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Author
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Topic: First Steel...
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Ron Bednar
Member From: Rancho Cordova, California, USA
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posted 10 October 2003 03:27 PM
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What would you suggest as a first lap steel on a low budget, say up to 600?
Was looking at Chandlers 6strings and Georgesboards 8strings, anyone familiar with those? I'd appreciate any thoughts anybody has.Thanks much. |
Donald Ruetenik
Member From: Pleasant Hill, California, USA
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posted 10 October 2003 04:24 PM
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Hands down, get the GEORGE BOARD. |
Rick Aiello
Member From: Berryville, VA USA
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posted 10 October 2003 06:27 PM
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Here is one that is close to your $$$ limit ...Harmos Model One ... I'm gettin' one soon ... I'm thinkin' Christmas present ... to/from myself   ------------------
www.horseshoemagnets.com |
Ron Bednar
Member From: Rancho Cordova, California, USA
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posted 10 October 2003 06:38 PM
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Boy, thats out there looking!
But they aren't exactly lap steels though are they?
Theres a bunch of pickups and price ranges for the Model 1, which of those do you recommend? |
Jeff Au Hoy
Member From: Honolulu, Hawai'i
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posted 10 October 2003 06:52 PM
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[This message was edited by Jeff Au Hoy on 10 October 2003 at 06:53 PM.] |
Rick Aiello
Member From: Berryville, VA USA
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posted 10 October 2003 07:06 PM
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They are lap steels ... although Sage has made a prototype pedal steel.They may be a bit extreme for a "first steel" ... but I just recently found out about the Model One and was just kinda throwin' it out there ... for folks to see. Seriously ... you can find nice old student model Rickys, Magnetones, Supros, etc. for $250 or less ... Nice Rickenbachers and single neck Fenders can be found in your price range ...
PS ... As far as the pickup on the Harmos ... well
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www.horseshoemagnets.com [This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 10 October 2003 at 07:35 PM.] |
Ron Bednar
Member From: Rancho Cordova, California, USA
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posted 10 October 2003 07:33 PM
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Ah Ha...the plot thickens!So Rick, I could get that Custom body for $650 without the pickup and one of your horseshoe Cryo-Magnet deals would fit?
Just how do I put it in there, can a guy with all thumbs and a hammer do it, you got 'klutz' instructions? |
Rick Aiello
Member From: Berryville, VA USA
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posted 10 October 2003 07:51 PM
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I was editin' while you were postin' ...  There are lots of steels out there in that budget range ... a quick search in archieves will give you tons of readin'/opinions on the steels that may be right for you and the music you enjoy. Personally ... I am goin' to have Sage build me one SOON ... one with titanium nut/bridge, no fretboard (so I can enjoy the view) and a Horseshoe pickup (of course). Sage uses various Lollar pickups and they came up with a mounting system for our "Shoes" ... |
Loni Specter
Member From: West Hills, CA, USA
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posted 10 October 2003 09:21 PM
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$600. first lap steel? Heck for $300-425.You could buy a real sweet sounding National New Yorker or Dynamic 6 string. An Oahu Diana (6) or Epiphone Zypher (8) These are all worthy vintage easy to find used laps. Look on Ebay
OR if you have an old Strat or Tele I'll sell you one of my 'RedNeck' bolt on lap steel conversion necks for only $150.00
(a shameless plug indeed)
Good luck in your quest. www.Lapdancerguitars.com |
J D Sauser
Member From: E-03700-DENIA (Costa Blanca), Spain
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posted 11 October 2003 04:22 AM
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In non pedal I would not buy new. As Ricky said yo can and will find a nice playable vintage instrument sometimes even with a funny littly amp for less than $600.oo and always be able to sell it again for at least what you paid.
For $600.oo you might even get lucky and get historical guitar... I still seem to see Fender D8's just slightly above that (Deluxe or Pro ? I'm not a Fender guy when it comes to guitars).Buy & Sell here on the Forum will get you a deal like that every now and then. ... J-D. |
Ron Bednar
Member From: Rancho Cordova, California, USA
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posted 11 October 2003 08:04 AM
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Hey Everybody,Thanks for all the info, I do appreciate it.
Gonna look around for something in the used dept. I rather spent as little as I can of course, just happen to have the extra cash now, just sold a guitar. If I don't do something worth while with it, probably trickle away on lesser things like paying the mortage or something. |
Rick Aiello
Member From: Berryville, VA USA
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posted 11 October 2003 08:29 AM
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A worthy cause ... |
Rick Aiello
Member From: Berryville, VA USA
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posted 14 October 2003 04:11 PM
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Looks like you killed "two birds with one stone" ... |
Ron Bednar
Member From: Rancho Cordova, California, USA
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posted 14 October 2003 05:33 PM
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Yeah, worked out good for everybody.
Thanks for the tip Rick! I told Danny, what I'm gonna do is, when the time comes for me to move up to another steel, I'll put this guitar back up for auction, with the proceeds going to Bobby Lee and the forum again. Maybe we can start an ongoing benefit thing with beginners like me and this guitar. That would be kinda cool I think. |
Al Terhune
Member From: Newcastle, WA
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posted 15 October 2003 09:02 PM
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Ron,Your cause is a good one, but, man, hang onto this guitar. It's an incredible guitar for the price, and ask anybody: We always wish we had our first "guitar." |
Ron Bednar
Member From: Rancho Cordova, California, USA
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posted 16 October 2003 09:43 AM
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Al - Well I appreciate that. I am looking forward to playing my first electric. It ought to be here next Tuesday. One of the tunes I'm going to try is an Irish folk song called, "Gallaway Boy" that I have been working on with my square neck. Can't wait to see what the added sustain will do. Maybe I'll post the results. |
Bruce Clarke
Member From: Spain
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posted 16 October 2003 01:30 PM
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Ron, I know a few Irish songs, but that is a new one for me, do you by any chance mean "Galway Bay"? |
Ron Bednar
Member From: Rancho Cordova, California, USA
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posted 16 October 2003 02:13 PM
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Bruce - I'm sorry, I mis-spelled the tune's name. It's "The Roving Galway Boy" or "A Mother's Last Goodbye". A beautiful and mournful song, real Irish stuff. Phew, talk about sad songs, they got'em.
My teacher Pete Grant gave it to me, came from an Irish Harp CD he has. |
Bruce Clarke
Member From: Spain
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posted 17 October 2003 11:06 AM
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Ron, thanks for clearing that up, if you know any Irish history I think you will agree that they had a lot to be sad about, but of course they have a lot of lively and funny songs too. I was last in Galway city a couple of weeks ago, it looks out on the Atlantic ocean, a county of grey stone walls and grey skies, just the sort of countryside to induce that melancholy mood. |
Jan Dunn
Member From: Union, NJ USA
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posted 17 October 2003 11:51 AM
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In the initial question on this thread, a Georgeboard was mentioned. I happen to have one and thought I'd mention a recent experience with it. I sent my lapsteel to Jason Loller in hopes of putting a horseshoe pickup in it as the stock Lindy Fralein was very bright and almost brittle as you moved up the neck. Well there wasn't enough space because of the volume and tone knobs so the horseshoe project was dead in the water. Jason recommended a Gibson console-like pickup and it is FABULOUS. Makes a world of difference by warming up and fattening the tone. It has considerably more mids than the original pickup. Mr. Lollar really knows what he's doing. I'm a happy camper. |
Mike Selecky
Member From: BrookPark, Ohio
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posted 17 October 2003 11:56 AM
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Anybody know anything about this guitar:
click here Is this a piece of junk or a good starter steel? [This message was edited by b0b on 22 October 2003 at 12:55 PM.]
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Erv Niehaus
Member From: Litchfield, MN, USA
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posted 17 October 2003 01:08 PM
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FWIW, I think you'd outgrow that one pretty fast!
Erv |
Rick Aiello
Member From: Berryville, VA USA
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posted 17 October 2003 02:26 PM
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Jan ... ------------------
www.horseshoemagnets.com |
Brendan Dunn
Member From:
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posted 18 October 2003 12:48 AM
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Mike, I had looked at that one also but passed on it because the input jack seemed in an awkward place for a right hander. |
Donald Ruetenik
Member From: Pleasant Hill, California, USA
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posted 18 October 2003 08:16 AM
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Mike, I have one. It's a starter but that's about it. The scale is real short (21") and the pickup hums like a mother. Take it if somebody wants to give you one. |
Jesse Pearson
Member From: San Diego , CA
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posted 18 October 2003 10:04 AM
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I think the MOTS Magnatones are great first time steels. The dimensions are the same as what Jerry Bryd recommends and with slightly heavier gauged strings, the tone is ok, I think because the wood is aged like 50 or more years. These were student models but I read that Murphy used them when gigging in L.A. when he didn't have anything else handy, I heard he just carried them in the trunk of his car. I got mine off E-Bay for around $100.00. Because of the low price's, I have em in C6, E6, F#9/Cm7 and E13 and it makes for easy studying because I don't have to retune. I would never have been able afford this many higher ended steels to study with. One of the steels is aqua colored, very pretty but has the worst sound out of them, so I'm trying to get the nerve to exchange it's pickup with Rick Aeillo's Ricky Horse shoe which is in my home built. For six hundred dollars you could have 5 Magnatones for learning and gigging if you needed to and when your ready to move up, you could get what you paid for them on E-Bay. They do seem to be getting kinda scarce on E-Bay anymore, but it took me months to find the right deals on E-Bay anyways. [This message was edited by Jesse Pearson on 18 October 2003 at 01:18 PM.] |
Chuck Fisher
Member From: Santa Cruz, California, USA
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posted 21 October 2003 10:24 AM
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if anybody wants a starter axe, I have a morrell student model, it has the crummy pickup replaced with a 1976 Bill Lawrence pickup, a sidewinder single blade type strat pickup, quiet, sounds great. Red$80 |
Cliff Oliver
Member From: San Antonio, Texas, USA
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posted 21 October 2003 12:58 PM
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I have an 8 string GeorgeBoards that is my favorite. It comes, according to George, with a Lollar pickup. I have had Fenders and Ricky's and a new Gold Tone. The GeorgeBoard is a keeper. |
basilh
Member From: United Kingdom
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posted 21 October 2003 03:08 PM
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8 string GeorgeBoards.
Basil Henriques www.waikiki-islanders.com ------------------
quote:
Steel players do it without fretting
http://www.waikiki-islanders.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk |
George Piburn
Member From: San Diego, California, USA
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posted 08 December 2003 08:19 AM
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Hello From GeorgeBoards Cliff's Instrument has a Custom Super Sonic Lindy Fralin Pickup as do all of my instruments. I am very Pleased that Jan Dunn managed to get the pickup and sound that satisfies him . I had over tightened the control pots and there were shorts in them and Jann figured it out and corrected that . I appreciate all the help I can get !! Thanks to all for considering GeorgeBoards. |
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