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Author
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Topic: Weissenborn
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Alan Hamley
Member From: Queensland, Australia
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posted 21 December 2005 02:01 AM
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Hi everybody, my new found interest is The Weissenborn Lap Slide Guitar. I would like to collect as much info on the instrument as possible. That is who do I listen too, playing tips, interesting web sites tuning suggestions. This is a wonderful instrument and I'm finding very unforgiving, but also very rewarding when you get it right. Cheers thanks for reading this posting. |
Joey Ace
Sysop From: Southern Ontario, Canada
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posted 21 December 2005 09:23 AM
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Welcome to the Forum, Alan.Your request belongs in No Peddlers so I'm moving it. |
Terry VunCannon
Member From: Randleman, North Carolina, USA
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posted 21 December 2005 12:05 PM
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Welcome Alan...you are going to love this forum!!!
I am also hooked on the weissenborn sound. I have a Lazy River weiss. My interest in the weiss came from the same person that got me hooked on electric lap steel...DAVID LINDLEY. I saw him in concert playing a couple of weissenborns & knew I had to have one. There are several weiss players on this forum.------------------
'49 & '51 National Dynamics, Harmos Model One, Lazy River Weissenborn, Mesa Boogie DC-3, SRV Strat.
http://community.webshots.com/user/keefriff
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Brad Bechtel
Moderator From: San Francisco, CA
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posted 21 December 2005 12:26 PM
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Welcome, Alan. Here are a couple of other sites you might find useful. http://www.christiaanoyens.com.br/weissenborneng.htm
http://www.weissenborn.es/ http://benharpertablatures.free.fr/guitares/weissenborn2.htm
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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
[This message was edited by Brad Bechtel on 21 December 2005 at 12:30 PM.] |
Steinar Gregertsen
Member From: Arendal, Norway
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posted 21 December 2005 12:29 PM
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Welcome Alan!  It's some pretty broad ranging questions you ask there, but I hope the mix of replies you'll get will help fill in the picture for you... RE: Tunings. Fortunately they're a bit more basic and standardised than for lap steel, though you can use basically any tuning you want. However, the three most common tunings used for Weissenborns are (low to high): Open-D: DADF#AD
Open-G: DGDGBD
Open-C: CGCGCE And then there's variations of these (like minors and sus4's), and then there's all the other tunings (there's nothing "wrong" in using a standard C6 tuning - CEGACE - for example, if you prefer that, just make sure to use proper string gauges). Personally I use the Newtone "Aloha" (.015-.056) strings for my Weiss, and they work very well for open-G and D (I play mostly in open-D). The tracks "Waltzing Elisa" and "Northern Lights" on my website (hark, hark..) are done in open-D. Weiss players that's worth listening to:
David Lindley, Ken Emerson, Ben Harper (especially his first, all acoustic, album), Ed Gerhard, Bob Brozman, Dwight Mark, Jeff Lang, and several others I can't remember right here and now..... Steinar ------------------
www.gregertsen.com
[This message was edited by Steinar Gregertsen on 21 December 2005 at 12:34 PM.]
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Russ Young
Member From: Seattle, Washington, USA
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posted 21 December 2005 01:02 PM
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Hi Alan --If you want to delve deep into the origins of the "Weissenborn" guitar, it's worth reading up on Chris Knutsen. Although some might say that "Weissenborns" should be called "Knutsens," perhaps all hollow-neck Hawaiian guitars should be known as Luauiis ...[This message was edited by Russ Young on 21 December 2005 at 02:50 PM.] |
Tim Grice
Member From: Queensland, Australia
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posted 21 December 2005 05:15 PM
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Hi Alan,I'm in Brisbane, Queensland, and also love Weissenborns. Give me an email and we can talk. Tim |
Alan Hamley
Member From: Queensland, Australia
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posted 24 December 2005 03:02 AM
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Thanks everybody for your individual inputs. I now have plenty of sights to visit and learn more about the Weissenborn Lap Slide guitar. Maybe some of you players can suggest what is the best right hand technique. ie Dobro style using plastic thumb pick, two metal finger picks seems to be the most popular, I have tried with fingers but can not seem to get enough volume. Any ideas greatly received. Cheers MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY |
Andy Volk
Member From: Boston, MA
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posted 24 December 2005 12:07 PM
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Welcome to the forum, Alan. Weissenborn guitars are indeed fabulous. I play a Bear Creek ... mostly in open D, E or A6th or Bb6 (C6th tuned down). Fingerstyle, fingerpicks ... doesn't really matter. If you're playing with another instrument(s) you'll likely need picks for clarity and "cut through." With good amplification, bare fingers might be fine. When I play Bosa Nova tunes, fingerpicks just feel wrong. for Western Swing, they're essential. Bob Brozman uses plastic fingerpicks very successfully on Wessenborns.[This message was edited by Andy Volk on 24 December 2005 at 12:08 PM.] |
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