The pickup is fine except for the highest string which is noticeably thinner sounding. I can live with it but I might try tweaking it at some point. I think it's just bolted flat on, not on adjustable springed strews like many electric guitars. But I could loosen it and then shim it on the treble side to raise it a bit. Or maybe just swap the pickup for something else at some point.
  The gig bag is made of cheap Chinese plastic which out gasses. Same thing happened with a cheap plastic soft case I bought for my whistles. It will stay in the closest for spell until the smell goes away.

Any tips or advice or tweaking or playing this thing welcome. I'm a total noob in the steel world.

-l2t

[Tony Oresteen]

Congratulations on your new steel guitar!

What is the scale length of it?

[Dave Mudgett]

https://www.rondomusic.com/lap3bk1.html

Says scale length 22-3/4", which is definitely in the 'short scale' range but still reasonable for lap steel. A lot better than, let's say, the cheapie Rogues, which are cheaper when on stupid sale, but not enough cheaper as far as I'm concerned. I personally have found the Rondo stuff to be good value for the dough.

I make up my own sets, depending on tuning, scale length, and how I want it to feel. I use this string tension calculator to get a feel for the gauges - https://tension.stringjoy.com/

For low-high GBDGBD, 54, 42, 36, 26w, 19p, 16 gets in the range of 28-29 pounds per string. Going up to 17, 20p, 28w, 46, 58 gets up to around 32 pounds per string. Different brands of strings will vary some, owing to differences in core diameter, winding technique, materials, and so on. But I feel their calculator, based on their strings, works well enough for me for any of the strings I use.

If you want to duplicate your reso tensions, I'd use the calculator for the strings you use on its scale length (usually around 25") to figure out the target tensions.

On a cheap guitar, I'd be reluctant to go too much higher than something like 32 pounds per string, but lap steels are usually pretty sturdy.

On the pickup - make sure the thin-sounding string is over the polepiece, or yeah, shimming the treble side up might help. I also often find that the treble string on standard string sets is too light for my tastes. I don't generally have that issue when I go for uniform tension sets.

[Ken Koellner]

Thanks for the reply.

Yeah, spending much upgrading is silly. This is supposed to be my beater. But I'll swap strings before anything else so we'll see how that works. The stock strings are listed as .011, .015, .022w, .028, .036, .052 with recommended tuning D-G-D-G-B-D with scale length 22 3/4". I've messed with the stringjoy calculator and found it easy to use (see below). I can plug the numbers above in, change the tuning, and then set the gauges to get the same tension.

I'm considering an SX-8 next and wanted to figure out what tuning might work with the stock strings so I did a little worksheet. This is the sheet I did for the stock SX-8. I'll do something like it for the SX-3 but use the GBDGBD tuning and change the gauges.


-l2t

[Brad Bechtel]

When I had one of these, I used the GHS lap steel strings which range from .13 to .56 treble to bass, and was very satisfied with them. If you need heavier gauge strings, be sure to use nickel wound rather than phosphor bronze so the pickup will amplify the strings properly.

[Dave Mudgett]

The stock strings are listed as .011, .015, .022w, .028, .036, .052 with recommended tuning D-G-D-G-B-D with scale length 22 3/4".

That seems very light to me for steel. Certainly light years lighter than a typical 25" resonator set tuned to GBDGBD, which typically run something like, hi-lo, 16, 18p, 28w, 35, 45, 56. Tensions would run something on the order of 35, 31, 42, 35, 41, 42 pounds per string, respectively.

Those stock strings tune DGDGBD at 22.75" scale give tensions on the order of 14, 18, 22, 20, 14, 17 pounds per string, respectively. That's more or less like a set of slinkies on a Les Paul or Strat. That first string 11 is more like a super slinky (.009) first string on a Strat, tension-wise.

[Ken Koellner]

After playing this alternating with my reso, I'm definitely wanting to go a bit stiffer with the strings. When lightly lifting the bar to mute, I often don't get muting on time as because of the lighter strings, the bar presses down a bit so there's more to pull up before the bar is off the strings. I think I'll try that GHS set mentioned above that starts with an 0.013, the seems like a slight increase over what's on there.