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anyone play lap steel?


johnnyunitas

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I have a 1950s Gibson BR-9, you can probably find them on ebay less than $300. I think I bought mine about 5 years ago, around $250. Pretty nice sound, I'm not that great but they are cool. A volume pedal helps to have, as well.

 

5453_1140557801063_1440976514_30474104_5

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I would also advise to go the vintage route

there's plenty of cheapos out there, I got an early 50's Silvertone 6 string

used to have a Herrnsdorf 8 string but sold that one

6 string is sufficient, you just have to settle on string gauges that suit your tuning (check Brads Page of Steel for tunings and string gauges)

the different tuning possibilities is the fun part

I now have mine tuned in open D, which is easy, with the string gauges I have settled on I can also tune it to open G, or open E

 

people who are serious about playing lapsteel, should also consider that Deusenberg Pomona lapsteel, which has a nifty multibender bridge with levers that allow pedalsteel style string bending

 

duesenberg-pomona6-3-460-80.jpg

 

 

Duesenberg-Pomona-6-Lapsteel_2.jpg

 

Pomona_6_Lap_Steel_combo.jpg

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I have a 1950s Gibson BR-9, you can probably find them on ebay less than $300. I think I bought mine about 5 years ago, around $250. Pretty nice sound, I'm not that great but they are cool. A volume pedal helps to have, as well.


5453_1140557801063_1440976514_30474104_5

 

BR-9s are KILLER laps - I had a '56 and really miss it. :love:

 

The thing about the older ones are the pickups and tone circuits - newer laps tend to have basic guitar type pickups and tone circuits that aren't nearly as cool sounding. The BR-9 I had had a huge overwound P-90 and the most vocal sounding tone circuit I've ever encountered in a guitar.

 

You can easily find vintage laps under $300 - its worth doing some scrounging as you'll get a MUCH more interesting sound IMO.

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people who are serious about playing lapsteel, should also consider that Deusenberg Pomona lapsteel, which has a nifty multibender bridge with levers that allow pedalsteel style string bending

 

 

The built in capo is cool too

Here is a great vid I found today

[YOUTUBE]vwk5qPe7plc[/YOUTUBE]

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Your supro! Here's one from TGP

DSC_0156.jpg

 

Oh nice. I think mine is a little different than that one. Mine has a bridge that has a lever that you can change the key that the lapsteel is in just by rolling it back and forth. Pretty kick-ass, IMO. I actually got mine from one of my girlfriend's friends. It was her dads and she didn't have any use for it so she let me borrow it and then never really asked for it back. Some guy at a music store locally here offered me $500 for it last year but I didn't take it.

 

I haven't played many lap steels but I absolutely love this one, it just sounds and plays great all around. I'd definitely try to find one if you can.

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