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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
 Posted - 03/19/2011 : 07:42:06 AM
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http://buildyourguitar.com/resources/lapsteel/
http://www.bluestemstrings.com/page5.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_4828175_build-lap-steel-guitar.html
http://www.well.com/~wellvis/diy.html
Here's some web info on building an electric lap steel. Acoustic models would be a good deal more involved, especially for bending the sides. An electric doesn't seem too difficult or too expensive at all. The fret pattern can be copied from a tenor or baritone uke, or a mandolin. There are also web sites where you can calculate print out a fret pattern for the scale length you choose. Since the frets are generally painted on, the expense of fret wire and the work of cutting slots, installing,leveling & polishing frets is eliminated. Unless you want to install a contrasting color of wood for the frets, and then sand them flush, but this is purely an aesthetic choice, not a necessary one at all. Seems like a reasonably easy and inexpensive project, even with minimal tools. But we expect to see a video of the guitar!
Unko Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
Edited by - rendesvous1840 on 03/20/2011 10:13:19 AM |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2011 : 08:05:05 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by rendesvous1840
http://buildyourguitar.com/resources/lapsteel/
http://www.bluestemstrings.com/page5.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_4828175_build-lap-steel-guitar.html
http://www.well.com/~wellvis/diy.html
Here's some web info on building an electric lap steel. Acoustic models would be a good deal more involved, especially for bending the sides. An electric doesn't seem too difficult or too expensive at all. The fret pattern can be copied from a tenor or baritone uke, or a mandolin. There are also web sites where you can calculate print out a fret pattern for the scale length you choose. Since the frets are generally painted on, the expense of fret wire and the work of cutting slots, installing,leveling & polishing frets is eliminated. Unless you want to install a contrasting color of wood for the frets, and then sand them flush, but this is purely an aesthetic choice, not a necessary one at all. Seems like a reasonably easy and inexpensive project, even with minimal tools. But we expect to see a video of the guitar!
Paul
There's something to be said for an instrument that is basically a slab of wood. The least expensive steels (Rogue, George Boards, Morell, etc) are basically that. The Morrell even uses a piece of angle iron as a bridge. You can buy pre-made fret boards from several sources. All you have to do then is align the 12th fret to the first harmonic on a tuned string. I put it on last, because I glue it down to the body. It gives me a chance to move it around to its final position before the glue dries. btw, I don't believe that you can build one yourself for less that the $100 that the Rogue costs. Chinese labor is cheap, and they know the fine points of lacquer application. |
keaka |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2011 : 10:12:56 AM
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The real expense of building one is the tuners and the pickup. That's probably over $100 right there. But I believe Bau said she had some guitar parts to recycle for the project, and that could cut the cost down very low, if tuners and a pickup are among them.One music store near us let me scrounge through their spare parts and sold me a couple of used EMG pickups for $5 each some years back. That cuts the price down a lot. Worth making a few calls for, at least.
Unko Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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Slack key into lap steel guitar
