How much money do you want to spend? From what you've described so far, an eight string steel would be a good fit, but you could easily do what you want with a six string steel.
For new lap steels, you're living in a golden age of manufacturing. There are more good high quality lap steels out there right now than at any other time.
For the price, one of the best deals going is the Chandler RH-2 lap steel. Another good relatively low cost steel is the Gold Tone. The Fouke Industrial is a good choice, but I feel it has a unique sound which may or may not fit what you want to play. The Sierra is referred to by many as the Rolls-Royce of nonpedal steels, but I think the Georgeboards steel is right up there. The last two are quite expensive compared to the first ones.
I think you'll have trouble finding someone who's played all the varieties of lap steels out there. Perhaps a visit to Elderly Instruments in Lansing, Michigan wouldn't be too far out of your way. They seem to carry a lot of different models.

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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Ed, I think for most people the Fender Stringmaster is the gold standard. eBay has them from time to time. Remminton makes the closest thing to a Stringmaster that you're going to find these days.

The other instruments that are in production today are trying fill one particular need or another. None are trying to be "all things to all people". So, the search within these instruments will have to governed by your individual needs.

If you're looking for a Rolls Royce instruments, look to guitars that are designed and built by players. Think Remmington. Think SS Hawaiian.

Or look to some of the other custom builders that will create something exactly for you.

Ric fry pan or Rick bakelite (slight pre-war preference over post-war).

Next, I would find it difficult to choose between a Ric aluminum body / bakelite neck DN8 or DN6 in that order (Currently a quite affordable "sleeper" price-wise, with exception tone and playability, IMHO) and a Stringmaster or Georgeboard. I would choose a Georgeboard slightly over a Remington Steelmaster because I love the Georgeboard tone and it's craftsmanship and well thought-out features ...such as the placement of the volume and tone controls at the fingertips on some models, and each part designed and placed for the very best Playing considerations, further witnessed and reported by very respectable Players. Herb and George are both mighty fine folks, and put an extreme Love / Mana and expertise into designing and building their Steels; ...but a Georgeboard wins out by a small amount for my tastes. George has been running some VERY attractive Sales on ebay recently; And were I in the market for a Steel (or able to buy one), I would sure contact him now. And by the way, although I don't think George's standard string spacing would be too tight for an experienced bar-slanting "dobro" player to play Steel upon, I think George offers a drop-in wider string spacing for those that prefer it.

Next would be a Remington Steelmaster. I would want much more info and Player reports about the Playboy before I would include the Playboy in my sub-final list.

Next would be an early Fender Custom, Excel JB fry pan or ShoBud fry pan ...and I suppose a Sierra would wind up about here in line-up. Unless any of these had exceptional tone, I would likely have Proffesser Aiello provide a horseshoe pickup for it.

Were my choice not limited to LAP Steel, I would surely want a good Bigsby as a top choice ...due to the volumous great reports. And before I made my decision, I would surely contact and confer closely with Bobbe Seymour to investigate him having the time to assemble one of his "Sho Bud" non-pedal Steels, ...or purchase one from him in some kit form if I couldn't afford his assembly and if my hectic circumstances allowed me to assemble it myself, ...and I have a strong suspicion one of those "Sho Buds" would rank at the top of my difficult choices. In any event I have high hopes of becoming able to get one of those kits in the not-too-distant future while they still exist ...even if it takes some time to get around to assembling it. Sho Bud non-pedal kits with Bobbe's expert advice standing by; Don't get much better than that!

And simply for this SGF discussion, I would also consider some Gibson and Ric console models on a list for other folks, although I don't think they would win out over all the above choices in my decision.

I have probably inadvertantly left out a few other Steels I would find in my files or here on the SGF to consider.

Aloha,
DT~

[This message was edited by Denny Turner on 08 March 2005 at 02:11 PM.]

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Ricky Davis

Rebel™ and Ricky's Audio Clips
www.mightyfinemusic.com
Email Ricky: sshawaiian@austin.rr.com

George's standard string spacing as of last year was .335 at the nut and .362 at the
bridge ...a happy medium of many Steels he measured; A bit tighter than 3/8"; BUT after much research he began to offer wider spacing drop-in optional / replacement nuts and bridges closer to 3/8" at the bridge (metric on the CAD / CNC) for folks that might prefer it. Something to consider when buying used or new. You might have one of those later / wider sets?

Aloha,
DT,

[This message was edited by Denny Turner on 08 March 2005 at 02:30 PM.]

I am here and Happy to answer any Questions Regarding GeorgeBoards One of a Kind Art Pieces ,

We currently have new 2005 Single 8 Console Steels ranging in price from 599.99 to 1750.00

Museum Quality Lap Steels @ 5000.00 includes personal delivery and a free clinic for you and all of your friends.

Regarding String Spacing :

GeorgeBoards Patented Roller System is available in any Spacing Scheme.

[This message was edited by Bill McCloskey on 09 March 2005 at 03:25 PM.]

quote:

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hmmm... nobody has said anything about the MSA "superslide" yet...
I wonder how that compares to Sierra... ?

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The finest compliment that has been payed to my Dustpan came from ...

Mike "Malahini" Scott ...

quote:

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I have never heard a guitar ... any guitar ... that has had the harmonic content of yours.

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Of course that was after Bobby Ingano played it ...

I think Craig Hawks has given the best advice so far ...

quote:

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The other instruments that are in production today are trying fill one particular need or another. None are trying to be "all things to all people". So, the search within these instruments will have to governed by your individual needs.

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Aiello's House of Gauss

My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 08 March 2005 at 06:34 PM.]

There are several other really great steels for you to scope out .

West Coast Steel -
very nice steels , laps and consoles .

Bill Asher Lap Steels , Awesome

The New Dust Pan Steels

To find several other good ones the Andy Volk Lap Steel Book has a color section on current makers of steels of all types ,

If some one would like to add the direct links to some of these forum threads .

I own a 50s fender deluxe 8, an Asher 6 string lap, and an English Electronics 6 string (built by Supro/Valco). The instrument I always bring to every gig or session is the English Electronics (which I bought for next to nothing). The reason I love it is that it rocks like no other steel guitar I have ever played, and when I reach for the lap steel, 99% of the time I am playing blues or rock and roll or Sacred Steel. If I were playing Hawaiian music or swing on the lap, I might go for a different sound, but for me, the Supro sound is it. It would be worth trying a couple of Supros to see if you like the tone for what you are doing. They can be had really reasonably on Ebay or in your local music stores.

In terms of playing Ray Price music, I typically use the pedal steel, but here's a Ray Price cut using the English Electronics lap steel (in the Sacred Steel style): The Way to Survive

I am experimenting with a Web Page of Free Lessons , Directed at people with little if any experience with the C6th Tuning.

For you Seasoned Players the Content will no doubt be at a beginners level.

The Clips are recorded on my Video Camera and compressed through the Editing Process to get a reduced file size for the internet, I think they sound better than previous ones.
www.georgeboards.com/free-lessons.html

to view these clips you will need a modern browser with Quicktime plugin's and high speed / DSL connection as the files range from 2 mb - 5 mb

In the mean while good luck to Ed in his quest , Musicians Friend has 2 steel models for the Entry Level at reasonable prices if you just want to get your feet wet .

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Dan Balde
U-12/8&5, S-7/D 3&1, S-6/E,A & G3

[This message was edited by db on 10 March 2005 at 07:33 PM.]