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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > lap steel
lap steel
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Andrew
1815 posts
Sep 07, 2018
10:14 AM
Sorry if this is irrelevant, but it's less relevant to my other music forums.

I was thinking of making a lap steel on a plank of wood. I would use it very limitedly indeed, so I thought, there's no need for 6 strings, is there - 2 would be enough to give the hint of a chord. But is that going to be an optimum number? If I buy a tuner for 3 strings and a split pickup, would that be better? It doesn't even need to be a full length guitar. I can do anything.

Anyone got any thoughts on that?
BC
81 posts
Sep 08, 2018
6:09 AM
Andrew:

I dabble a bit with playing cigar box guitars. Your project would be similar.

- 2 strings would be a minimum to provide a double stop chord. It is recommended to have one string be the root and the other to be the 5th. The root/ 5th combination is the best sounding and is essentially a power chord structure.
- For more fullness adding a third string at the octave of the chord sounds good. This would mimic a standard 3 string style cigar box guitar.
- Your open tuning choice is up to you, but open "G" is pretty standard. Thus for a 3 string you have a g-D-G layout.
- For open "G" tuning I use the following string sizes (ensure to buy steel strings as they will sound better for your lap steel guitar).
g - .380mm
D - .71mm
G - .864mm
- You'll need a tuner device to dial in these strings.
- I assume you would be playing with a slide so no need for frets. You might want to add fret location marks if desired.
- This layout will allow you to bar across the strings with a slide to play chords.
- Your over all length probably is going to be at least 3 ft or more.
- Ensure to have a way to add some sort of tuners to adjust tension in the strings.
- If you want a true "steel" sound, then you'll need to add a metal plate under the strumming area. One of my guitars utilizes an old license plate as a resonator. You might need to experiment here.
- If you want to amplify the sound with a pickup; a single coil, humbucker or combo works. Since you won't have a resonant chamber, a piezo pickup won't work. Due to the coil height you will need to raise the strings up. However if you're exclusively playing slide the high action of the strings will work.
- There are kits out there for electric pick ups.
- There are also general resources out there on the net for suggested layouts and parts. For example: https://cigarboxnation.com

Overall have fun, experiment with the set ups.
Be interested in hearing what you come up with.

BC
https://www.bluesharmonica.com/teacher-accreditation?page=1
Andrew
1816 posts
Sep 08, 2018
6:33 AM
Thanks, BC!
Rontana
492 posts
Sep 08, 2018
6:35 AM
Andrew . . .

If you want to go dead simple . . . research the term "diddley bow." That's a one-string instrument, and you could make one easily (and quickly) out of 1 x 2. Just add bridge, nut, saddle, and a magnetic pickup.

I've built and sold a couple hundred instruments - bent wood, metal, resos, cigar box, dulcimers, etc. etc. Your project can be as simple or as complicated as you wish to make it.

Here's a link to some diddley bow pix. There are also quite a few videos out there.

diddley bow pix


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"Humor is always the first victim of political correctness."

Last Edited by Rontana on Sep 08, 2018 6:36 AM
Andrew
1817 posts
Sep 08, 2018
7:22 AM
I know about Seasick Steve's diddley bow and his three-string geetar. I'd be after a Hawaiian effect, so it's 2 strings or 3.


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