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Author
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Topic: Favorite Lap Steel
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Scott Burns
Member From: Haiku, Maui, Hawaii
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posted 10 October 2000 11:41 PM
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I'm a newbie to this world of lap steels, can you tell me your favorites. Vintage or current models. Alohas from Maui, Hawaii. SB |
Andy Alford
Member From: Alabama
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posted 11 October 2000 03:47 AM
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I love all of them because the designs and pickups are grand.Go check out the bible on lap steels BRAD'S PAGE OF STEEL.You will find that this site is grand. |
George Keoki Lake
Member From: Edmonton, AB., Canada
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posted 11 October 2000 09:18 PM
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Each of my steel guitars seem to have their own "personality". I really have no favorites as each has a distinct sound of their own...Gibson, Fender, Rickenbacker, Sho-Bud, Tradewind. When I become weary of one, I go to the other for a "fresh" sound. I guess that is one of the joys of our instrument, no two sound exactly alike. |
Ricky Davis
Moderator From: Austin, Texas
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posted 11 October 2000 09:58 PM
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Out of all my Hawaiian steels; this one is my favorite for any style.
My Homepage
Rebel™ and Ricky's Audio Clips
www.mightyfinemusic.com
Email Ricky: sshawaiian@aol.com
Ricky Davis
[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 04 November 2000 at 10:36 PM.]
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Bob Kagy
Member From: Lafayette, CO USA
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posted 12 October 2000 10:51 AM
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Currently the Sierra 8 string. It has a lot going for it - tone, sustain, looks, ruggedness and feel. There are lots of lap steels I never had the pleasure of trying, so this preference is from the limited list of National & Fender. Ones I'd like to try are the Rick, Boen, Ricky Davis' new one, and some from the Melobar line. |
Ray Montee
Member From: Portland, OR, USA
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posted 13 October 2000 09:07 AM
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The first time I had the occasion to play a Ric was when my great new friend Wayne Tanner visited me a couple of years back. He was kind enough to allow me to play two different models he'd brought with him. Within just a year, I had one, then two, then only one again....but I must profess, the Ric to me, is like the finest musical instrument ever made, in spite of any short comings others have mentioned in other threads. A solid and beautiful sounding instrument. But,such opinions are like those on sex. What is good, bad and/or fantastic? The sound defines it and is indisputable. |
Scott Burns
Member From: Haiku, Maui, Hawaii
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posted 13 October 2000 09:37 AM
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WOW! Hey Ray I was half way out the door to purchase a Ricky, however a quick cold shower really help. Thanks for the tip. |
George Keoki Lake
Member From: Edmonton, AB., Canada
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posted 13 October 2000 12:27 PM
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Hey Ray...("Skip") This is supposed to be a 'clean' Forum ! You know, everytime I pickup my Rick frypan or my Rick bakelite, I notice a "stiffness" in my technic. Now, thanks to you, I know the reason!!!!
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Bobby Lee
Sysop From: Cloverdale, North California, USA
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posted 13 October 2000 02:14 PM
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My favorite is my Sierra Laptop. I've never played a lap steel I liked better. |
Earnest Bovine
Member From: Los Angeles CA USA
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posted 13 October 2000 03:37 PM
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Do they call it a Laptop? I thought that means computer. |
Bobby Lee
Sysop From: Cloverdale, North California, USA
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posted 13 October 2000 06:52 PM
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Yeah, that's what it's called. |
oj hicks
Member From: Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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posted 13 October 2000 07:28 PM
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I vote with bOb. I have a post war Rick Bakelite, which I dearly love. Like Carl Dixon says, they have that special "moan." I also have an Excel Frypan which is a great guitar. But my newest toy is the Sierra 8 string lap steel. Like I saw somewhere on a website. . . it sounds like the Rick Bakelite on steriods! Tone and sustain are unbelievable. Just my opinion.oj hicks |
Scott Burns
Member From: Haiku, Maui, Hawaii
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posted 14 October 2000 09:34 AM
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You've peaked my interest. Does Sierra have a website? |
Bob Kagy
Member From: Lafayette, CO USA
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posted 14 October 2000 12:56 PM
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Here you go Scott -
www.sierrasteelguitar.com |
Lefty
Member From: Grayson, Ga.
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posted 15 October 2000 05:27 PM
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My favorites are my Gibsons. I have a 1954 and a 1959. They are the same shape, the 59 is a salmon color with a white fretboard and has a P90 pickup. The 54 is green (was blue) from yellowing with a blue fretboard and a p90 pickup covered by a cover with a gold leaf on it. I don't remember the model of these but they work well for my style. I like the scale length and the sound. The 59 is a little brighter due to the pickup being closer to the bridge. I have a Rickenbacker that sounds good, but I like the longer scale of the gibsons for sliding and emphasis. All of mine were originally right handed, but were converted pretty eaisily.
Lefty.
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Surinder Singh
Member From: Hillsboro, OR, USA
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posted 16 October 2000 04:30 PM
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Lefty,
The gibson that you refer to, is it an Ultratone?
-SS[This message was edited by Surinder Singh on 16 October 2000 at 04:30 PM.] [This message was edited by Surinder Singh on 16 October 2000 at 04:48 PM.] |
Lefty
Member From: Grayson, Ga.
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posted 17 October 2000 02:52 AM
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Surinder,
I'm not sure. I know it is not the BR-9. These have a lucite fret board and bridge cover, tne 59 has a cover for the tuners. They both have a p-90. The 54 bridge cover covers the pickup as well. I will try and come up with a picture.
Lefty |
B. Greg Jones
Member From: London, KY USA
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posted 18 October 2000 09:26 PM
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I have a 1935 Ricky Bakelite and a late 40's early 50's Ricky Silver Deluxe w/gold hardware. Both of them really sound different but great in their own way. The one lap steel that really has knocked my socks off is one that my father built in the shape of a fiddle. He made all the parts (except pickup and tuners) from scratch. I used it a couple of times on Renfro Valley Shows when my family was down for a visit. It is by far the best souding lap steel I have played. Great tone & sustain!! |
Lew Collins
Member From: Boulder, Colorado, USA
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posted 22 October 2000 07:42 AM
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My favorite is my '38 bakelite Rick. The only thing I don't like about it is adjusting the polepieces on the pickup...really scarey! But I'm about to disassemble it and try again...
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Billy Jones
Member From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
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posted 22 October 2000 10:09 AM
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My favorite at this time is my Inovator S10. Other than that I might have chosen the Rickenacker.
I built the Inovator for myself, because I could, and installed an L705 pickup with switchable impedence. I can get a big fat sound and a surprising sound that is equivalent to the Fender custom that I once owned. Of course the tweed bassman and twin that I use does help.
I have to compliment Ricky Davis on his guitar. Beautiful Ricky, just beautiful.
... Billy |
Mike Black
Member From: New Mexico, USA
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posted 22 October 2000 11:14 AM
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I've had 3 of the early 50's Fender Deluxe 8's and they're REALLY nice. Murray Cullen liked them so much he bought 2 from me and B. Black got the other, and his smile when he plays it is like a kids  !!
I had a later 60's Deluxe 8 and that too was real nice, the advantage of legs made it extra desireable. It's now in the hands of Sacred Steeler Calvin Campbell(through the Benevolence of Dan Tyack, Sacred for sure)
Ricky Bakeo's are excellent, if you don't mind the wieght. They play nice and have that sound all the cats are puttin' down. The string spacing is a bit wide for me. But when I plug it in to an old 4x10 Bassman it absolutely kills! One of the best sounding combo's I've ever tried.
My very favorite lap guitar though was a single 8 I built out of old Bigsby parts. I wouldn't have parted with it for $5,000 Bucks! But for the factory models it's the pre 55 Deluxe 8 that gets my vote. |
Marc Weller
Member From: Upland, Ca. 91784
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posted 28 October 2000 11:14 PM
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Mike, How does the string spacing on the Deluxe 8 compare with a late fifties Stringmaster ? MW |
basilh
Member From: United Kingdom
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posted 29 October 2000 02:09 AM
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Aloha Scott,from the "Emerald Isle"My favourite lap steel is the "Rick" although I find that the relatively cheap Dickerson/Leilani/ etc. type of late 40's early 50's six string guitars are quite authentic sounding.
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Basil Henriques
Emmons D-10 1970
and
Emmons D-10 1970 "Anniversary"
1949 "Leilani"
1949 Dickerson
RICKENBACKER "Olde Uglie" Twin 8
"Fender 1000" quote:
Steel players do it without fretting
 http://homepage.tinet.ie/~basilhenriques/
http://www.stax-a-trax.com/
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Marc Weller
Member From: Upland, Ca. 91784
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posted 29 October 2000 07:35 AM
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Basil, I had the impression that Dickerson had been sold to Magna Electronics after WW2 and that there were no post war instruments sold as "Dickersons". MW |
Andy Volk
Member From: Boston, MA
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posted 30 October 2000 06:01 AM
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It's a tie: my favorite sounding steels are my '39 Rickenbacher Bakelite for it's lush, warm tone and overtones and early 50's Fenders with Direct Contact pickups for that classic shimmer that has never been duplicated.In terms of pure design/aesthetics, I feel that the steel guitar universe in general, lags far behind the exceptional strides made in standard guitar design over the last 15 years. Can you imagine a lap steel with the visionary visual panache' of a late-period D'Aquisto archtop or one of the Chinerey Collection "Blue Guitars"? |
basilh
Member From: United Kingdom
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posted 30 October 2000 01:10 PM
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Hi Marc,
I don't know for sure about the date of my Dickerson, but the serial # is 200. When I bought it last month on eBay it was advertised as 1949 so I presumed it was.------------------
Basil Henriques
Emmons D-10 1970
and
Emmons D-10 1970 "Anniversary"
1949 "Leilani"
1949 Dickerson
RICKENBACKER "Olde Uglie" Twin 8
"Fender 1000" quote:
Steel players do it without fretting
http://homepage.tinet.ie/~basilhenriques/
http://www.stax-a-trax.com/
 [This message was edited by basilh on 30 October 2000 at 02:30 PM.]
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Iain
Member From: Edinburgh, Scotland
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posted 31 October 2000 03:18 AM
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I like my ancient Gibson EH-150, 10 strings and a giant C Christian p/up.
It's a lovelysunburst, sounds mellow and fat.
I keep toying with selling it as a D-8 would be more useful, but I can carry it in a gig bag and people always like its looks at gigs ... still, a D-8 with legss ... |
Rick Aiello
Member From: Berryville, VA USA
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posted 02 November 2000 10:53 AM
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My new Sierra "Laptop" 8 - my bakelite and frypan have become just conversation pieces. |
Dave Brophy
Member From: Miami FL
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posted 02 November 2000 09:25 PM
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Iain,don't sell that Gibson.Just get a credit card and buy a D-8 with legs.
My favorite is the '58 Stringmaster D-8 I bought on a Ebay recently.It was a project guitar;the finish had been stripped.I refinished it using nitro lacquer and instructions from Guitar Re-Ranch.
I'm real pleased with how it came out,for my first time refinishing anything.I did it in what Fender currently calls "vintage cream" on Strats and Teles,but "yellow cream" or "banana pudding" would be a better name.
This guitar sounds fantastic.
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Ricky Davis
Moderator From: Austin, Texas
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posted 02 November 2000 09:28 PM
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Hey Dave; I would love to see the re-finish job you did on the '58 pal.
You have any shots of it?
Ricky |
Dave Brophy
Member From: Miami FL
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posted 03 November 2000 10:56 AM
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Ricky,I've been trying to find someone with a digital camera to take pics.If I don't find someone soon,I'll take some pics with a regular camera and have a buddy scan them.
I messed up the "Fender" decal when I put it on.I'll probably buy another one.I haven't worked with a decal since I was 11 years old building a plastic model'32 Deuce Coupe. |
Bob Kagy
Member From: Lafayette, CO USA
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posted 03 November 2000 10:59 AM
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Rick said: quote:
My new Sierra "Laptop" 8 - my bakelite and frypan have become just conversation pieces.
Wow. That's some testimonial. I think this is the first comment I've heard comparing a Sierra with a Rick(?) |
Murray Cullen
Member From: Irvine, CA
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posted 03 November 2000 12:17 PM
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I have several old ones, but end up using the 1950 chrome Ric 6-string most because its tone is the most full and musical. It gets early Don Helms sound too. But with the chrome, I get distracted by my reflection. |
Ricky Davis
Moderator From: Austin, Texas
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posted 04 November 2000 10:34 PM
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Cool Dave no prob pal. I know how hard it is to come up with a good Digital camera when you don't have one yourself.
Just whenever is cool.
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Ricky Davis
My Homepage
Rebel™ and Ricky's Audio Clips
www.mightyfinemusic.com
Email Ricky: sshawaiian@aol.com |
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