Rob Rhodie
New member
Hello,
I'm a newbie, never played an instrument, I'm 62 and just got over Dad's saying "NO" to my playing anything!
The wife keeps saying, "It's never too late." so I'm taking her on her word. I love ALL kinds of music, lived with MANY musicians and recently got inspired by jam session with a bunch of old friends.
I saw plans for building your own lap steel guitars were available.
I fell in love with the steel guitar in the fifties, as I road to a one room schoolhouse in northern Ontario, in a 58 Pontiac wagon, driven by the local marina owners son, who listened to a country radio station.
For my first lap steel I decided to buy a pickup, instead of make one, as shown in the plans.
I did a web search on "best pickup for lap steel" and came to this very site where I saw this posting;
01-04-2005, Re: Best Pickup for Lap Steel
I play lap steel. I have some Rickenbachers from the 30's and 40's, and some Fenders, Supros, Valcos and Airlines from the 50's. My '51 Fender has a pickup very similar to a 50's Fender Tele. It's very bright and my least favorite lap steel! If you're going to go with a tele lead pickup, I'd go alnico 2 and go with something fat, middy and warmer than the Broadcaster or '54: like the Jerry Donahue or maybe the Antiquity I. I'd go for the Jerry Donahue!
Lew
So, great! I thought. I bought a Seymour Duncan, Jerry Donahue "Tele" pickup.
I've been trying to learn all I can. I know the strings are flat on a lap steel and an arch on a regular guitar.
Looking at the pickup I bought I see the center pickup poles are higher. Is this a problem?
I'm building a Bluestem lap from his plans. I also have the Martin Koch book on making a lap steel, he uses a tele bridge, Bluestem doesn't.
Am I in deep do-do or what?
Will this pickup work on my lap steel or did I get the wrong pickup?
My lap steel is in limbo until I can figure this out.
Thanks
Rob
I'm a newbie, never played an instrument, I'm 62 and just got over Dad's saying "NO" to my playing anything!
The wife keeps saying, "It's never too late." so I'm taking her on her word. I love ALL kinds of music, lived with MANY musicians and recently got inspired by jam session with a bunch of old friends.
I saw plans for building your own lap steel guitars were available.
I fell in love with the steel guitar in the fifties, as I road to a one room schoolhouse in northern Ontario, in a 58 Pontiac wagon, driven by the local marina owners son, who listened to a country radio station.
For my first lap steel I decided to buy a pickup, instead of make one, as shown in the plans.
I did a web search on "best pickup for lap steel" and came to this very site where I saw this posting;
01-04-2005, Re: Best Pickup for Lap Steel
I play lap steel. I have some Rickenbachers from the 30's and 40's, and some Fenders, Supros, Valcos and Airlines from the 50's. My '51 Fender has a pickup very similar to a 50's Fender Tele. It's very bright and my least favorite lap steel! If you're going to go with a tele lead pickup, I'd go alnico 2 and go with something fat, middy and warmer than the Broadcaster or '54: like the Jerry Donahue or maybe the Antiquity I. I'd go for the Jerry Donahue!
Lew
So, great! I thought. I bought a Seymour Duncan, Jerry Donahue "Tele" pickup.
I've been trying to learn all I can. I know the strings are flat on a lap steel and an arch on a regular guitar.
Looking at the pickup I bought I see the center pickup poles are higher. Is this a problem?
I'm building a Bluestem lap from his plans. I also have the Martin Koch book on making a lap steel, he uses a tele bridge, Bluestem doesn't.
Am I in deep do-do or what?
Will this pickup work on my lap steel or did I get the wrong pickup?
My lap steel is in limbo until I can figure this out.
Thanks
Rob
