Building A Lap Steel

[c7sus]

I guess one of my latest hairbrained ideas is to build lap steel guitar.

I was just checking out a pretty nice-looking 60's Fender but when the bidding topped $270US it got too rich for my poor ass.

So I'm curious about a couple things.

First, I'm thinking using a Telecaster bridge and bridge pickup would look cool, and I'm wondering if the Tele bridge is radiused or flat.

Next, is it possible to get nuts tall enough that I could get away from using a piece of aluminum or maybe chrome steel "L" metal???

Would a piece of ebony work well for a nut???

Next, it looks like most of the vintage lap steel's have a 22.5" scale length. But I think a 24.75" (Gibson scale) or maybe a 25" (Dobro scale) might work a bit better for a knucklehead that plays mostly Martins.

Finally, I dig the slotted peghead with the buttons on top look, and I'm wondering if the Schaller "3-on-a-plate" (StewMac#0656) will work.

Thanks!

[ausrock]

C7,

Crawdad has made a lap steel and I think it was being discussed in the DIY forum over at RP.........maybe he can tell you how he went about it. Otherwise (if you haven't already) have a look around MIMF.

[Light]

I seem to recall the Tele bridge pickup being flat usually being flat, but I am sure you can get them with staggered poll pieces as well. As for the nut, it really depends on how high you need it, and how thick the fingerboard is. I would stay away from ebony, as it wears pretty quickly as a nut or saddle. It looks cool, though.

As for scale length, it will have an effect on sound, of course, but you should do what ever you feel comfortable with. And if you already have a jig for cutting 24.65 or 25, then by all means use it.

For gears, the absolute best in slot head gears are the Waverlys, but they are quite expensive. The Schaller’s are decidedly unimpressive, but the Gotoh slot head gears are pretty nice. I have also heard the new Grover Stay-Tights are good, but I have not yet tried them. I am going to be ordering some in the next few months. The ones we are using right now are the Waverlys on the engraved bronze plate. They look totally classy, but they would cost as much as you did not want to pay for lap steel on eBay. Bear in mind that, as cool as slot heads look, they are a lot of work to get right, and they are a lot more work to restring.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

[crazydoc]

Originally Posted by c7sus

I was just checking out a pretty nice-looking 60's Fender but when the bidding topped $270US it got too rich for my poor ass.

Shit. I converted a Fender lap steel to a pedal steel in the early 70's. I had to sell it when I moved - the cables kept breaking anyway. I wish now I'd never converted it and kept it as is if they're worth $300 now (cost me $20). Had a nice case and a couple of steels (which I still have.)

I don't think the scale length will make any difference in your playing ability - it's a whole new animal for your left hand that won't be affected by what you're used to on a fretted guitar. But if you're a Dobro player it would make a difference.

[c7sus]

Thanks Light. Are you referring to these?

http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdpro...d+Steel+String

I'm thinking now I may go for a modified Scheerhorn body, kindofa nod to old parlour guitars, and use a Hipshot Hardtail bridge. I'd still like to use a Tele single-coil pickup. How difficult is it to install those without the standard Tele bridge assembly?

I'm also thinking about using a mahogony body, and putting a Mando flame maple top on it and carving it so it's a bit arched.

I can't seem to do much of anything the easy way............

Check it out: I bought some drafting stuff today, and tomorrow I'm gonna go get the dimensions off a 1927 OO-17 a local repair guy is working on, and make a full-scale drawing of it!!! He's pretty busy and passed on doing the drawing for me for $70/hour labor. I think the only thing I'll have trouble really nailing down is the EXACT bracing pattern. But I think I can get pretty close. I'm gonna bring a digital camera and a mirror and see if I can scale the bracing off the prints.

Wish me luck!

[Light]

No, those are not the ones. We got them from Allparts, but their site does not seem to have pictures up right now. I will try to remember to look it up when I am at the shop tomorow.


By the way, the easy way to measure braces is to get a little three to six inch ruler, and then you use your fingers as a stop. The good thing about those Martins, however, is that all of their braces ar parallel to one another, and the X brace is at ninety degress. Makes things easier. The big thing you need to remember to get is the height of the braces, and that is where a three inch ruler is most impotant.

And I hope you have small arms. The sound holes on those things are little.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

[dragonworks]

I have been considering building a lap steel myself. Since I am a machinist I have access to all the equipment necessary and was thinking of making them out of blocks of aluminum.
Now all I have to do is get a little more ambitious.

[crazydoc]

Originally Posted by dragonworks

I have been considering building a lap steel myself. Since I am a machinist I have access to all the equipment necessary and was thinking of making them out of blocks of aluminum.
Now all I have to do is get a little more ambitious.

If you're a machinist, you might make a lap steel for practice, but you'd be putting your skills to better use by making a pedal steel.

[dragonworks]

Originally Posted by crazydoc

If you're a machinist, you might make a lap steel for practice, but you'd be putting your skills to better use by making a pedal steel.

A pedal steel is a far more ambitious project, I have looked into it and have some drawings.

[c7sus]

Hey Jerry, check out what this guy is doing.

http://www.industrialguitar.com/guitars.html