Members trill Posted April 12, 2007 Members Share Posted April 12, 2007 i was considering getting one of those new sx lap steels, so i thought i'd check ebay to see what some used models were going for. http://cgi.ebay.com/Gibson-BR-9-lap-steel_W0QQitemZ320100464536QQihZ011QQcategoryZ33040QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-1963-GIBSON-SKYLARK-LAP-STEEL-GUITAR-KORINA_W0QQitemZ160102745807QQihZ006QQcategoryZ10171QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem http://cgi.ebay.com/1937-Rickenbacher-Electro-Silver-Hawaiian-Lap-Steel-NR_W0QQitemZ220099602960QQihZ012QQcategoryZ41439QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem http://cgi.ebay.com/1953-Fender-Deluxe-8-String-Lap-Steel-Blonde-Vintage-NR_W0QQitemZ160103762414QQihZ006QQcategoryZ118989QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem why would anyone buy a new gretsch/morrell lap steel when they can get one of those, with vintagey electronics and such, for the same price, especially with such a limited selection of new lap steels on the market? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jerry_picker Posted April 12, 2007 Members Share Posted April 12, 2007 i was considering getting one of those new sx lap steels, so i thought i'd check ebay to see what some used models were going for.http://cgi.ebay.com/Gibson-BR-9-lap-steel_W0QQitemZ320100464536QQihZ011QQcategoryZ33040QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItemhttp://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-1963-GIBSON-SKYLARK-LAP-STEEL-GUITAR-KORINA_W0QQitemZ160102745807QQihZ006QQcategoryZ10171QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItemhttp://cgi.ebay.com/1937-Rickenbacher-Electro-Silver-Hawaiian-Lap-Steel-NR_W0QQitemZ220099602960QQihZ012QQcategoryZ41439QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItemhttp://cgi.ebay.com/1953-Fender-Deluxe-8-String-Lap-Steel-Blonde-Vintage-NR_W0QQitemZ160103762414QQihZ006QQcategoryZ118989QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem why would anyone buy a new gretsch/morrell lap steel when they can get one of those, with vintagey electronics and such, for the same price, especially with such a limited selection of new lap steels on the market? If the pickups on the Gibsons are original, they will be real-deal P-90s, probably worth *way* more than $150-200. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members trill Posted April 12, 2007 Author Members Share Posted April 12, 2007 If the pickups on the Gibsons are original, they will be real-deal P-90s, probably worth *way* more than $150-200. that's exactly what i was thinking! {censored} spanish guitar, i'm switching to lap steel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GuitarSlim101 Posted April 12, 2007 Members Share Posted April 12, 2007 I don't know why they're inexpensive, but I'd love to have that second Gibson...or the Ric. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members askl23 Posted April 12, 2007 Members Share Posted April 12, 2007 Why are you complaining? That's opportunity right there in front of you! I like the lap-steel sound but I don't know how to play. Maybe I'll start to learn someday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members trill Posted April 12, 2007 Author Members Share Posted April 12, 2007 Why are you complaining? That's opportunity right there in front of you! I like the lap-steel sound but I don't know how to play. Maybe I'll start to learn someday i'm not complaining, i was just really surprised. most of those are six strings, dude. if you can handle a guitar in open tuning, you can handle a lap steel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Prog Posted April 12, 2007 Members Share Posted April 12, 2007 The post-1953 Fenders had the option of attachable legs (for sitting or standing). They are worth more than any of those types you listed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members askl23 Posted April 12, 2007 Members Share Posted April 12, 2007 i'm not complaining, i was just really surprised.most of those are six strings, dude. if you can handle a guitar in open tuning, you can handle a lap steel. Thanks, I think I'll try one out. Now, do these cheap lap-steels include Fenders by any chance? I was on their website yesterday and was suprised to find only one model lap-steel. What's a good one to start on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NashSG Posted April 12, 2007 Members Share Posted April 12, 2007 Some of the older Fender lapsteels often get hollowed out for the pickups for vintage guitars as those were the same as in old Telecasters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tim gueguen Posted April 12, 2007 Members Share Posted April 12, 2007 They're cheap because the demand for them is low, and lots of them were made. How many people regularly play lap steel? Not many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members trill Posted April 12, 2007 Author Members Share Posted April 12, 2007 Thanks, I think I'll try one out. Now, do these cheap lap-steels include Fenders by any chance? I was on their website yesterday and was suprised to find only one model lap-steel. What's a good one to start on? do you play slide on your standard electrics? i'd work on that first before tackling lap steel. but yeah it looks like those '53 fender champ lap steels are all over ebay, and are about as expensive as a new gretsch electromatic ($300-400). i'm gonna see if i can unload some gear and pick one up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Quarter Posted April 12, 2007 Members Share Posted April 12, 2007 Some of the older Fender lapsteels often get hollowed out for the pickups for vintage guitars as those were the same as in old Telecasters. And some of the Ric's get cannibalized for the horseshoe pups too. There are some good deals to be had on vintage steels, you just need to be aware that sometimes it may take a bit of tweeking and repair to get them up to everyday player status. And finding some of the parts will be next to impossible as you might imagine for a 60 yr old instrument. Lap steels are a blast to play and can cover a lot of ground musically.I think the time is right for the "re-birth of the lap steel.It would be nice to see some more decent quality modern steels available.Until then, I'll just keep building what I want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members askl23 Posted April 29, 2007 Members Share Posted April 29, 2007 Yeah, I barely know how to play guitar with a slide. Should work on that. Still, it'd be cool to make some awsome sounds on a lap-steel. I have noticed on Ebay alot of Rickenbacker get horribly abused and taken apart (for thier horseshoe pickups like Quarter said) I haven;t seen a lot of Fenders of the same fate though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wyatt Posted April 29, 2007 Members Share Posted April 29, 2007 They are inexpensive because they are considered obsolete, replaced long ago by the pedal steel. It has only been very recently that interest in them has picked back up. A little over three years ago, there were no mass-produced lap steels being made (except for a Grestch Electromatic for a short while). Now, people are curious again and models are being made, and used prices are going up. Those Gibson, Fender, Ric and Valco/Oahu/National/Grestch/Supro are all going up to. All of those lap steels were half that price 5-10 years ago. I have a '50 Gibson Royaltone and '39 Ric Bakelite that, between the them, only cost me $375 several years ago. Oh, and people don't cannibalize the Gibson pickups much because the P-90's they have are the AlNiCo II models, most people want the '57 and later AlNiCo V models. People *do* cannibalize one particular Gibson lap steel for the logo, which replaces the logo used on their amps and the original Flying V. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted April 29, 2007 Members Share Posted April 29, 2007 The trendy kiddie market has something to do with upward prices. To say there isn't one for a lap steel would be an understatement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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