Advice for Lap steel

[GuitarMathew]

Hi all,

I want to buy a lap steel and I want to learn C6 on it. Does anybody have one for sale or do you recommend a lap steel guitar? All help would be appreciated!

Best regards,

Mathew Jut

[Mcneilwaeasteel]

Mathew,
58 views and no replies to your request for advice, well here comes my input.
Learning C6th on a non pedal steel will help you to fully understand what pedals and levers are used for on pedal steel, you will see why raises and lowers are needed, it will probably help you understand the fretboard better as you have to move about to find where you can get different chords or notes.
Firstly I think you should realise it is a different animal to a pedal steel and has a sound of it's own, string spacings are different even on other lap steels and a smaller and probably lighter steel bar will be required for manoverability and slants.
Regards choice of lap steel a more modern one would probably suit you better and eight strings will be similar to your pedal steel with the top two strings missing.
Donny has just posted a Morrell on the for sale section and I think it would suit your needs.
Your remarkable progress on pedal steel should help you find your way on non pedal.
Hope this helps you in some way
Kindest regards
Robert

[Tony Russell Davis]

For my input - try this; C6th, from bottom to top C,E,G,A,C,E,G,D. I find there is little to gain from a low A (or even the Bb sometimes found) but the D, just like the top D on a pedal C6th, gives a great deal of versatility.
Also - Donny's guitar is a great piece of kit for a VERY low price!!!

[simon_f3]

I agree with both of the previous posters (!) - 8 strings will definitely give you more versatility than 6, and having the high G and D will give you loads of options for both kinds of music*
I got rid of a couple of lap steels to get a pedal steel, and although I would never now get rid of the pedal steel, I do miss the lap steel a lot.
I have tried to play a bit of rockabilly on the C6 neck, and found I really miss the top G. Not the end of the world, but it means a lot more horizontal movement - so a lighter bar is definitely preferable!
Maybe one day, when I have some more spare cash I shall get another plank. Though I may also have to find some more hiding places around the house for the other guitars too...
Good luck with lap steel, Mathew - your pedal steel playing is exceptional, and I really look forward to hearing you on lap steel.
Best regards,
Sid

*That's Country and Western, as I think you may be of a generation born long after 'The Blues Brothers'

[Donny Johnston]

Thanks for the mentions lads but no one seems to want it, if it's not sold I'll take to the NESGF. Donny.

[Donny Johnston]

Mathew, I have an 8 string Morrell for sale. It's blue and you can see it on the Morrell website. £150 +postage. Donny.