OffsetGuitars.com

been looking online for one...

I think I'll need to learn how to play lap steel very, very soon...I'd like to lay down some tracks, and have never met anyone that can play it, or that even has one... 

how are all them vintage Supros and Oahus etc?

I'd like something that sounds nice, and I definitely want an old one

My uncle has a Rickenbacker with a horshoe pickup. Those seem to be the one to have, sounds great to my ears. I saw one at Fly by nite last time I was there for $650usd.

I've always wanted to get one, but the now the desire for one has beeen brought about as a way to save the poor things from being broken up on ebay, just for their pickups. It makes me sad to see so many pickup-less lapsteel caracasses on there. i think I'm going to launch an "adopt a lapsteel" campaign.

I'd like to get something maybe in the $250 range or so...are the cheaper ones any good?

I see all sorts on ebay and they all look the same to me 

I play lap steel, a bit. I started learning it, anyway, though I've been neglecting music recently.

I have a cheapo modern two neck one, since I wanted to learn C6 tuning (traditional country/Hawaiian sound) and use the more standard open tunings as well. I didn't want to spend a lot of money because I didn't know if I was really going to be able to play it.

I play a lot of bottleneck, more than I play regular guitar these days, so I figured it wouldn't be too hard, but there's actually not much comparison. Different techniques.

My insight is this: playing steel is hard. Certainly harder than playing regular guitar. You're really learning a whole new instrument, regular guitar skills (and even regular slide skills) don't really transfer across.

The good news is that it's fun. Even simple stuff sounds great, once you get the hang of it. But it definitely takes some effort and some practice to start sounding OK.

If you're serious about it, join this forum: http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/index.php

It is to steel guitar as OSG is to offsets. It's not quite as cool as OSG, but it's very friendly and the folks there are a gold mine of knowledge and wisdom. There's a few guys there that have been playing steels since the 1940s, which I find awesome.

hey, thanks for this!

it'll be interesting to try and learn, even a bit...just so I can add the odd part here and there

I'll have a look through that forum

I know someone with a Gibson lap steel from the '30s. I got to hold it for a minute. 

there's a 60's a guyatone one on my local cl for $250

50s alamo jets can be had for $100-150...i paid $120 for mine. i absolutely love it!

since phase 1 of my ebay sale went so well, I shall be picking one up in the next couple of weeks...

I have an old 1940s Gibson BR-9 that I really love.  It has a nice clean sound, but with an overdriven amp it sounds nom nom nom nom.

It looks something like this (sorry, my only camera is in an ancient phone)



I typically keep it in open E and play more... oh, rock n roll type stuff on it than any clean traditional Hawaiian or country.  I've often considered purchasing a pedal steel though.  It just seems so daunting!  I think what convinced me to get a lapsteel was stuff like The Flying Burrito Brothers.  I don't fuzz out my lapsteel, but I think songs like Christina's Tune made me think it would be awesome to own one.

Maukio wrote: I think what convinced me to get a lapsteel was stuff like The Flying Burrito Brothers.  I don't fuzz out my lapsteel, but I think songs like Christina's Tune made me think it would be awesome to own one.

I'm 100% with you on that one!! 

50's/60's Maton Silvertone tuned to open E for blues/bluesrock.

Needs the pots looked at the pickup is very hot but its output is only 4k

Got in a trade for some used car tyres years ago

zhivago wrote:

Maukio wrote: I think what convinced me to get a lapsteel was stuff like The Flying Burrito Brothers.  I don't fuzz out my lapsteel, but I think songs like Christina's Tune made me think it would be awesome to own one.

I'm 100% with you on that one!! 

Hell yeah!   

bought my girlfriend an old airline lap steel for something like $150 off the bay, I don't know anything about them but this one works and makes cool sounds and is old.