Beginner, with a bit of experience.

[Mr Nutz]

Hi, everybody. After 47 years of guitar playing I have decided to dip my toe into the heady realms of the lap steel. I am looking forward to getting involved on here.

[Tony Russell Davis]

Welcome. Maybe you could let us know a bit more about you (like whereabouts you live) and your ambitions and progress on steel guitar?
Ask as many questions as you like and there's sure to be answers.

[Mr Nutz]

Thank you, Tony. I live in Dorset and have had my lap steel a week (requested Christmas present). My ambition(s)?: I want to get good!

It's all rather new to me, playing a guitar in the horizontal position, but I have a good quality tone bar; amplifiers aplenty, and the willingness to learn.

[Tony Russell Davis]

Good start, there are quite a few players on the South Coast in general, some more of us will be in touch before to long, I'm sure
Hope you are using picks and a bullet nose bar (my foible)! Do you play 6 or 8 strings and what tunings have you tried?
All best, Tony.

[Ken Byng]

There are a number of pedal steel players in the Bournemouth area, some of these can play plank (lap) steel. Every Tuesday there is a club in Longham called the Bluebird Club and quite a few of them seem to congregate there.

There are some excellent lap players on this forum, who play very different types of music.

[Mr Nutz]

...Hope you are using picks and a bullet nose bar (my foible)! Do you play 6 or 8 strings and what tunings have you tried?...

[b]There are a number of pedal steel players in the Bournemouth area, some of these can play plank (lap) steel. Every Tuesday there is a club in Longham called the Bluebird Club and quite a few of them seem to congregate there....

I am using picks, and a Shubb SP1 bar. The guitar is a six string model and I have tried Open G, Gm, D and E. I should add that I have dabbled in bottleneck playing over the years, and bought a resonator guitar last March. However, the lap steel it a different approach for me, if only because of the angles involved.

I know the whereabouts of the Bluebird Club you mention, Ken, as I live in the Bournemouth area. Tuesday evenings are often busy for me, but maybe I'll find the time come the summer to drop in.

[Jim Pritchard]

Hi & welcome,
Good to see someone from my neck of the woods , I'm in Wimborne and a member at the 'Bluebirds' club. As Ken mentioned, there are quite a few of us (local steel players), who get together on a Tuesday evening. I'm there every week.

It would be good to meet you, when convenient, for a chat & meet some of the other guys.
If you find yourself at a loss one afternoon or evening, give me a shout.
PM me here or on F/book. jim.pritchard.9400 Hope to see you soon.