A Steeler's Strat

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 6 Jan 2005 9:55 am

With the help of our Stringmaster guru, Rick Alexander, I am going to post some pictures of a recent creation of mine, the "Steeler's Strat". This is a Strat that I modified as follows:
Loni Specter's "Red Neck",
a Hipshot Trilogy multiple-tuning bridge,
a roller nut
and EMG Select high-impedance humbucker pickups

To say the least, it makes for quite an unusual lap steel. I am from the old "Hawaiian" school and can change from an A, high bass, tuning to an E tuning with just the flick of a few levers.

Hope you enjoy the pictures!
Thanks, Rick!

Erv

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 6 Jan 2005 1:01 pm

Happy to do it Erv. I appreciate the compliment. I'm not sure that I deserve to be called a guru - that title fits guys like Ricky Davis and Jody Carver a lot more than it does me. But I do try to be guru-vy ! !

Here are your pics:

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 6 Jan 2005 1:04 pm

And if I may add one more comment - WOW!

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 6 Jan 2005 3:20 pm

Extremely kewl!

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 6 Jan 2005 4:37 pm

Very nice, Erv!

Steinar

------------------
www.gregertsen.com

James Quackenbush · Post by **James Quackenbush** » 6 Jan 2005 6:43 pm

Erv,
SHHHHWEEET !!.....Very nice indeed !!
It look's like a lot of fun to play !!
Where did you get the roller nut for it ?
Thanks, Jim[This message was edited by James Quackenbush on 06 January 2005 at 06:44 PM.]

Loni Specter · Post by **Loni Specter** » 6 Jan 2005 11:53 pm

Irv, You did a great job on that puppy. I bet it sounds as good as iy looks.
As far as I know that's the only RedNeck that's really red!. I know you adapted that Hipshot roller nut to work by mounting it on edge. Very tricky. You should have waited 'cause they now make a raised roller nut to retrofit the RedNeck. 3/8" string height and spacing.
Later, Loni

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 7 Jan 2005 12:14 am

Nice One Erv !

don't ferget to serenade the wife now....

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 7 Jan 2005 8:25 am

Loni,
Yes, you're right, I converted a roller nut from Hipshot that was designed for a resonator guitar. I got a file the right width from StewMac and filed a groove in the Redneck. I even set it in there with some black epoxy resin so it would fit nice and tight.

CrowBear,
I don't play anything for my wife that she can pick up and hit me over the head with!

Erv

Jerry Hayes R.I.P. · Post by **Jerry Hayes R.I.P.** » 7 Jan 2005 8:55 am

Hey Erv, what exactly is your basic tuning and how do you have the levers set up. I have a Trilogy on a Nashville Deluxe Telecaster that I wouldn't mind doing this sort of thing to. I'm using it mostly for slide now and have regular guitar tuning on it with each string lowering a half and a whole tone.......Also, how can I get one of those necks...JH

------------------
Livin' in the Past and Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 7 Jan 2005 11:38 am

Jerry,
To get one of the necks just go to Loni Specter's site: www.lapdancerguitars.com He's the gentleman that sold me the neck. On his site if you go under "new stuff" he shows the Redneck and also has a picture of your's truly.
As far as the tunings go, I have stuck with the old A, high bass tuning, E C# A E C# A, (high to low) and then use the Trilogy to change to an E tuning: E B G# E B G# (high to low). Works slick!

Erv

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 7 Jan 2005 12:04 pm

Oh well Erv, since you've showed yours I might just as well show mine.....

The bridge pickup is a Seymour Duncan "Little 59", and the extra output is a 'scar' from a time when there was a guitar synth system on the strat. The roller nut is the new Hipshot model. You may also note that Lonis new necks has more of a Tele style headstock.

Steinar

------------------
www.gregertsen.com

[This message was edited by Steinar Gregertsen on 07 January 2005 at 12:06 PM.]

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 8 Jan 2005 10:02 am

Steinar,
This is kind of spooky! Two Norwegians thinking exactly alike!

Nice guitar! What tunings do you use?
Erv

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 8 Jan 2005 11:43 am

I used it as my 'blues' lap steel for a while, that middle pickup with a touch of overdrive is the best blues sound I've heard for a long time.
So I kept it in open-D, but now that the roller nut is in place I've put on a set of Jagwire C6/A6 strings and will use it for getting into all those "6th" tunings that I've never really explored well enough. So I've set it up for C6, A6 and E13,- there's probably many other variations I'm not aware of too, that can be set as a 'preset' on the Trilogy with those strings. Works great!

Steinar

------------------
www.gregertsen.com

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 9 Jan 2005 7:47 am

Steinar,
I like the 6th tunings also but usually confine them to my 8 string guitars but it sure wouldn't be a problem to swith from an A6th to a C6th tuning with the Trilogy changer.
Erv