New Lap Steel Guitar

[Tony Russell Davis]

Hi Baz, is this the sort of thing you want?

[bazmusicman]

Hi Tony,
Thank you for the pictures, that guitar looks very nice but a bit bigger than what I had in mind, and the space I have in my 'den' unfortunately.
Regards,
Baz.

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Baz I have just PM'd you Ron's phone number give him a call he had one or two lap steels at the Irish Festival he may not have sold them and he could turn one around for you....

[bazmusicman]

Thank you John, I'll give him a ring tomorrow.
Regards,
Baz.

[bazmusicman]

As a newbee to lap steel playing, would it be easier to learn on a 6 string rather than an 8 string?

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Get an 8 string and grow into it as you progress would be my take on it.....

[bazmusicman]

thank you again John for your kind advice.

[bazmusicman]

Another newbie question if I may, I'm reading a lot about different tuning's ? A6, C6 etc. what doe's a newbie use.......?

[simon_f3]

Hi Baz,
You'll find a mass of different opinions regarding tuning, but I would suggest starting with C6 on an 8-string lap steel, tuned as per Tony's advice somewhere in this thread: https://www.thebritishsteeliessociety.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=9111&p=44011&hilit=+tuning#wrap.
C E G A C E (from lowest to highest) is the 'standard' 6-string lap steel C6 tuning, which will allow you a lot of flexibility, but for 8-string I would go with Tony in using C E G A C E G D (with the top D pitched between strings 3 and 4), or if you're after a more 'bluesy' sound maybe consider Bb C E G A C E G which gives you a nice 7th chord on the lowest 4 strings.
Ultimately there is no right or wrong. Which upsets my Engineer's brain, but it's something I just have to accept!
Hope that's a help,
Sid

[bazmusicman]

Latest update on my quest for l/h lap steel.

Thank you John for Ronnies phone number. I phoned him today and had a long chat, a very nice and helpful person.

Hi Sid, thank you for your advice and tuning link, I'm more confused than ever now!

Yesterday I spoke to Mark at 'Stones Music' who distributes Ronnies Guitars. He happened to have a left handed Ronnie Bennett
8 string Lap Steel brand new. As it isn't something they sell everyday he done me a discount deal which I pulled the trigger on.

So I will soon be the proud owner of a new left handed lap steel and all the frustration that goes with it!
Mark says that it comes with A6 tuning.....so is that a problem for a newbie?