Building your own?

[flester]

Anyone here built there own Lap Steel? I've decided to do so, because I had a nice piece of mahogany, I like making things, I play guitar and thought a lap steel would be a good place to start (maybe not the best reasons but...) Design outline: 6-string, body shape will be fairly basic,with slotted headstock. Anyone got photos of ones they've made?

[flester]

heres a pic of how its gone so far. The piece was not long enough so will be built from 4 seperate pieces using biscuit joints.

Attachments

here's a gallery of homemade steels Flester

http://steelguitarfrance.forumactif.com/t1683-gallerie-de-steels-fait-maison

[flester]

Thanks, some great work there. I'm still looking for ideas for the bridge. Have a Les Paul type tailpiece but the bridges that go with those are curved, while I want a flat one. WIll probably use some kind of steel bar or threaded rod.

[Borat]

Hi there, i have made several lap steel guitars and will be happy to help any way i can. I have made a couple of different style bridges over the last couple of years, one quite simple and inexpensive. i have tried to upload a picture but can't because the file is too big. I can email some to you if required, just let me know.

[smitbar]

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Here's a really crude way of doing it! As I have told Borat, I bought this about 15yrs ago from a music shop in Nottingham, it is a cheap Vietnamese guitar

[Borat]

Hi, certainly looks very 70's, i like it. having a problem uploading pics as i was gonna put a couple of Laps i made on here, can you change the file size on photo's ?

[smitbar]

Hi, certainly looks very 70's, i like it. having a problem uploading pics as i was gonna put a couple of Laps i made on here, can you change the file size on photo's ?

If you upload onto say Photo Bucket or Image Shack, you can edit the size on there & then copy & paste the link marked Forum onto here.
That guitar is quite playable & holds tune reasonably well but it is rather poorly finished & put together.

[flester]

Thanks everyone. Can't access your links at present but will look later. More pics under my username k_1000_d50 on flickr

[Borat]

Hi, certainly looks very 70's, i like it. having a problem uploading pics as i was gonna put a couple of Laps i made on here, can you change the file size on photo's ?

If you upload onto say Photo Bucket or Image Shack, you can edit the size on there & then copy & paste the link marked Forum onto here.
That guitar is quite playable & holds tune reasonably well but it is rather poorly finished & put together.

Thanks

Thanks, some great work there. I'm still looking for ideas for the bridge. Have a Les Paul type tailpiece but the bridges that go with those are curved, while I want a flat one. WIll probably use some kind of steel bar or threaded rod.

Managed to upload some pictures thanks to Smitbar.... A few pics show one Bridge made from Alloy which you can get from either a metal scrap dealer or metalworking factory for not a lot of money, i bought an 16" length for a couple of pounds, enough to make 4 bridges easily, just need a file and Drill and i use a buffing mop on my woodturning lathe to get the final finish.........