|
Author
|
Topic: Tremolo Arm on a Lap Steel
|
Alan F. Brookes
Member From: Brummy living in California, USA
|
posted 29 March 2006 03:14 PM
profile send email edit
Don't laugh ! The first reaction is always, "why would you need one ?! After all, you can add tremolo with your left hand."Over the years I've used many regular solid electric guitars as lap steels by raising the bridge and nut. When I play such an instrument I find myself resting my right arm on the tremolo/vibrato arm while I play, and instinctively adding vicrato with my palm. It seems to add to the texture. A while ago I threw a lap steel together from spare parts, and added a tremolo unit as an experiment. It certainly sounds different. I don't know whether I'd do it again ! ------------------
|
Jon Light
Member From: Brooklyn, NY
|
posted 29 March 2006 03:19 PM
profile send email edit
I have had occasion to need to bring some surf & twang vibe to a song and found myself wishing I had a whammy bar---I just can't find the right touch & sound with bar movement alone. Doesn't sound crazy to me. |
Roman Sonnleitner
Member From: Vienna, Austria
|
posted 30 March 2006 12:58 AM
profile send email edit
Hmm, a lap steel with a Bigsby sure would look cool... |
Chris Scruggs
Member From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA
|
posted 30 March 2006 01:34 AM
profile send email edit
Why not just comprimise and play a Bigsby lap steel? 
|
Ben Jones
Member From: Washington, USA
|
posted 30 March 2006 10:29 AM
profile send email edit
sounds like a great idea to me. Put a Floyd Rose on there and a locking nut so you can do some Eddie van halen divebombs seriously, sounds like kinda a good idea to me (not the so much EVH divebombs but the trem arm) |
Bill Creller
Member From: Saginaw, Michigan, USA
|
posted 30 March 2006 07:03 PM
profile send email edit
How about a motorized bar on the bridge end(!!) You could use a pedal for speed, and not have to wave the bar around so much!! |
John Bechtel
Member From: Nashville, Tennessee,U.S.A.
|
posted 01 April 2006 07:02 PM
profile send email edit
Not on my guitar yah dun'tˇ ------------------
“Big John”
a.k.a. {Keoni Nui}
n.t.s.g.a. #90
’05 D–10 Derby
’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15”
Current Equipment
|
Kay Das
Member From: Singapore and Irvine CA
|
posted 02 April 2006 10:34 PM
profile send email edit
An interesting idea. I did consider a whammy bar while working with bob l. on the steelocaster. Decided against it as the string tension required to pull 8 strings may have been too high for a comfortable feel. Perhaps okay for six strings. It is possible and effective to emulate a simple whammy bar "bend" with the steel and I have tried this on some recordings. Some of the other whammy bar effect techniques may, I fear, not be tasteful on a steel guitar.However, the whammy bar on a Strat does add to its visual elegance, in my opinion. ------------------
kay |
Paul Arntson
Member From: Bothell ,WA (just outside Seattle)
|
posted 10 April 2006 07:59 PM
profile send email edit
Say Bill,
There was a pre-war Rickenbacher with a motorized vibrola. I've seen one. Kaufman? Anyway, it was pretty weird. |
Alan F. Brookes
Member From: Brummy living in California, USA
|
posted 11 April 2006 05:19 PM
profile send email edit
Paul:
That was the one with the motor vibrating the bridge back and forth. From what I'm told the problem was that when you swtiched off the motor it could stop at any part during its rotation, and if you tuned it while the motor was off, once the motor started again the instrument would go out of tune, so you had to tune it with the motor running. |
John Bushouse
Member From:
|
posted 15 April 2006 05:05 AM
profile send email edit
Never mind.[This message was edited by John Bushouse on 15 April 2006 at 05:07 AM.] |
AJ Azure
Member From: Massachusetts, USA
|
posted 17 April 2006 10:56 AM
profile send email edit
I have a converted Ibanez with a floyd. Works real nice and I get 6 pickup positions. |
The Steel Guitar Forum
