Jersey Lightning Lap Steel

[dubtrub]

I've been thinking about trying something old but new to me for years. So, today I went off the deep end and ordered one of these Lap steel. I don't have a clue how to play one but thought I'd give it a try without too big of an investment. If nothing else it looks cool. It's copied after an 1940-50s National lap steel. It should go good with something else I bought last month. Champion 600

Anyone else ever tried one? I think one of our forumites is a steel player but I don't recall who it is.

[Veenture]

Nice toys Danny! You know, I was just thinking the other day what it would be like to play a (pedal) steel. Man, I love steel guitar also

Go for it ...and do let us know what you think after a while, practicin'

[GattonFan]

I'm down to a a ShoBud Maverick right now - 3 pedals 1 knee lever. I'm sure you can pick up the lap slide, Danny. Hardest thing is learning to block for single note picking. You can do this!
Dennis

[MWaldorf]

Let us know how it goes. If you find online resources that are particularly useful, I'd like to know. I've got the base model Rogue that I've kept tuned to open chords so my daughter could make some noise with it, but I'd like to learn to play one properly at some point.

[Dennisthe Menace]

Wow Danny! I had a little cheap lap steel about 10 years ago and every
so often would mess around with it, but never approached with a serious
attitude. I sold it about four years ago and as usual, now that I sold it,
I want another one. At the moment I have my 'Taco-caster' tuned to
open A since it doesn't see gigs. The only thing anyone needs to do when
they want to learn any kind of instrument at all, and have fun at the
same time, is to not make it a homework assignment. Oh yeah, also.....:
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VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
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PRACTICE! PRACTICE!

[sleeperNY]

I have a 12 string pedal steel here but have never done anything with it.

Jim

[connie_mack]

hey dubtrub

I think one of our forumites is a steel player but I don't recall who it is.

that would be me.

maybe others.....

so, first things first. visit this site....

http://www.well.com/~wellvis/steel.html

there are many tunings you can choose from so be sure to check that section of the site. i can't give you one to start with cause i started with a hawaiian one and then later, switched to dobro tuning and something else along the way. since i moved on to pedal, i don't even know a good one to recomend. maybe it will come set up with a tuning. anyway, make sure you have a bar and fingerpicks. if you already know how to fingerpick then you are that far ahead of the game. if not, it's a major hurdle to get over. but stick with it. it's a beguiling instrument and you will either be completely mesmerized with it and can't put it down or you'll get bored. you can pm me with any questions you have and i'll be glad to answer them.....good luck, c.


hey sleeper ny, what kind of 12 string you got? i play u-12 myself.....

[dubtrub]

Thanks for the info and the offer, connie_mack.

I've never tried a lap steel before but since I custom build guitars from scratch, I can probably handle the set up and tuning. I have played some Blues style slide guitar years ago as well as finger pick so I hope that will give me a little advantage. Course I play slide to standard tuning. Those open chord, C 6 and minor etc. tunings might be a bit of a challenge to adjust too. Basically this is just for fun to see where I can take it. That's why I went the cheapo route as I didn't want to invest too much in the beginning. I learned my lesson by buying a three thousand dollar PA system for a band that didn't last.

[JimPage]

Interesting subject. I am the worst in the world at slide playing, but am lucky to know some folks who are gifted at it. I try to go to Nashville once a year to hear some really good slide and pedal-steel players, as that town has many of them.

A fellow in my country band uses a pedal-steel like a wizard, though he has only been playing one for a couple of years. His is a Carter 10-string single neck. He doesn't think he is so great, but I know better.

Another fellow I know, one of the top-five ragtime fingerpickers in the USA, tried to learn pedal steel and told me it takes a good year just to get the theory in your head.

If it takes him a year, it would take me about ten years, so that is the end of that.

One story: There is a place next to Gruhn's on Broadway in Nashville called Robert's Western World. They have great honky-tonk country bands all the time in there.

One day, my pals and I were there and there was a young man playing country licks on a blonde Telecaster that just blew us away. Gorgeous slow lead stuff. He was just siting on a stool and playing that Telecaster.

During the break, we went up to talk to him and let him know how wonderful we thought that he was. He said that the band's usual lead player called in sick, and he was sitting in using a borrowed guitar and had never played a six-string electric before! He was a pedal-steel player at nights and worked in a factory during the day.

Wow!!!

--Jim

[connie_mack]

jim,
i have had a similar experience as of late. i gave up the six string as i gravitated toward banjo, then steel. i really hadn't tried to play anything more than chords for close to twenty years. then in the last 10 months i started playing lead on guitar. something about learning the intricacies of the steel and all the interconnections on the neck crossed over into the guitar part of my brain. i have to say that i am 10 times better on guitar now than when i stopped playing 20 years ago. kinda cool if you think about it. i got better without practice. sort of.

anyway, i think the ragtime picker you spoke of had a good general concept about learning the steel but i would have to say that it really is just a brain thing. some folks have minds that are naturally steel guitar minds and could pick it up rather quickly. others have to work hard to learn it. i'm one of the latters.

cheers.